Low temperatures have Colorado Springs Utilities crews scurrying to fix leaky water pipes this winter, a problem officials blame partly on the weather and partly on aging iron and steel pipes.

Only a third of the city’s water pipes are plastic, which is less likely to burst under frigid conditions. The other 1,253 miles are iron and steel, some dating to the 1800s.A five-year history of water-main breaks and leaks shows that the problem fluctuates, depending on winter weather.

There were 388 breaks in 2003, after which the number dropped sharply to 201 in 2005. Last year, crews repaired 336 leaks and breaks. With another month of winterlike weather, Utilities is still tallying this year’s problems.

“Colorado Springs experiences a rapid freeze-thaw cycle, which can present additional challenges not faced elsewhere,” Utilities spokesman Steve Berry said.Moisture levels are another influence. When ice and snow melt and seep through cracks, it causes soil to shift, affecting pipes.

But he noted the cityowned system compares favorably to other cities’ “unmetered water loss.” Utilities loses an average of 2 percent of its water, below the national average of 16 percent, according to a 1996 study. But some East Coast cities with soft soil and aging systems have water losses up to 30 percent, he said.But because there’s no standardization for how utili- ties calculate water loss, comparisons aren’t reliable, Berry said.

Though the city estimates it loses 2 percent to leaks and line breaks, that increases to 9 percent with the addition of water used in firefighting, hydrant flushing and some city activities, like street sweeping.

Two thirds of the city’s 1,912 miles of pipe are metal, because iron was the material of choice until the 1970s. That means older neighborhoods, including the west side, the Broadmoor area and Village Seven, have iron pipe.”Do we have parts of the system that need to be addressed?” Berry said. “Yes.”But he said it’s cost prohibitive to replace all metal pipe at once, and it may not be necessary.

“If it’s functioning properly, and we haven’t had a track record of a lot of issues on the segment that happens to be steel or iron, we’re not going to unnecessarily dig up the street and replace the pipe,” he said.Instead, Utilities workers watch for leak patterns. When one emerges, they assess whether to replace pipes, valves or joints.

The pipe can be less a problem than how it’s braced under construction standards that now are out of date or below the city’s standard, he said.

“There are parts of our current system that were inherited over the years as part of past annexations,” Berry said. “The installation practices used in those areas were not always consistent with our installation procedures.”

Innovations in detection technology have enabled Utilities to better gauge water flow through pipes and judge where leaks might be located.In 2007, the city replaced about 7.6 miles of pipe.

This year, $4 million is allocated to replace mains. An additional $1 million is set aside for small projects, such as valve repairs and replacements.Still another $2.5 million will be spent on the water system to improve the water pressure in pipes that deliver water for firefighting.Utilities officials plan to present a water main report to City Council in May outlining plans for 2009 and beyond.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com

Left to right, Scheideman, Hayes, Halsey, Adams Photo by The Gazette/Bryan Oller