Corrosion of copper water pipes has been recognised throughout the world for decades. In the small proportion of cases where accelerated or rapid corrosion takes place, the result can be catastrophic for affected property occupiers/owners in terms of leakage and property damage, potential poisoning, lack of confidence in water quality and expensive remedial works. This paper largely focuses on a form of copper pipe corrosion (referred to as blue-green water) that is observed at least in eastern Australia, whereby particulate copper is released and which can be occasionally associated with pinhole leaks. Instances of this corrosion are infrequent and appear to be random throughout distribution systems. Extensive research has been undertaken in Australia aimed at better understanding blue-green water and therefore developing practical preventative and remedial solutions. However, despite the research having provided many observations, the solutions remain elusive. The phenomenon can be summarised as follows: For some, as yet unidentified reason(s), a small proportion of copper water pipes are incompatible with high quality (generally soft) drinking water and hence undergo accelerated corrosion, resulting in blue-green water.
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