What can 20 years of water service line data tell us about the future of infrastructure planning?
At the 2026 AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE26), HomeServe’s Bill Eller will join Manhattan University researcher, Juneseok Lee, to present findings from one of the largest known datasets of residential water service line failures and replacements in the United States.
Session: Nationwide Patterns of Water Service Line Failures: Insights from 20 Years of U.S. Data
Date: Monday, June 22
Time: 1:45 PM
Location: Room 154 (Street Level)
The presentation examines more than 76,000 water service line failures and replacements collected between 2006 and 2025. Using advanced statistical and machine learning methods, researchers analyzed how different pipe materials perform over time and identified those most at risk of failure.
As a co-author of the study, HomeServe’s Myles Meehan helped facilitate access to the data and support the research effort. During the presentation, Bill Eller will share how HomeServe’s unique service line protection programs and strong nationwide contractor network made this analysis possible.
With more than 4.6 million customers, 2.6 million water service line plans, and a network of 3,000 contractors and 17,000 technicians, HomeServe has been able to collect and aggregate real-world service line repair and replacement data at a scale rarely available to researchers or utilities.
The result is actionable insight that can help utilities, municipalities, and homeowners better understand infrastructure risk, prioritize replacement strategies, improve reliability, and make more informed long-term investment decisions.
If you’re attending ACE26, we hope you’ll join us to learn how data-driven insights can help communities proactively manage aging infrastructure and plan for the future.
The full research paper is available through AWWA. If you are not an AWWA member and would like a copy, please contact [email protected].