Infrastructure Week 2023
Happy Infrastructure Week! We will be adding new infrastructure information, statistics, and more every day, so don’t forget to check back.
Over the Last 5 Years
People Stories
Itzel Perez Dominguez considered the purchase of a home – her first – carefully. She knew she’d be responsible for mortgage, homeowners insurance and taxes and she reviewed her options thoroughly before committing to buying a home in Minneapolis. Buying a home for her family was the culmination of a dream.
Itzel had been diligent and done everything right – or so she thought. Click to read her story.
The town of Oceanside, New York typically only sees a few severe weather storms every year. So, when local resident and homeowner Tom W. noticed his lights flickering sometimes this past summer during some high winds, he made a mental note to investigate further if it happened again.
A few months later, a gusty fall storm brought the same flickering lights to Tom’s home. Click here to read what happened.
Frances W. of Houston, Texas, is an older adult on a fixed income, so when she learned about HomeServe’s emergency repair plans, she thought it was a good idea. To protect herself from an emergency repair, she’s been enrolled in plans to protect her exterior water and sewer lines, in-home plumbing, water heater and interior electrical wiring systems for over a decade.
Press Release
Click to read the press release
Fun Facts
- What is Orangeburg? Orangeburg is a sewer line pipe that is made of wood fibers and hot tar
- Why was Orangeburg created? Orangeburg owes its origins to World War II, when the iron and steel commonly used for sewer pipes were critical to the war effort.
- What is the lifespan of Orangeburg? Orangeburg has a life expectancy of approximately 50 years. After 30 years, deformation may begin to occur.
- When did they start using lead pipes? Lead pipes were used in Roman, Medieval and English water works. In America they were first used in a public water system in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania around 1754. They were almost universally used as service pipes into individual buildings.
- How common are lead pipes in the US? Over 9 million homes and businesses across the United States get their water through lead pipes.
- What is the life expectancy of lead pipes? 100 years Unlike copper pipes that can last 70-80 years, lead pipes are expected to last up to 100 years before they need replacing. However, if you have lead pipes in your home, it’s recommended that you replace them immediately.