Corrosion of metals is an ever-present problem in the plumbing industry. Common piping materials such as copper, steel and cast iron are readily oxidized and thus undergo aqueous corrosion at a rate according to the corrosion potential of the service environment.
However, corrosion is not normally a problem in well-designed and -managed systems. Careful corrosion engineering management, including attention to details such as materials selection, fluid mechanics, water-chemistry control, protective coatings, cathodic protection and suitable material corrosion allowance should ensure these materials comfortably survive their design life.