As part of ITpipes’ commitment to helping municipalities understand and prevent underground failures, this overview explains the challenges of sinkholes and why they matter for sewer and water crews.
Sinkholes are one of the most disruptive failures a municipality can face. Roads collapse, utilities are exposed, traffic is rerouted, and emergency crews are pulled from planned work. Public concern rises quickly, and costs escalate fast.
While sinkholes often seem sudden, most do not happen overnight. In many cases, the ground has been weakening below the surface for months or even years. Soil slowly washes away, leaving empty space underground. Eventually, the surface can no longer support the weight of traffic, structures, or rainfall, and collapse occurs.
Some sinkholes form naturally in areas with limestone or other soft rock. These are known as karst-related sinkholes. However, many sinkholes that affect streets, parking lots, and neighborhoods are caused by failing infrastructure, even in areas without karst geology.
For sewer and water crews, this distinction matters. Infrastructure-related sinkholes can often be prevented when leaks, defects, and soil movement are identified early through inspection and monitoring.
To learn how these underground problems develop and how your team can stay ahead of them, continue reading the full article. Discover practical steps for building a proactive inspection strategy and learn how ITpipessolutions help crews identify risks early, streamline inspections, and protect communities from costly surprises.
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ITpipes delivers cloud‑based, AI‑enhanced pipeline inspection software that streamlines data collection, analysis, and reporting, integrating with ArcGIS to support proactive, data‑driven infrastructure management. Learn more at ITpipes.com
