More Effective Front-End Decision-Making for Pipe Renewal Projects

Access to clean, hygienic, and sufficient potable water is a concern in many countries. To ensure this, asset management, planning, and structured pipe renewal are crucial in providing an adequate level of service. However, there is a significant backlog in municipal pipe renewal, which needs to be addressed to raise the standard of potable water supply to an acceptable level in countries across most continents. Therefore, the objective of this research was to improve decision-making to reduce this backlog. Competent personnel are a scarce resource and not easily replaced. Standardized decision-making is considered an efficient approach to addressing the shortage of skilled personnel in pipe renewal. However, its effectiveness depends on its adaptability to the varying complexity and scale of such projects during implementation. This research is based on a literature review that explores decision theories, project definitions, and project models, and compares the typical characteristics of pipe renewal projects with those of other infrastructure projects. The research highlights that structured and standardized decision-making processes are essential to ensure appropriate asset management of the pipe network and sufficient pipe renewal. The main outcome of this research is a tailored project model that supports better front-end decision-making in pipe renewal projects through improved information flow.