Exploring the influence of temperature on the frequency of burst pipes in the Scottish water network

Scottish Water (SW) is a Government owned company providing a vital service to Scottish Society. That is, the abstraction, treatment and consistent supply of clean safe drinking water to every home and business across Scotland as well as the collection, treatment and disposal of resulting wastewater in a manner that protects the environment. Water pipe bursts are a major concern for SW, because of their impact on operational activities, the customer and the environment. A study has been undertaken to examine the relationship between the temperature and pipe bursts in Scotland over the period 1 April 2004- 31 March 2010. Interviews have been conducted with SW engineers to explore the likely weather factors that may influence pipe bursts and the reasoning linking them. Exploratory analysis has been conducted to examine the relationship between temperature and number of bursts for different time lags in order to gain insights into the possible relationships. The results of the study are being used to inform future pipe burst predictive models for long-term strategic decision-making.