When it comes to managing water distribution infrastructure, conducting a comprehensive assessment of your pressurized lines before excavating for pipe repairs/replacement can save time, money, and resources, allowing you to target your efforts only where they are needed. That way, you keep more of your water in your lines, and more of its revenue on your balance sheet.
And now, more than ever, knowing exactly where your water service lines are, the condition of those lines, and what they’re made of, matters.
Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued regulations that include a hard deadline of October 16, 2024 for municipalities of over 50,000 people to create and file an LSL (lead service line) inventory with the agency as part of the federal “Get The Lead Out” program.
By undertaking routine water loss surveys along with utility locating and mapping, municipal water managers can potentially reduce the need for complete replacement of leaking non-lead pipes, in favor of refurbishment or relining where appropriate.
Water systems and their consulting engineers can leverage regular water loss surveys and leak detection to maximize cost-effectiveness, especially for smaller water utilities with limited capital budgets.
What Are Your NRW and LSL Options?
The decision to replace or repair piping infrastructure involves numerous variables, such as pipe material, age, soil conditions, and repair history. And, of course, whether or not there is an active leak causing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) loss. Given the high cost of excavating miles of piping—approximately $1.5 million in cost per mile—it’s crucial to identify which pipe segments need replacement and which can still provide years of reliable service. By reassessing some traditional "rules of thumb," utilities can benefit from water loss surveys to precisely focus capital expenditures where they are most needed:
1. Go Beyond Transmission Lines
While it’s logical to prioritize the high-profile backbone of a water network (typically transmission pipes over 16 inches in diameter), these usually only make up about 10% of water distribution networks. Utilizing non-invasive technologies to map and evaluate the remaining 90% can help identify the most cost-effective priorities for maintenance or replacement. The majority of pressurized line leaks appear in the 90% of non-transmission lines. So, if you focus only on transmission, you are missing most of your opportunities to eliminate NRW loss. It’s important to note, too, that the EPA’s regulations may require that pipes downstream of LSLs be replaced, even if they are not made of lead themselves.
2. Coordinate Aboveground Infrastructure & Water System Work
Coordinating the excavation, repair, and replacement of water lines with road repairs is much more efficient than ripping up a freshly paved road or sidewalk. Water loss surveys can easily reveal if your existing infrastructure is safe to remain in service until the next time the road needs resurfacing, leading to substantial savings compared to additional excavations and wholesale replacement.
3. Enhance Risk Models with Current Condition Data
While risk models based on past experiences are valuable, supplementing these with up-to-date existing subsurface utility and water line data can improve their accuracy. For instance, one utility detailed in a recent Water Online article deferred 60% of its planned replacement budget after assessing just 20% of its system.
Finding the Best LSL Inventory, Replacement, Repair, and NRW Solutions
Leak detection and utility locating technologies for distribution lines fall into several categories: external non-invasive, internal invasive, and spot inspection. Each offers varying capabilities based on cost, pipe material, and installation environment. You can find a great deal of practical and technical assistance with regard to line repair and replacement from The AWWA M77 Condition Assessment of Water Mains manual, which may also help you best utilize your water system budget.
You Have to Use the Right Tools
There are cases where water system applications like pipelines feeding nuclear plants, might require high-resolution electromagnetic scans. However, non-invasive acoustic leak detection, confirmed with leak correlation technology is often the most cost-effective for urban environments with numerous fittings and connections and plastic (PVC) pipes. Marrying water loss surveys conducted by a professional leak detection company with 99.8%+ accurate utility locating and mapping can provide a complete, layered, and easy to use map and service line inventory. When you hire GPRS to do the job, you get everything in a secure, accessible digital platform, SiteMap® (patent pending), that also provides excellent data portability for reporting and GIS purposes.
Is The ROI Worth It?
Non-invasive technologies typically require less prep work and can provide valuable data without disrupting water flows, digging chambers, or inserting tools into water lines, thus posing zero risk to pipelines or water quality. And, because pinpoint leak detection can give you the exact location of a leak and utility locating can map the entire water system, you can create a comprehensive inventory, and maintenance, repair, and replacement plans for leaking and lead service lines.
A Dose of Reality
The truth is that at present, only 1% of all U.S. infrastructure is replaced annually. So, it’s crucial to focus expenditures on the highest-risk areas. A small percentage of any pipe usually represents the biggest portion of structural failure risk, making targeted water loss surveys highly cost-effective from a material, labor, and water loss standpoint.
Routine Water Loss Surveys + Utility Mapping = A Healthier Water System
Your water loss survey report can inform more than just replacement decisions. It can make it obvious whether cleaning and lining large segments of pipe is the best option, instead of replacing them, provide insights on changing hydraulics & pressure, and assist in planning based on your system’s customer base and budget cycle.
Learning More About Routine Water Loss Surveys
Municipal and large facility water managers can greatly benefit from incorporating routine water loss surveys into their maintenance strategies. These surveys, such as those provided by GPRS Leak Detection Services, offer a comprehensive approach to identifying leaks and assessing pipeline conditions, ensuring efficient use of capital and maintenance resources. To learn more about how routine water loss surveys can optimize your water management practices and how GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® for customers nationwide, click here.
