The burden of old technology materials is not limited to the cost of repairing and replacing failed pipelines. It includes the cost of losing treated water from leaking systems. All told, leaking pipes lose some 2.6 trillion gallons of drinking water every year, or 17% of all water pumped in the United States. This represents $4.1 billion in wasted electricity annually. In many distribution systems, the amount of water lost or unaccounted for can be as high as 40 to 50 percent. Ninety percent of lost water costs are corrosion-related.
Environmental Catastrophe
