Case Study: Homeowner's Preference Trade-Offs towards Plumbing Systems in Pipe Failure Prone Area

Pinhole leaks in copper plumbing pipes have become a nationwide concern because these leaks cause property damage, lower property values, and result in possibility of adversely affecting homeowners' insurance coverage. Multiple attributes of a plumbing system including cost, taste and odor impacts, potential for corrosion, health effects, warranty, convenience of installation, and proven performance in the market are considered when choosing an alternative plumbing material. Two phase surveys are conducted with selected homeowners in pinhole leak prone area in southeastern US community to observe their revealed and stated preferences. Health effects, taste and odor of water turned out to be the most important factors from the survey. In real life, however, homeowners were not well aware of these safety issues related with plumbing materials. It is recommended that water professionals should work on bridging the gap between public perception and research results.