According to Utilitalia, 38 percent of water is lost on average from the country’s distribution networks. By reducing these losses, the country’s utilities can achieve a more sustainable water supply, lower energy demand, and better financial stewardship.

By implementing a proactive management program, utilities can virtually eliminate the risk of failure within their PCCP inventory. Even utilities that have not experienced a large-diameter PCCP failure, can realize significant capital program savings by managing these assets in place of replacement.

While evaluating wire breaks are an important part of PCCP management, it is important to acknowledge additional factors beyond wire breaks. By acknowledging additional condition factors, limitations of wire break assessment, and considering other rehabilitation approaches, there may be a more sustainable PCCP management approach.

The Water Authority was one of the first agencies to take a proactive PCCP management approach. They began an aggressive condition assessment program in 1992. This early program relied primarily on internal visual and sounding inspections.

The assessment was urgent, as Flower Mound planned to widen a major road next to the main and wanted reliable information on the condition of that particular pipeline before the road was built. Any necessary repairs or replacement needed to be completed prior to construction to avoid significant disruption and additional expense.

Scottish Water has a 25-year strategic plan for renewing infrastructure to provide high-quality water services that benefit people and the planet. Aging infrastructure is one of the utility’s primary challenges, with many pipelines built over 50 years ago and some well over 100 years old.

Fortum’s core business in Poland is high-efficiency combined heat and power production and heat distribution. The company aims to develop sustainable solutions for cleaner cities, meeting the needs of local communities.

Over approximately five years, Aurora Water observed a notable increase in water main breaks. With limited resources to renew aging infrastructure, the utility’s pipeline replacement program was struggling to keep pace.

New standards of best practice for force main management involve a variety of methods and technologies to provide data and information with which to make decisions. Utilities can now often perform a detailed condition assessment while the force main remains in service.

In recent years, the condition assessment of wastewater mains has become heavily regulated and required by law.

As part of a pre-emptive program to address non-revenue water loss and understand the condition of their pipes, Gothenburg wanted to conduct a condition assessment and leak detection survey on a series of large diameter transmission mains. The three pipelines were built in the 1960s and made of cement and steel, ranging in size from 1000 mm to 1200 mm.

In the U.S., mines operate under strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations; as such, pipelines must be carefully monitored and maintained.

When the utility identified the main for priority inspection, they welcomed the strategy of combining a SmartBall leak detection inspection with a pilot run of Xylem’s cutting-edge PipeDiver Ultra, an advanced condition assessment platform that analyzes ultrasonic data to deliver actionable insights on the physical integrity of the pipeline.

Since the most recent failure in 2012, Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System (LHPWSS) has adopted a proactive asset management plan that incorporates condition assessment and continuous monitoring data. Using this approach, LHPWSS has avoided failures, minimized disruptions, improved maintenance and capital planning, and achieved significant cost savings for reinvestment in this regionally significant infrastructure.

In 2020, real water loss in the town’s network peaked at 27 percent. Leaks were undermining the town’s critical water conservation efforts. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, the town is deploying innovative solutions to combat water loss and ensure a sustainable water supply.

Scottish Water partnered with WRc and Xylem to inspect the Blairlinnans water main using SmartBall® acoustic leak detection platform and PipeDiver™ electromagnetic condition assessment technology in combination with detailed engineering analysis.

To ensure safe and reliable water service for its customers, EPCOR partnered with Pure Technologies, a Xylem brand to complete a high-resolution condition assessment. The team inspected a 9.4-kilometer (5.8-mi) section of the critical Northside Pipeline for leaks and pipe wall deterioration.

This guide, developed in partnership with AWWA, explores how utilities can adopt data-driven pipeline management strategies and features real-world utility success stories. Learn more about assessing pipelines and leveraging data to prioritize and address risk.