"A lot of water pipes are rusting from the outside. We're getting lots
of watermain breaks, so we really now need to start investing."

attributed to the General Manager of Water and Wastewater in Toronto (Toronto Sun, Nov.9, 2001)

Managing the Infrastructure:

The following technical, engineering measures are available to system operators for optimizing the productivity of their assets and avoiding the corrosion cycle. In general, information on the performance/problems of the infrastructure is required before sound decisions can be made on appropriate action for improving a system.

Information gathering activities:

1. Metering for water loss;
2. Leak detection;
3. Inspection;
4. Corrosion monitoring (internal and external);
5. Cathodic protection system monitoring;
6. Lessons/experience from history;
7. Databases and geographic information systems (GIS).

Improvement activities:

1. Pipeline maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement;
2. Cathodic Protection;
3. Re-use of water;
4. Capping of disfunctional water wells.