From Reactive to Proactive: A Pipeline Owner’s Change in Philosophy

Pipeline systems in power plants have a unique set of factors quite different from pipeline systems in municipalities. Typical municipalities have hundreds of miles of pipelines and focus on the inspection of this underground infrastructure has historically been a regular practice of the maintenance of this system. In contrast, a typical power plant may have less than a mile of large diameter circulating water pipelines. Since large diameter pipelines comprise only one component of many systems managed within a power plant, in many generating stations regular inspection of these pipelines has not been a standard practice. While power plants have historically taken a reactive approach to management of their pipelines, the recent increase in leaks and failures in their large diameter circulating water pipelines is highlighting a need for proactive approach to pipeline management.