Abstract
For many centuries until now, water has been a crucial commodity for human life. To this end, pipeline is a key component that has been used to convey water from a source to the end-users. The pipeline system itself, is a highly complex network. Therefore, the reliability of such component is critical in ensuring the stability and security of continuous water supply. Around the world, it becomes a great worry to water utilities when water pipeline distribution system deteriorates. As a result of this deterioration process, pipelines eventually fail and therefore cause the system to convey lesser water than it is meant to. Another worrying factor is that the water distribution system might get contaminated. With limited resources encountered by water utilities in repairing the pipeline infrastructure, it outlines the importance of assessing the current and future state of the water pipeline systems. Currently, South Africa as a whole is experiencing a severe water crisis. The cause of this crisis has been mainly attributed to the issues associated with high rate of pre-mature pipeline failures as well as those linked to climate change. To mitigate this situation, this study is aimed at exploring the causes of pre-mature failures affecting the South African water pipeline system. To achieve this objective, this study uses the existing literature and archival data to explore the factors influencing the causes of premature pipeline failures. The findings show that the major causes leading to damaging the water pipeline system pre-maturely include both internal and external corrosion, damage by others, which is based on (vandalism, sabotage, and theft), miscellaneous, operator error, weld, mechanical damage, equipment, joint leaks, over-pressure, and pig trap. It is therefore believed that the outcome of this study would assist various stakeholders to save billions of Rands that are often allocated to replace damaged pipelines.
M.Phil. (Engineering Management)