Corrosion of 1010 carbon steel exposed to semi-solid agar

Corrosion of steel potable water pipes buried underground is one of their key means of failure, though it is often trivialised. General corrosion of buried pipes is minimal and is readily counteracted. In contrast, localised corrosion such as pitting is the primary means of pipes failing. A leading cause of pitting is the action of microbes at the steel/soil interface. This is both difficult to predict and prevent and can lead to leaks and ultimately to failure by bursts. These can be expensive to locate and repair.