Authorizing City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings to examine the condition of the City of Philadelphia's water infrastructure.

WHEREAS, Over the course of eleven days during the summer of 2012, three major water main breaks occurred throughout the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, On July 22, 2012, a break occurred in a forty-eight inch water main along 21st Street, creating a sinkhole encompassing the entire intersection of 21st and Bainbridge Streets, flooding several residences, damaging houses, destroying possessions, and forcing at least one hundred people to evacuate their homes; and

WHEREAS, On July 29, 2012, an eight inch water main ruptured on the 2800 block of Willits Road near Ashton Road; and

WHEREAS, On August 1, 2012, a forty-eight inch water main ruptured at the intersection of Front and Tioga Streets flooding several blocks in the area and interrupting water service to neighboring homes; and

WHEREAS, According to the Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia's water infrastructure system includes over three thousand miles of water mains and provides water to approximately one and a half million residents; and

WHEREAS, Eighty-seven percent of the water mains in Philadelphia are cast iron, a material that was replaced in the1960s as the industry standard and lacks the strength and flexibility of more modern materials; and

WHEREAS, In the City of Philadelphia, the average pipe is seventy-eight years old and, according the Philadelphia Water Department, various factors such as pipe type, construction technique and maintenance record contribute to the durability of water infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia must ensure the quality and reliability of its water infrastructure in order to provide residents with a safe water supply while minimizing the risk of failures such as water main breaks that damage property and force residents from their homes; now therefore,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities is hereby authorized to hold hearings to examine the condition of the City of Philadelphia's water infrastructure

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