Analysis of Water Distribution Pipe Failure Types in Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

A detailed examination of the pipe failure records for the City of Winnipeg, Canada, was performed. The failures were examined by age, type of failure, and degree of spatial and temporal clustering for each of the four most common failure types: namely, joint, circular crack, longitudinal split, and hole. A detailed examination of joint failure showed universal joints in cast iron pipes to be the most common type of joint failure. It was found that failures in general were more common in pipes 11–30 years old. It was not clear, however, whether these high values were due to age alone or to the higher proportion of the pipe in the ground being around that age. The four major types of failure were also found to be highly clustered in both time and space, indicating that a previous failure increases the likelihood of future failures in its immediate vicinity.