Signs Your Domestic Water System Is Failing

Approximately half of U.S. multifamily apartment and condo communities are dealing with failing domestic water systems. Why?

Usually age. A high percentage of housing stock was built at least 50 years ago, and most domestic water systems reach the end of their useful life in 30 – 50 years.

Other reasons can be defect or environmental conditions that cause piping to fail prematurely.

If you’re noticing frequent leaks, low water pressure, and other recurring issues in the supply pipes throughout your building, you’re not alone—and these aren’t problems you can ignore.

Read on for signs that your building’s domestic water system is in distress and may need to be replaced.

Leaks

Leaking pipes are the most common issue with failing domestic water systems.

Slow pinhole leaks can emerge behind your walls creating damp spots and sagging on the drywall, or catastrophic failures can result in floods that affect multiple units. Experiencing frequent leaks and even a single flood can wreak havoc on your community and your budget.

Mold

Mold can sometimes be a hidden danger.

When pinhole leaks go unchecked behind walls, mold can grow and become a serious health hazard. Typically mold causes odors, but residents across the community may also experience unexplained coughing and sickness from it. Mold has usually been growing for a while when you see it emerge and spread on walls and ceilings.

Bad Taste and Odor

If your domestic water is tinted orange, or tastes metallic, it’s likely the result of corrosion inside your pipes.

As corrosion accelerates, tuberculation forms on the inside of the pipes and deteriorating metal (rust) begins dissolving and leaching into your drinking water, which causes the off taste or metallic odor.

Low Water Pressure

As corrosion builds inside your pipes, it constricts water flow and increases turbidity, leading to reduced water pressure.

Over time, this can slow faucets to a fraction of their intended pressure.

Temperature Loss

In domestic water systems with centralized water heating components like boilers, the hot water often travels a long distance to reach showers or faucets at the far end of the community.

These pipes are insulated to retain as much heat as possible as the water travels throughout the building. Over time, the insulation can deteriorate, meaning your water is never hot enough. When residents repeatedly ask you to turn up the water temperature, that’s a common sign your insulation is failing. When this happens, it’s important to rehabilitate the piping because the risks of running the boiler too hot can be significant.

Next Steps

See how the SageWater Turnkey Pipe Replacement process works.

Learn More

Explore system upgrades and alternatives with a SageWater Engineered Solution.

Learn More

Use a SageWater Pipe TEST forensic analysis to get objective data to decide if you need to repipe now.

Learn More

Client Success Stories

Condos

Washington | DC

Allure Tower

Related Resources

SageWater Pipe-Smart Checklist

Use this diagnostic tool for a quick way to see if the troubles you’re experiencing in one of your building’s plumbing or mechanical systems indicate that it’s time for a repipe.

Download your Pipe-Smart Checklist now

SageWater Leak Log

Have your maintenance team use this incident tracker to record leak details and collect critical evidence. Review the log annually to inform budgeting and detect when to repipe one of your plumbing or mechanical systems.

Download your Leak Log now

Get a free consultation about recurring problems with your community's domestic water system.

Turnkey Pipe Replacement

What We Do

Systems We Fix

Multifamily Communities

Condominium Communities

Others

Case Studies

Our Approach

Read Our Latest Blog Post

Turnkey Pipe Replacement

What We Do

Systems We Fix

Multifamily Communities

Condominium Communities

Others

Case Studies

Our Approach

Read Our Latest Blog Post

Signs Your Domestic Water System Is Failing

Approximately half of U.S. multifamily apartment and condo communities are dealing with failing domestic water systems. Why?

See how the SageWater Turnkey Pipe Replacement process works.

Explore system upgrades and alternatives with a SageWater Engineered Solution.

Use a SageWater Pipe TEST forensic analysis to get objective data to decide if you need to repipe now.

The Mendota

Parkway Cooperative of Burnsville