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Deterioration of underground water distribution systems
composed of unlined metallic pipe is a serious and costly problem at many
military installations. One problem that commonly occurs in unlined
metallic pipes is tuberculation, which is the buildup of corrosion products
on the internal pipe surfaces. Tuberculation reduces the amount of water that
the system can deliver (i.e., its carrying capacity). Eventually, if proper
maintenance action is not taken, the system may no longer be able to supply
water in the necessary quantities and at the necessary pressures for fire
fighting and for normal demand situations.
This 30-year old 8-inch diameter
water main lost much of its carrying
capacity due to the buildup of
corrosion products.
Other problems
that can occur in deteriorating water mains are leaks, discolored water, and
taste and odor problems. Several repair options are possible, and
choosing the best one depends on many system-specific factors.
 
Corrosion products restricted the
flow of water in the pipe on the left. The pipe on the
right has been internally cleaned to
remove corrosion product buildups.
To help facility
engineers make cost-effective and technically feasible repair and replacement
decision for water distribution networks, CERL has developed the WPIPER 1.0
program. Here are a few of the things that WPIPER can do:
- Provides complete system inventory: pipes,
valves, reservoirs, hydrants, and other appurtenances
- Performs hydraulic analysis
- Predicts future Hazen-Williams C-factors
- Predicts future pressures and flow rates
- Predicts when and where fire flow requirements will
not be met
- Stores repair and failure history information
- Stores hydrant test records
Click
here to download the WPIPER User Manual.
Click here to download
WPIPER for DOS.
The POC for this page:
Vicki Van
Blaricum
Vicki.L.VanBlaricum@erdc.usace.army.mil
Page last updated: 1 Aug 2005
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