In the pursuit of optimising infrastructure management and ensuring the reliability of its water supply network, a leading water utility in Australia had initiated a comprehensive pipeline rehabilitation and replacement project on what it described as “one of the most critical assets in its entire water network.” This approach, while straightforward, often leads to unnecessary expenditures and disruptions, as entire pipeline segments are replaced regardless of their actual co

In the water industry, the underground network is often a realm of the unknown. For decades, utilities worldwide have relied on age-based models to determine when to replace critical infrastructure. The logic was simple: if a pipe is old, it must be deteriorating. However, this approach is both capital-inefficient and risky. It often leads to the premature disposal of assets that still have decades of useful life, or conversely, misses newer assets that are failing rapidly du

Transient Monitoring Uncovers Major Unauthorised Water Use and Asset Risk For councils and utilities managing vast, ageing water networks, the silent threat of water hammer - or high-magnitude pressure transients - is a constant, insidious risk. These sudden, massive pressure surges drastically accelerate pipe failure, stress joints, and lead to costly, disruptive repairs. This case study demonstrates how a proactive, data-driven transient monitoring approach, utilising advan