The late Seymour Melman, formerly Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, had this to say about water main breaks in New York City, in particular:
“The water supply system of New York City currently averages 10 water main breaks a week. That is now ordinary. It was once extraordinary for a water main to break in New York City.”
Professor Melman could have been talking about any water distribution system built before engineers started to use PVC instead of cast or ductile iron. The trend in main breaks from 1988 to the present time has shown a steady increase in failure rates. And a decaying infrastructure has huge costs associated with it for everyone.
The average price to repair a broken water main is $3,000 CAD. Cities and municipalities then charge it back to the residents in the form of taxes. In addition, insurance companies may then decline to renew policies, or alter the policies so that flood damage is no longer covered. Businesses suffer from lost revenue due to street closures.
And it isn't just water main breaks that cost money. Consider just one water main leak.
Take X, the number of days the leak goes undiscovered, and multiply it by Y, the amount of water lost per day, and then add Z, the cost of treating the water at the water treatment plant. This adds up to big bucks! Experts estimate that a full 30% of all potable water never reaches the consumer.
Breaks Before and After Cathodic Protection by C.P. Systems.
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Oil pipelines are more likely to corrode because hot saltwater is injected into the reservoirs to increase the pressure and make the oil flow more smoothly. Philip's Alaska pipeline had two corrosion-related oil spills in 2001--hazardous to the environment and costly to clean up.
And what if it can't be cleaned up? The six-inch thick carbon steel walls of a reactor core at Davis Besse nuclear plant was corroded by water containing boric acid dripping onto the outer wall. Only the inside of the carbon steel wall was protected by a 3/16 inch stainless steel coating. By the time the corrosion was discovered, the stainless steel plating was bulging through the gap, the consequences of which don't bear thinking about.
Clearly, understanding the causes and effects of corrosion, and applying a proven technology in a timely manner can prevent losses, big and small.
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| 4700 Thickson Road North | Whitby, Ontario -- L1R 2W9 | Phone: 905-655-7122, Fax: 905-655-7178 | Email:info@cp-systems.com |
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