Bert Rapp
City of Fillmore, Public Works Director

Answer: The City has about 12 miles of old unlined iron water pipes that are starting to fail. These iron pipes were installed between 1917 and 1950 and are typically from 4-inch to 12-inch diameter. They have a life expectancy of 60 to 90 years and are installed under the streets and alleys throughout the City.

The City is proposing to replace these pipes over a 35 year period with the hope of getting it done before too many of the pipes fail. The replacement program will cost about $506,000 per year for the 35 years. This amounts to about $5 per month on the customers’ bill. This is the largest portion of the costs behind the proposed water rate increases that will be discussed at a public meeting August 24th at 6:30 P.M. at Fillmore City Hall.

Replacing the 12 miles of un-lined iron pipe in Fillmore will likely be a one-time expense for the foreseeable future because the other 38 miles of pipe in the City modern, long lasting pipe.

In June of this year the City replaced the failing iron water pipe in A Street from Santa Clara to Sespe. It was an unlined iron pipe installed in the 1930’s. It had four major leaks in the last three years. And last year the City replaced the failing iron pipe in Central Avenue from River Street up to Sespe. These projects demonstrate the magnitude of effort required to replace a pipe and the disruption it causes the community.

The first pipes in the City’s water system were installed in 1917. Today we have about 50 miles of water pipes under the streets of Fillmore bringing water to the homes and businesses. Thirty eight miles of these water pipes were installed after 1950 and are in excellent condition. However many of the pipes installed prior to 1950 are unlined iron pipes and are beginning to fail. The good news is that our cement coated iron pipes are in excellent condition and have many years of life left.

In 1922 the first cement coated iron pipe was installed in Charleston South Carolina. In 1999 it was checked and found to be in like new condition inside the pipe. Cement mortar lining revolutionized iron pipe longevity.

The success of cement linings is due to two properties of cement. The first is the alkaline reaction of the cement and the second is the gradual reduction of the amount of water in contact with the iron. When water soaks into the cement in the pipe it frees calcium hydrate which reacts with calcium bicarbonate in the water to precipitate calcium carbonate which clogs the pores of the mortar and prevents further passage of water to the iron. Even small cracks or chips in the mortar lining tend to heal themselves providing continuous protection of the iron pipe.

After about 1950 almost no one was using unlined iron pipe anymore for water systems. In the 1970’s PCV water pipes became well used and almost all of the 12-inch and smaller diameter water mains installed in Fillmore after 1970 have been long lasting PVC pipes. No one knows for sure how long cement mortar lined iron pipe and PCV pipe will last, but it may last 150 or 200 years.

This is the second in a series of articles about the City water system. If you have any questions about City of Fillmore Public Works or the water system you may call Bert Rapp at (805) 524-1500 ext. 231 or e-mail at brapp@ci.fillmore.ca.us