Shared failure data for strategic asset management

Abstract

Failure data are a valuable source of information on the condition of underground assets. Systematic registration of relevant items on cause, nature and circumstances of each occurring failure is, however, complicated in day-to-day practice. Moreover, in a network of limited size it takes a long time to obtain a statistically relevant amount of data. Dutch water companies in collaboration with the KWR Watercycle Research Institute have joined forces and developed a data standard and central database to store and analyse failure data. As of early 2012, 66,000 km of network are monitored, providing around 2,500 records on failure annually. All in all it provides solid information needed for strategic asset management that helps to support well established asset management plans.