DETROIT (AP) — About eight miles (13 kilometers) of water transmission mains in suburban Detroit will be examined to assess the pipes' condition.

The Great Lakes Water Authority says the pilot program along 14 Mile Road in Oakland County is part of its commitment to "move from a preventative to a predictive maintenance and asset management strategy."

Technologies to detect leaks and gas pockets and structural weaknesses in pipes will be used.

Data from the testing will allow the Water Authority to predict where an area of a main might be weak and intercede before a break occurs. The Water Authority says the pilot assessment program could begin before the end of this year.

In October 2017, a broken 48-inch (122-centimeter) line impacted 300,000 residents in about a dozen Oakland County communities.