Cathodic protection services

Cathodic protection is an electrochemical process applied to buried or immersed metallic assets, such as coated mild steel water pipelines, to protect them from corrosion, prevent further deterioration, avoid breaks and extend their economic life. The effectiveness of this process is evidenced by the fact that the mean expected life of coated mild steel concrete lined (MSCL) pipes with cathodic protection is 110 years.

Our cathodic protection systems protect buried and immersed coated asset from external corrosion within corrosive environments, such as soils, and stray current corrosion from direct current (DC) traction systems. We achieve this by retrofitting cathodic protection systems to both existing and new systems.

Our cathodic protection services include:

  • asset life monitoring
  • condition/thickness assessments
  • cathodic protection system upgrades
  • sacrificial and impressed current anode replacement (ground and water)
  • interference testing.

We design and manage cathodic protection systems to SA Water's Technical Standard 0440 for cathodic protection of pipelines. This aligns with Australia Standard AS2832.1:2015 - Cathodic protection of metals Part 1: Pipes and cables.

Using smart technologies, we are developing automated processes for monitoring cathodic protection system capabilities. This will enable us to proactively respond to issues as they arise.

Cathodic protection counters corrosion of pipelines

SA Water’s extensive network of buried pipelines requires protection from a never-ending problem – corrosion, a.k.a. rust. The gradual destruction of pipes through corrosion is caused by the electrochemical reaction of the metal pipes with the surrounding soil and can be controlled through an ingenious technique called cathodic protection. Cathodic protection helps maximise the life of these assets through the use of sacrificial anodes.