Kingman reports thousands of leak-related calls; city targets polyethylene service lines with replacements, hires and parts

City public works staff on April 1 gave the Kingman City Council an update on ongoing leak activity and mitigation efforts, saying crews have responded to thousands of leak-related calls over the past 18 months and that most repairs involve 3/4-inch and 1-inch polyethylene service lines installed about two decades ago.

Keelan (presenter) told the council that in fiscal year 2024 water operations crews responded to 2,558 leak-related calls for service and that in 2025 to date they had logged 2,004 such calls. Staff said roughly 90 percent of the leaks the city encounters are on 3/4-inch and 1-inch polyethylene service lines; mainline failures are far fewer and typically involve older, thin-walled Class 160 PVC.

The root-cause analysis presented to council emphasized pipe composition as the single most common contributing factor. Staff reviewed pressure fluctuations, pipe age, environmental conditions and industry research and concluded that aging polyethylene service lines (about 20 years old in many areas) are failing more frequently.

To respond, staff said the city amended utility standards in recent years to no longer allow polyethylene for new 3/4-inch and 1-inch service lines; allowed alternatives include a composite product (Munisipex) and Schedule 80 PVC. Staff said they have budgeted a third operations crew for fiscal year 2026 recruitment after July 1. They reported two bulk purchases of brass materials and a third pending order to address earlier supply-chain delays.

Keelan outlined a capital-project scenario for FY2026 that would focus on pavement preservation districts 3 and 4; staff estimated replacing approximately 2,200 service lines in those districts at an estimated cost of $10,000,000 and said the city is researching grant and funding options to offset the cost. He said crews have completed about 250 full service-line replacements to date and that the city's approach is to mitigate leaks immediately (repair bands or short repairs) and then place locations on a prioritized replacement list for contractor-performed full replacements.

Council members asked about complaint filing methods, parts availability, the process for closing work orders and how the patch-to-replacement handoff is managed. Staff said citizens can file complaints by phone, the city website, or in person; that about half the replacement materials are in stock with more expected in June; and that the city is pursuing an asset-management system to improve the handoff between water crews and pavement/patch crews.

Keelan and council members thanked field crews for heavy workloads. No formal council action was requested; the item was an informational update.