Ovarro says pipeline quality assurance is becoming more important as UK water companies work to reduce leakage and improve the reliability of new mains.
The company said some pipeline failures begin during installation rather than through asset age alone. Errors in jointing, manual testing and inconsistent QA processes can lead to leaks, rework and higher costs.
Pipeline failures do not always stem from ageing infrastructure – many begin at installation.
Ben Crabtree, global product line director, Ovarro
The issue is especially important for utilities delivering mains replacement programmes. Once a pipe has been buried and placed under pressure, finding and fixing defects becomes more difficult and expensive.
Pipeline quality assurance moves upstream
Pressure testing remains a key step before a new water main is commissioned. However, Ovarro said a significant number of new pipelines fail their first pressure test, often because of weeps and leaks on joints and flanges.
That is pushing more attention towards installation-stage data. Better records can help asset owners understand whether pipe joints have been assembled correctly before they are covered and commissioned.
The wider policy context is also changing. The UK Climate Change Committee has identified accelerated leakage reduction as one measure that can help address water shortages, with technology highlighted as an enabler.
ControlPoint records installation evidence
ControlPoint, which integrated with Ovarro five years ago, provides technical services for pipe jointing methods including electrofusion and flanged connections.
Its tools are designed to capture installation data and demonstrate compliance. The aim is to give utilities and contractors better evidence that pipelines are leak-free from the point of installation.
TorqueAssist is a mobile app for flanged and mechanical joint assemblies. It captures data from Bluetooth-enabled torque wrenches, including gasket and bolt types, location and weather conditions.
Operatives are guided through the tightening process on a mobile device. The system then creates a record of the work and evidence of compliance.
Digital QA supports leakage prevention
A similar app, JointAssist, is used for electrofusion joint assemblies. It is designed to help ensure fusion welds are completed correctly and to alert users where critical non-conformities are present.
For utilities, the benefit is not only in proving compliance. Installation data can also support future asset management by linking records to specific locations, components and work activities.
As companies move away from reactive network management, tools that improve visibility, to prevent failures at the point of installation, will play an increasingly important role in building more resilient networks.
Ben Crabtree, global product line director, Ovarro
Real-time monitoring is already widely used to identify leaks on operational networks. Ovarro’s argument is that water companies can also use digital tools earlier, reducing the risk of defects entering the network in the first place.
More coverage of digital water and network resilience is available in the H2O Global News technology section, including recent reporting on AI tools for water and wastewater operations.
FAQs
What is pipeline quality assurance?
Pipeline quality assurance is the process of checking, recording and verifying that pipe installation work meets required standards before the asset is commissioned.
Why can new water mains fail pressure tests?
New water mains can fail pressure tests because of issues such as weeps, leaks, jointing errors or problems with flanged and mechanical connections.
How can digital QA help reduce leakage?
Digital QA can capture installation evidence, guide operatives through key tasks and flag non-conformities before a pipe is buried or commissioned.
What does ControlPoint do?
ControlPoint provides technical services and digital tools for pipeline management, including QA support for electrofusion, flanged and mechanical pipe joints.
