This paper presents the results of an ongoing investigation into the impact of routine
operations such as pump cycling and leak repair on water quality in a specific Canadian
distribution system. This research demonstrates occurrence of intrusion into the
distribution system at full scale. To monitor the impact of pump operation, sampling
protocols involving the use of high-speed pressure data and online particle counters in the
distribution system have been developed. For the repair of pipe leaks, soil and water
samples in the vicinity of the repaired main, combined with sampling of the distributed
water at customer houses and at the flushed hydrants, have been conducted. Results
indicate that hydraulic transients induced by pump start-ups and stoppages can sometimes
induce a direct response in terms of particle counts. However, the effect is not observed
systematically and the response behavior varies between distribution system locations.
For the repair of pipe leaks, evidence of the intrusion of either soil or dirty water during
the repair work was obtained on one occasion; specifically, an elevated concentration of
aerobic sporeformers was measured in a water sample collected at the hydrant during the
flushing operation. Includes 5 references, tables, figures.