Many utilities already track water-main breaks in some form - a work order, a spreadsheet, a technician's notebook. That history is one of the most useful, and most underused, inputs into a renewal priority map.
Turning break history into a map starts with tying every recorded break to a specific main segment, not just a street address or a general area. Once breaks are located consistently, patterns that were invisible in a list become visible on a map: which segments have broken more than once, which materials or installation eras show up repeatedly, and which areas combine break history with other risk factors such as criticality or limited system redundancy.
A renewal priority map is not a replacement for engineering judgment about pipe condition. It is a starting point that helps a utility and its engineers focus attention where the evidence is strongest, rather than relying on memory or the loudest recent complaint.