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Utilities director: 358 water main breaks in 2025; staff outline repairs, notifications and lead-line steps
Summary
Director Davis told the committee that Topeka recorded 358 water main breaks in 2025 at an average cost of just over $7,000 per break, described steps to reduce breaks and improve customer notification, and said the city will notify customers connected to identified lead or galvanized lines under new lead-and-copper requirements. A public commenter asked for details on an $11 million KDHE loan and locations of lead pipes.
Director Davis told the City of Topeka Public Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 20 that the city recorded 358 water main breaks in 2025 and that the average cost per break was "just over $7,000." He presented a five-year look-back on break counts and averages and said staff excluded three unusually large projects from the 2024–25 averages because they were not reflective of routine breaks.
"You can see, 2025 last year, we had a total of 358 main breaks, at a cost of just over $7,000 per break," Davis said. He explained that cost-per-break averages vary by location, traffic control needs, depth, and whether the break is under pavement, and that large atypical projects…
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