Is Your Water Loss Program Informing Your Asset Management Program?

| By Will Jernigan

I often get asked the question, “How do leaks inform the decision to repair or replace pipeline infrastructure?”

You may encounter this very question embedded in your asset management program. How does the break history factor into prioritization of line replacement in your asset management matrix and capital planning? I submit the notion that we as an industry are due a paradigm shift on this front.

It’s important to consider two principles when it comes to leakage. First, not all leakage can be identified via acoustic leak detection, so it is necessary to understand your leakage ‘profile’ before investing in leak detection. This can be accomplished via a leakage component analysis, which is part of determining the most cost-effective leakage strategy. Second, it is a common misconception that the pipes with the most breaks are necessarily at the end of their asset life and warrant replacement. In most systems in North America, excess and transient pressure conditions in the pipe network are an underlying cause for premature breaks, and steps can be taken to optimize pressure conditions and extend asset life that are far less expensive than rehab or replacement. If your asset management plan utilizes break frequency as a criterion for pipe replacement, chances are you’re replacing assets too early and overspending in the long run.