EARTHQUAKES: Mitigation of Pipeline Damage

Automated cost effective monitoring/control systems have been implemented in earthquake prone cities as one means of mitigating the effects of pipeline damage.

This approach involves monitoring earthquake ground motion and/or water system pressures.

This is accomplished by using seismic switches to trigger system controls.

By setting switches at peak thresholds, their triggering over areas of the water system would initiate automatic shutoff.

Excessive water losses can be prevented by varying isolation configurations.

One such configuration could be to stop the delivery of water at their source resevoirs.

This accomplishes one important task; regardless of the damage suffered by the piping system water is saved in the resevoir.

The downfall to such measures falls into the hands of liability, due to critically needed service or contamination risk.