As pipeline infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand continues to age, water utilities are under growing pressure to prioritise renewals with limited budgets. 

But replacing a pipeline too early is just as costly as waiting too long. 

That’s where condition-based decision-making becomes critical.

At Aqua Analytics, we don’t perform pipeline renewals, but we enable them to happen more strategically. 

Through a combination of desktop assessments, condition monitoring, and advanced diagnostic tools, we help utilities understand whether a pipeline needs to be renewed now, can be deferred, or warrants closer monitoring.

Today, we’re going to unpack the key indicators for pipeline renewal, how to use condition data to inform timing, and the services that support confident, evidence-based decisions.

Table of Contents

When to Consider Pipeline Renewal

Not every ageing pipeline needs to be replaced. But without the right data, it’s hard to know which ones do.

While factors like age or material type can indicate risk, they don’t tell the full story when making renewal decisions. 

A pipe might be 50 years old, but if it’s structurally sound, leak-free, and stable under pressure, renewal can be safely deferred.

On the other hand, younger assets can fail unexpectedly due to trapped gas pockets, transient pressure surges, or unnoticed wall loss.

Condition-based planning has become essential as it helps asset managers answer key questions like:

  • Is this pipe performing as expected?
  • Are there hidden risks that warrant early intervention?
  • Can we safely defer this renewal and focus our capital elsewhere?

How Aqua Analytics Supports Renewal Planning

Knowing when to renew a pipeline starts with understanding its condition.

We work alongside asset managers and capital planning teams to support renewal programs by delivering:

Desktop Asset Risk Assessments

Drawing on asset metadata (age, material, location, failure history), we help prioritise which mains require closer inspection or further engineering review, all with our AquaNRW water loss software platform.

Condition Assessment Services

Using technologies like Kenwave DRI (pipeline condition assessment), AquaSphere (free-swimming leak and gas pocket detection), AquaSnake (pipeline inspection and assessment), and transient pressure monitoring, we provide detailed insights on pipe condition, internal/external corrosion, and remaining useful life.

Our services are designed to provide a comprehensive view of asset performance, giving you the confidence to act at the right time, for the right reason. 

This applies across all asset types, from large-scale pipe renewal projects to localised water main or sewer renewal needs.

We help answer questions like:

  • “Can this pipeline last another 5 years?”
  • “Are there hidden risks like surge events or trapped gas pockets?”
  • “Should this renewal project go ahead as planned?”
  • “How do we undertake a pipeline inspection and assessment?”

What We Deliver — and Why It Matters for Your Renewal Strategy

We provide the tools and insights that help utilities plan more innovative pipeline renewal strategies.

Each service is designed to uncover the true condition of assets, identify potential risks, and support capital planning with evidence-based insights.

Service Purpose
Desktop Pipeline Risk Screening Identify high-risk assets using age, material, failure history, GIS, and a range of available environment data, coupled with our powerful AI software solution.
AquaSphere (Leak & Gas Pocket Detection) Detect internal issues, such as trapped air or gas, and detect leaks in critical mains, which could indicate wall thickness loss.
AquaSnake (Live CCTV of Water Mains) Visually inspect the internal pipe condition without shutting down the supply, and undertake a long-range leak detection inspection in your large diameter mains.
PipeScanner (Wall Thickness Evaluation) Measure external pipe wall loss at discrete locations to estimate remaining asset life.
Transient Pressure Management Identify surge activity that accelerates asset fatigue and deterioration, and localise the events so that mitigation can occur

Our insights are clear, targeted, and ready to use, whether you’re planning a full renewal strategy or reviewing a single pipeline project.

Outcomes You Can Expect

A clear view of pipeline condition changes everything. It reduces guesswork, strengthens planning, and helps your team make the best use of limited capital.

With Aqua Analytics supporting your pipeline renewal program, you can expect:

  • More efficient use of capital: Condition data helps you avoid replacing assets that are still performing well, while highlighting high-risk areas that need immediate attention. This means fewer unnecessary renewals and more intelligent capital allocation.
  • Improved asset resilience and long-term reliability: Identifying issues such as pressure surges, trapped gas, or structural degradation before they fail reduces emergency work and service disruptions.
  • Clearer business cases and funding support: With evidence in hand, your renewal and deferral decisions are easier to justify to executives, boards, regulators, and funding bodies. 
  • Greater internal confidence and alignment: Everyone from operations to executive teams works from the same clear data, making it easier to align on strategy and take action with confidence.

We provide you with the clarity to make every pipeline renewal decision count, extending asset life where possible and acting early where needed.~

Case Study: How One Council Deferred Renewal by Decades

A New Zealand council engaged Aqua Analytics to assess a 5km DN375 AC trunk main that was scheduled for renewal. 

The pipeline was considered a high-priority asset due to its age and was scheduled for renewal in the next six years. However, there was uncertainty about its actual condition.

We carried out a combined desktop asset risk assessment and in-field condition assessment using tools including Kenwave DRI. The results were clear:

  • No active leaks were detected
  • Pressure levels were stable, with no transient risks
  • Structural wall loss remained within acceptable thresholds based on third-party engineering assessment

With this data, the council was able to defer the renewal project by several decades. 

The decision freed up capital to target higher-risk infrastructure and reduced unnecessary investment in an asset that was still performing reliably, with a low risk of failure.

It’s a clear example of how evidence-based planning can deliver long-term value, both operationally and financially.

Why Work With Aqua Analytics

Pipeline renewal planning needs more than assumptions. Aqua Analytics gives you the insight to act with confidence, using real condition data to guide when and where renewals should happen.

We don’t replace pipes, but we do help you determine whether they need to be. Our services support asset managers and planning teams through pipeline condition assessment, transient pressure monitoring, pipeline inspections, and leak detection to provide real-time data.

Our team has worked with councils and utilities across Australia and New Zealand, helping them prioritise renewals, justify deferrals, and reduce unnecessary capital spend. 

With hundreds of millions of litres of water saved annually, our work delivers real, measurable outcomes.

Contact us online or speak with our team on 1800 264 262 (Australia) or 0800 345 697 (NZ) for expert advice to find the service that’s right for you. 

Plan smarter and make confident, evidence-based decisions with Aqua Analytics today.