On another thread here on KTB persimmon and I debate whether RCP (reinforced concrete pipe) is superior to metal and plastic. To hear Lumpy Lambert talk RCP costs to much and if installed correctly metal is just as good. Well it isn’t. Every time you see one of this “Instant sinkhole-just add water” events you have to remember that if you build it right the first time you don’t have these problems.

From the previous thread:

persimmon said,
on April 28th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Lumpy is right that other materials can achieve the same strength and durability as RCP, but the critical characteristic in this context is reliability. Installation of RCP is routine. The pipes are precast and just need to be positioned. With other kinds of pipes, more skill is needed. Concrete might need to be poured or segments might need to be welded or glued. If a metal pipe gets dented during installation, it will corrode more rapidly. There are more points of failure, so reliability is diminished.

Developers have pretty much made their bed on this issue. For decades, they have consistently cut corners or just ignored stormwater management, but now they want to be trusted to do more complex installations of cheaper materials.