Fort Wayne seeks average water rate increase of 5.8 percent per year to upgrade pipes and prevent breaks

June 2018

City Utilities’ water distribution system currently includes 1,403 miles of water pipe; 355 of those miles are beyond their useful life. While some pipes are more than 100 years old, age is not the only factor that determines when a pipe should be replaced, officials say. Cast iron pipe, like the current one on Directors Row, is part of a thinner line of pipe that was manufactured and installed from 1940 to 1970. Many of those pipes are in need of replacement due to their deteriorated condition.