Homeowners expect plumbing systems being installed today to last for decades.
But if the past is any indication, the chemical composition of the water flowing through those pipes can change regularly — and possibly dramatically — over those decades. For some plumbing materials, those changes could be catastrophic.The evolution of drinking water chemistryThe United States started using free chlorine to kill bacteria and keep drinking water safe about 100 years ago. That ultimately resulted in the robust water treatment infrastructure that today serves about 88% of U.S. residents.Free chlorine is a fast-acting and mostly effective disinfectant. But toward the end of
