Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/300621
APRIL 2014 WET NEWS 23 22 WET NEWS APRIL 2014 Safeguarding against future water shortages is not just about producing enough water to meet demand. Equally as important is the need to control the amount of water that is lost in transit between the point of production and the end user. Olga Luengo-Gonzalez explains. The challenge: Finding a watertight solution to leakage Ductile iron has jointing systems that are effective and easy to install W ith expected water loss from the indus- try's supply network running at around 3,000 mega- litres a day in 2015, improve- ments in leakage rates need to be addressed and changes made sooner rather than later. Losses attributable to water leakage are a major concern in any water network. Even a small leak could potentially result in the loss of thousands of litres of water if le undetected. Reducing leakage remains as a key priority for all water com- panies and it is therefore criti- cal to examine and fully evalu- ate the most cost effective long-term solutions available in the market. The average rate at which drinking water pipelines are renewed is around 0.6-0.7% per year. This means that a pipeline laid today, taking into account the currently observed pace of investment, needs to last for around 150 years. Since its introduction in the 1960s, ductile iron has established itself as the leading pipe network material for specifiers looking for durabil- ity, performance, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. However, in recent years it has sometimes taken second place versus other materials as they are being used to replace older ductile iron systems. n "Reducing leakage remains as a key priority for all water companies and it is therefore critical to examine and fully evaluate the most cost effective long-term solutions" Olga Luengo-Gonzalez THE CONCEPT • BioZinalium is a protection system that reduces the risk of corrosion • Ductile iron pipe systems have jointing systems that are easy to install NEED TO KNOW 1 Some leaks in water pipes are inevitable as all joints are susceptible to seepage and pipes can become damaged by ground movements caused by freezing weather or the weight of traffic on roads 2 Companies have made progress in reducing leaks, and leakage is 35% lower than in 1994-95 THE VERDICT • The durability of ductile iron has been acknowl- edged for several decades • Research has shown that up to an estimated 84% of the service life of an iron pipe is determined by its external coating • INSIGHT LEAKAGE MANAGEMENT Drinking water pipelines are renewed at around 0.6-0.7% a year. Right: Thousands of litres of water can be lost from the smallest leak