In North America alone, there are over 260,000 water main breaks annually, with an estimated $2.6 billion spent on maintenance and repair. Similar challenges exist in Europe and elsewhere. The average age at failure for water mains is currently 53 years, necessitating more sophisticated maintenance to prolong their lifespan.
Skipper NDT technology offers crucial support for maintaining water pipelines, particularly those made of cast iron which lack cathodic protection systems. Moreover, the isolating joints between pipe sections hinder traditional line locating technologies.