1. See for Yourself! What’s in Your Water?
Session 4: Pipes and Related Careers

2. Examples of Water Main Pipes
Image sources:
Above, a broken water main pipe.
To the right, Dura-Blue PVC pipes to be installed as water mains (top), and a water main joint (bottom)

3. Effects of Water Main Breaks
Water main breaks may cause streets to collapse or water to bubble up from the broken, underground pipe.
Image Sources:
Water main breaks are a public health concern because the public water supply in the pipe can become contaminated with bacteria, soil and other contaminants from the street.

4. [Can use if needed]

5. Home Pipe Materials - Copper
Image source:

6. Home Pipe Materials – Galvanized Steel
Image source:

7. Home Pipe Materials – Lead Service Line

8. Home Pipe Materials – Cast Iron (older homes)
Image source:

9. Home Pipe Materials - Plastics
PEX (cross-linked polyethylene), blue for cold water & red for hot water
Gray-colored PB (polybutylene)
Image sources:
PB pipe -
PVC pipe -
CPVC pipe –
PEX pipe -
White-colored PVC (polyvinyl-chloride) pipe
Note: ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) pipe looks like PVC, except that it is black in color and labeled “ABS.”
Cream-colored CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl-chloride)