Corrosion assessment parameters on drinking water distribution pipelines

Abstract

Corrosion assessment is an important aspect in asset and facilities management. Generally the purpose of corrosion assessment is to assure the activities of the management will be effective and efficient. Lack of corrosion assessment can be decrease the function and reduce the life cycle of assets and facilities caused by corrosion. Corrosion is an electrochemical or chemical reaction between a material, usually a metal, and its environment that produces a deterioration of the material and its properties. Even though most of the dangers from corrosion occurs in major industrial plant, corrosion also has a great impact on the drinking water industry. In drinking water distribution pipelines, corrosion damage cause the leakages of distribution pipelines and around 30% of water supplied to consumers is lost. Most of the leakages of drinking water distribution pipelines are initiated by lack of corrosion assessment and poor maintenance because the pipes are usually located underground. To overcome this problem, an effective corrosion assessment method is imperative to get the accurate information about the condition of the pipelines. This will ensure better decisions for repair or replacement of the pipelines before they fail. This review paper describes the corrosion assessment model and the major parameters considered for drinking water distribution pipelines.