Effect of Cathodic Protection on Corrosion of Water-pipe Network in Kraków - Case Study

The paper is a summary of a project aimed at identifying and eliminating or minimizing the causes of frequent failures of the Krakow water supply network related to corrosion damage. The paper presents the method of searching for factors responsible for frequent corrosion damage. There were taken into account several factors that may destroy the pipes associated with corrosion processes, such as the composition of the water, aggressiveness of ground, or stray currents. The monitoring method of the corrosion processes applied to observe the condition of the water supply network was discussed. The study showed that the main problem appeared to be stray currents related to the electrical infrastructure widely present in a large city, such as a tram or railway network. To eliminate this threat, a cathodic protection system has been implemented to prevent further failures. There were also demonstrated results of research proving that the applied solutions are effective.