In the previous blog post titled “Critical Issues to Consider in Asset Management System Improvement,” Heather and Ross discussed some important steps and matters to consider.
Heather emphasized that focusing on the actual problem will enable the organization to spend wisely.
Below are what Heather and Ross explained further.
Heather explains:
Yeah the more you can zero in on your actual problem pipe, the less money you have to expend to solve the situation. So for example, the 6-inch cast iron pipe, that’s your big problem.
You can zero in on that pipe type and then pick what the worst areas of that pipe are so you don’t have to expend money replacing the entire system. You only spend the money on replacing the pipe that actually needs replacing.
So, it’s really just:
- Going back to your data;
- Making sure you have very good data about exactly what’s happening;
- Where it’s happening?
- What are the trends?
- Have you seen more breaks over the last several years or fewer breaks?
- Which direction is it going?
And then, as Ross said is it actually the mainline or is it something else? Is it the cork stop or a fitting or service line?
Before you go forward and replace the pipe, you want to be very very sure it’s the pipe itself that’s the problem because of course, the most expensive thing you can do is replace your pipe.
Generally speaking, by and large, the largest cash you’re going to have is replacing mainline pipes. So the more you can reduce that to a smaller segment, the better off you are and the more money you’ll save.
Ross says:
And just a follow-up thing – I know there’s some really good guidance around now about treating different types of pipe and what might be the optimum treatment process.
Also, AWWA has got a manual on that. There might be some EPA one as well. Water Research as well – I think they’ve got something like that.
So, depending on the type of physical material you’re dealing with, just make sure you grab that guidance and read it and get your thinking around what is the optimum treatment process.
That maybe you’ve got all cast-iron pipe with lead joints, your leaks are just going to be at the joints, so you want to say we just going do some joint repacking as opposed to pulling out a perfectly good pipe.
Other material types, it might be actually a different treatment selection. And that is just getting right up to speed with the latest thinking on material types and how to manage them.
It could also guide your infrastructure asset management program and save you a lot of money because there’s been a lot of research in the last couple of decades and a lot of that is in manuals now, so it is certainly worth reading and refreshing yourself on that.
Know more about the topic through this free video: Asset Management Policy and Strategy
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