Avoiding The Constant Infrastructure Triage

Water utilities may never escape the need to triage infrastructure, but better data, design, and monitoring can reduce the constant churn of reactive responses. In this episode, Jeff Bridge, Charis Klimas, and Brett Braganz of Oldcastle Infrastructure examine how utilities can move upstream of failure by choosing materials for the actual application, designing around workforce constraints, and verifying underground problems before committing crews and capital. Bridge connects conveyance efficiency to both water and energy loss, explaining that deteriorated pipes force utilities to pump more treated water to deliver the same amount to customers. He also argues that utilities increasingly need technical partners who can help match materials and products to the long-term demands of a project rather than simply supply a standard component. Klimas explains how workforce shortages are changing infrastructure design, including the use of lighter equipment and automated meter-reading features that reduce field labor and allow staff to focus on more critical maintenance. She also describes a broader shift from judging infrastructure mainly by upfront price toward considering durability, installation demands, maintenance needs, and total lifecycle cost. Braganz outlines a four-stage digital approach: predict where failure is most likely, monitor and confirm the condition, plan the appropriate response, and move the work into execution. That process can elevate a high-consequence water main serving a hospital, detect leaks before they surface, and show when an asset expected to fail is still performing well enough to remain in service. The opportunity is to break the cycle of waiting for infrastructure to fail and then scrambling to respond—replacing guesswork with evidence, preserving assets that still work, and directing limited labor and capital where intervention will matter most. Learn more about Oldcastle Infrastructure. waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.