Municipal Water Systems are Deteriorating

America’s water infrastructure creates compounding operational risks that make it harder for utilities to maintain reliability, protect infrastructure, and plan confidently for long-term performance.


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Non-Revenue Water

Nearly 1 in 5 treated gallons are lost or unbilled, costing U.S. water more than $6.4 billion in lost revenue every year.   

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Corrosion

Microbiologically-induced corrosion (MIC) kills valves and costs U.S. municipalities $80 billion in unnecessary repairs annually. 

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Pressure Instability

A water main breaks every 2 minutes, turning hidden pressure fluctuations into costly leaks, failures, and service disruptions.

5 Signs Your Water Distribution System Is Operating Under Hidden Stress

Water Loss Keeps Rising Despite Ongoing Repairs

Persistent non-revenue water can indicate deeper infrastructure issues, including corrosion, pressure instability, and aging assets that continue driving losses beyond individual leak repairs.

Asset Failures Are Becoming More Frequent

Increasing valve failures, main breaks, and component replacements often signal accumulated system stress and advancing infrastructure deterioration.

Pressure Problems Are Showing Up Across the System

Pressure fluctuations can accelerate leaks, increase failure rates, and magnify existing weaknesses in aging water distribution networks.

Maintenance Costs Continue to Increase

When maintenance spending rises without corresponding improvements in reliability, underlying system conditions may be driving recurring repairs and operational inefficiencies.

You Have Limited Visibility into What Happens Between Failures

Without real-time monitoring and system insight, developing issues can remain hidden until they become costly leaks, failures, or service disruptions.
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WHITE PAPER

Designing Resiliency into Aging
Water Infrastructure

Aging water infrastructure can increase pressure on nearly every part of a utility’s operating model:  


  • Recurring maintenance and emergency repairs 
  • Difficulty prioritizing limited capital and labor 
  • Increased pressure to justify long-term infrastructure investments 

Learn how leading utilities are approaching these issues through integrated resiliency strategies designed to reduce risk, extend service life, and improve long-term performance. 

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ArmorTek® Corrosion Protection

Protect critical water infrastructure from microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) and premature deterioration. Defend critical assets against one of the leading causes of infrastructure degradation. 

  • Patented three-layer corrosion protection system 
  • Available on select valves, strainers, and backflow preventers 
  • Helps extend asset life and reduce maintenance demands 
  • Backed by the industry's only 8-Year MIC Warranty
Learn More About ArmorTek

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Connected Pressure Monitoring

Turn pressure data into actionable system insight. Improve visibility into system performance before small issues become costly failures

  • Continuous IP67 pressure monitoring
  • Alerts delivered through existing SCADA systems or Nexa™
  • Identifies abnormal pressure conditions earlier
  • Supports more proactive maintenance and operational decisions
Learn More About Pressure Monitoring

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Engineered Thermoplastic Service Line Fittings

Eliminate corrosion-prone connections throughout the distribution network. Improve system reliability while reducing lifecycle maintenance costs.

  • Corrosion-resistant SIDR thermoplastic construction
  • Helps reduce leak potential and maintenance requirements
  • Designed for long-term durability
  • Supports more reliable service line performance
  • Improved water flow and lowers pressure loss
Learn More About Thermoplastic Service Line Fittings

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Webinar: Municipal Water Resiliency

August 5th, 2026 | 12 – 1 PM ET | Earn 1.0 PDH 

This course examines the risks of corrosion, pressure instability, and water loss, equipping municipal professionals with practical strategies to address them proactively.  

After this webinar, you will be able to: 

  • Identify key infrastructure challenges contributing to water loss and system decline 
  • Explain how pressure instability and corrosion drive up non-revenue water (NRW) 
  • Evaluate pressure management and corrosion protection strategies 
  • Apply lifecycle planning and real-time monitoring to future-proof your infrastructure 

Register Now
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Why Watts?


A Legacy of Innovation
More than 150 years of experience supporting safe, reliable water systems 
Industry’s Largest Portfolio
A broad range of solutions for water safety, flow control, drainage, HVAC, monitoring, and more. 
Support from Assessment to Specification
End-to-end service to help select the best solutions for your system, budget, and project goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

If your utility is managing rising non-revenue water, corrosion-related deterioration, pressure instability, recurring failures, or limited visibility between maintenance events, an integrated assessment can help identify where these risks may be overlapping.
Yes. Routine maintenance addresses known issues, but corrosion, pressure instability, and NRW can point to broader system conditions that continue driving failures over time.
Not necessarily. Targeted upgrades, corrosion-resistant components, and connected monitoring can help utilities reduce risk and extend service life without replacing the entire system.
Yes. Watts solutions can support retrofit, replacement, specification, and monitoring strategies across a range of municipal water applications, including monitoring and alerts through existing SCADA systems or the Nexa platform.
ArmorTek®-coated equipment has shown strong, long-term performance in corrosive environments, including third-party testing where standard valves corroded approximately 14x faster than ArmorTek-coated valves. Plus, Armortek-coated valves feature the industry's only 8-year MIC warranty.*

*Terms & Conditions apply
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CASE STUDY

ArmorTek® Protects Vegas Infrastructure from MIC-Related Corrosion

A Las Vegas water utility faced recurring corrosion-related failures at a challenging site where multiple replacement backflow preventers had deteriorated due to microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC).



Customer Snapshot


Market: Municipal Water Utility 

Application: Backflow Prevention

System Type: ArmorTek® Advanced Coating System

Challenge: Recurring microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) and premature valve deterioration

The Challenge

During routine testing at an apartment complex on Las Vegas Boulevard, the local water district repeatedly discovered severe corrosion on backflow preventers installed at the site. Multiple replacement valves had already been installed, but each experienced similar deterioration due to the site's harsh water conditions. Further investigation identified the presence of microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC), creating the need for a solution that provides greater protection than traditional coatings alone.

The Solution

The utility agreed to pilot a backflow preventer treated with ArmorTek®, a patented three-layer coating system consisting of an anti-corrosion primer, microbial inhibitor, and protective epoxy-polyester topcoat. The corroded valve was replaced with an ArmorTek-coated version of the same model. Third-party testing later found that standard valves corroded approximately 14 times faster than ArmorTek-coated valves under corrosive conditions.

The Results

No signs of MIC activity after five years in service
Valve appearance remained virtually unchanged compared to uncoated alternatives
Improved long-term protection against corrosion-related deterioration
Easier ongoing maintenance due to the clean condition of the coated surface
Greater confidence in long-term asset reliability in a highly corrosive environment


Download the Full Case Study



Get a Free Corrosion & Water Loss Assessment

Fill out the form below to talk with an expert, get a quote, and discover how an integrated resiliency strategy can improve reliability, reduce maintenance demands, and maximize the value of infrastructure investments.