The essentials of planning pipeline renewals

Local authorities are under pressure to spend ratepayer’s money wisely, now more than ever with the current global recession. It is possible to get a better “Bang-for-your-buck” through effective planning of renewal works. However, renewal planning for pipelines remains a difficult and challenging task facing all water utilities in New Zealand. Many kilometres of the pipelines installed in New Zealand between the 1860s and about 1980 will be coming to the end of their useful lives within the next 30 years, placing a strain on budgets and resources. Therefore, it is crucial that Local Authorities implement a well-planned renewal programme to ensure the right pipelines are replaced at the right time.

Renewal planning is complicated by the many factors that must be considered when choosing which pipelines to replace, and when. This paper introduces the basic principles of pipeline renewal and focuses on two of the key factors that are at the foundation of any renewal programme; data collection and condition assessment. Understanding and effectively implementing these two steps will greatly assist the efficient and sustainable planning of pipeline renewals. The decision support systems used by many overseas utilities are also introduced and briefly discussed.