Avoid A Condo Kerfuffle


Critical Success Factors to Prepare Your Board (and Residents) for a Repipe


— By Eric Lecky of SageWater — P


iping systems are failing at an alarming rate across the country as our infrastructure ages. From domestic


supply pipes (hot and cold drinking water), to drain, waste, and vent piping, to heating and cooling piping, it’s all starting to go. Because these pipes are usually out of sight behind sealed walls, communities often fail to realize how dangerous their situation may be.


Piping systems are failing at an alarming rate nationwide as our infrastructure ages.


While condo boards typically budget for maintenance projects that are routine and visible (landscaping, resurfacing parking lots, etc.), they rarely budget for the things “inside the walls” resulting in a surprise expense when it becomes necessary to repipe the building. However, with proper planning, problems can be identified,


18 Community Associations Journal | July-August 2022


financing can be secured, and the situation can be rectified with minimal disruption to the lives of the residents.


The following critical success factors can help guide your board through the planning stages of a repipe to ensure the best possible outcome for your project.


step 1


Identify Your Condo’s Pipe Problems


With pipes being hidden, community association managers, maintenance staff, and even owners need to keep their eyes (and ears and noses) looking out for signs of a potential problem. Symptoms leading to a repipe can include: back- ups, slow drains, leaks, odors [see figure A], noise coming from the pipes, mold and water damage, off-tasting water, discolored water, inefficient heating and cooling, and more. Surveying and listening to residents about their concerns and observations is a great way to gauge how significant the problem may or may not be, and whether further investigation is warranted.


step 2


Assemble Your Board and Secure The Facts


Following a simple process when you identify the problem


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