CORROSION RISK assessment METHODOLOGY by desalinated water supply in DRINKING WATER NETWORKS

In the last decade, and more markedly in the Mediterranean coastal areas, the demand for desalinated water as an alternative source of drinking water has increased due to the scarcity of natural water resources. In order to assess the corrosion risk associated with mixtures of different supply sources, a deterministic methodology has been developed to estimate the risk from vulnerability, exposure and hazard factors based on methodologies used in hydrogeology and civil engineering. The results show the importance of considering possible mineralogical changes that may occur in the short/medium term as an incremental risk factor. Likewise, it is considered a methodology of great interest as (1) it allows for the identification of network sectors with a higher risk of failure, allowing for the adaptation of maintenance plans, (2) it is adaptable to problems of corrosion and salt encrustation in the network and (3) it allows for adaptation to different contexts of information availability.