Neighborhood in Illinois has faced 79 water breaks since 1980.

Across the country, it is estimated that about 700 water pipelines will burst each day, according to Water World. While age plays a huge factor in this problem, another major issue is the extent of corrosion these older pipes are attempting to withstand. Though the major of pipes within most American cities are quite old, they should still be able to function with little trouble should it not be for the presence of corrosion.

For residents of Decatur, Illinois, this number of water breaks has been especially high. The Herald-Review reports that since just 1980, there have been 79 water breaks alone in one neighborhood called Forest Creek. It is reported that 13 of those occurrences just in the last three years.

The city hopes that many of these problems will fade away after city contractors finish laying 7,000 of new water pipelines later this year. These contractors signed on and were awarded a $1.2 million contract this past summer.

Even while some of the city＇s pipelines are in decent, working condition, many are aging and prone to corrosion damage. Harsh environmental conditions also further this corrosion.

"The majority of water piping installed in the 20th century was cast or ductile iron, which was expected to provide water utilities with 50 to 100 years of trouble-free service," Water World writes. "Unfortunately, these pipes are susceptible to corrosion and subsequent breakage. Many factors contribute to corrosion-induced water main breaks, including soil conditions, coupling to dissimilar metals, seasonal temperature changes, soil stress, road de-icing salts, seismic action and stray electrical currents."

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