Corrosion of Underground Zinc-Coated Piping

Water utilities have begun installing zinc-coated (galvanized) ferrous metal (iron and steel) piping underground as a “new” form of corrosion control. While this is being called a new approach, the effectiveness of galvanized piping underground has been widely discussed in the corrosion literature for more than 70 years.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 This article will summarize some of the documented findings regarding galvanized piping underground that are presented in the corrosion literature, along with the author’s technical commentary.