Washington Post - There is no better illustration of the looming national crisis than the District’s system.The average D.C. water pipe is 77 years old, but a great many were laid in the 19th century. Sewers are even older. Most should have been replaced decades ago.Emergency crews rush from site to site to tackle an average of 450 breaks a year.Raw sewage flows into the Potomac, the Anacostia and Rock Creek whenever it rains hard — hundreds of times a year — an annual flush of about 3 billion gallons, according to D.C. Water.... Please read more from: