Monitoring Copper Release in Drinking Water Distribution Systems

A new procedure, recently proposed for on-line monitoring of copper released from metal pipes in household plumbing system for drinking water distribution during the development of corrosion processes, is tested experimentally. Experiments were carried out in laboratory controlled conditions, using synthetic water and varying the water alkalinity. The possibility of using the corrosion potential as a surrogate measure of copper concentration in stagnating water is shown, verifying, in the meantime, the effect of alkalinity on the development of passivation phenomena, which tend to protect the pipe from corrosion processes. Experimental data are discussed, highlighting the potentiality of the procedure, and recognizing its limitations.