As the year comes to a close, we take a look at some of the most popular stories on mswmag.com. If you missed any of these, now is your chance to catch up. Enjoy this look back at 2018.

10. The Shape of Water Towers: An Engineering History
Since the late 1800s, we’ve seen numerous design and engineering phases for the construction of water towers. Some of those designs have even turned water towers into roadside attractions.

9. Lost Wedding Ring Found During Routine Sewer Cleaning
A woman in Minnesota is reunited with her wedding ring more than a year after she lost it down a bathtub drain thanks to an eagle-eyed public works employee.

8. Major Wisconsin Project Uncovers Century-Old Water Main
This year, crews in Madison, Wisconsin, dug up Monroe Street to replace a century-old water main. And the pipe they found was in surprisingly good shape.

7. Portion of Massive London Fatberg Becomes Museum Exhibit
Most of this 130-ton mass of FOG and wipes was turned into biofuel, but a small portion of it made its debut in a new exhibit at the Museum of London called “Fatberg!”

6. Hydroexcavation Ban Hurts Flint’s Pipe Replacement Efforts
A hydroexcavation ban in Flint, Michigan, means only traditional excavation methods can be used to replace the city’s remaining lead service lines. But the city is running out of money.

5. Meet Britain’s First Water Leak Sniffer Dog
In this adorable story, readers got a look at “Snipe,” a 16-month-old cocker spaniel that pinpoints water leaks in Britain’s rural areas.

4. City Develops Predictive Modeling for Water Main Breaks
Working with a University of Chicago program this year, the City of Syracuse, New York, developed a predictive algorithm for water main breaks based on data it has collected over the years.

3. How Proactive Asset Management Is Working Out for One Water Utility
Developing an asset-management program helped the Kansas City Water Services Department move from a reactive approach to a proactive one for pipe replacements.

2. Baby Boomer Retirements Leave a Widening Employment Gap in Water Sector
Kathleen Cahall retired this year after 27 years as water resources manager for Bremerton, Washington, but the city had a lot of difficulty finding her replacement. This article takes an in-depth look at why the water workforce is disappearing.

1. Safety Tips for Working In and Around Manholes
Safety is a crucial topic, so it’s no surprise this article about the best practices when working in and around manholes was the most popular of the year.