Waiting until water damage occurs is expensive. But it also doesn’t make financial sense to replace pipes too early. We looked into the best time to do it.

Many housing and condominium associations must decide whether to replace water and sewage pipes. The risk of water leakage needs to be weighed against the costs of fully or partially upgrading the pipe system. A systematic lifespan assessment can provide the board with a good basis for making the decision.

Leaks in water and sewage systems can occur in different ways, and the consequences vary depending on the location of the leak and which materials are affected.

• A leak in a hidden installation on a high floor can cause more damage than a leak in the basement.
• If the water supply is interrupted, several residential units could be result in extensive water damage. In the worst case, the homes would need to be rehabilitated, and the residents would have to move out while the damage is repaired.
• Small leaks are not always detected immediately, but over time can lead to significant damage, such as rot, mold and odor, as well as swelling and salt migration in structures.

Finding the right time for a complete or partial replacement of the water and sewage system is therefore both financially and practically worthwhile.

Researchers at SINTEF have been assessing the condition and remaining life of pipe systems for over 20 years, and we are regularly contacted by condominium owners who wonder whether and when they should replace their pipework. We conduct inspections and laboratory tests to assess the condition of the water and sewage system. Our assessments and recommendations are summarized in a report.

How we calculate condition and remaining lifespan

Age is a simple indicator for assessing the remaining life of pipes, and lifespan tables published by the SINTEF Byggforskserien (Building Research Design Guides) provide helpful guidance. However, age alone does not take into account factors such as load, temperature or water quality.

A more accurate assessment of the condition of pipes requires material samples and laboratory analysis (Norway’s NS 3424 standard, level 3). Remaining life is calculated based on the corrosion rate and remaining material thickness. However, such a calculation assumes that this rate is uniform. Changes in water quality and use can affect the corrosion rate, and the calculated remaining life is therefore only indicative.

It is also important to be aware that couplings and valves may have a shorter lifespan than pipes, and that hidden joints increase the risk of damage.

Material samples from critical points in the pipe system provide the best basis for a reliable assessment. Good sampling points can be easily identified if we have access to accurate and up-to-date drawings of the building and the pipe system.

Are the maps and terrain in sync?

However, it is not always practical to retrieve all samples, which might be hidden behind recesses in a bathroom, for example. In addition, the drawing may be outdated, and changes to the installation may have been made without being documented.

An inspection is therefore useful for assessing the correspondence between the drawings and actual installation. At the same time, a cost/benefit assessment should be made for each material sample. If the location for sampling is not easily accessible, the cost will be high.

The frequency of damage should also be included in the assessment. If several leaks have recently occurred, it would be natural to consider replacing the entire pipe system, even if the age indicates that the pipes could last longer. Previous replacements might have led to a confusing system with varying material quality and age.

Upgrade plan and prioritization

Once the condition and remaining life have been assessed, a decision must be made as to which measures should be implemented—and when. We recommend creating an upgrade plan in which necessary measures are prioritized based on technical condition, damage history and overall assessment.

Upgrade measures on the pipe system should be considered in connection with the condition of the wet rooms to avoid extensive demolition work. If the installations are generally in good condition, local repairs may be appropriate. In the event of a high risk of leakage due to varying quality of the wet room installations, or in the event of extensive wear, replacing the entire system may be more appropriate.

Coordinated rehabilitation includes replacing water and sewage pipes, sealing layers, drains, surfaces and electrical installations. The work involves noise and dust, especially during the demolition phase, and the bathroom will typically be out of service for 4–6 weeks. However, the result is a comprehensive system without weak interfaces.

Relining is a method for extending the service life of sewage pipes. Epoxy is applied to the inside of the pipes either by spraying or as a fiber stocking saturated with epoxy. This method can be considered if the water pipes have a longer remaining life than the sewage pipes. It requires less intervention and shorter downtime, but can still involve more difficult work if the drains have to be replaced.

Extensive work and significant costs are usually associated with maintaining and rehabilitating water and sewage systems in housing and condominium associations. A thorough life cycle assessment provides increased security that the chosen solution is correct, and it forms a solid basis for a predictable and effective maintenance plan.

The vast majority of consumer electronics use lithium-ion batteries, and with each generation, these devices are designed smaller, lighter and with longer battery life to meet the growing demands of consumers. Each new iteration also brings the batteries that power the devices closer to the limits of their size, weight and performance.

Researchers are constantly testing new approaches and materials for making lightweight, high-performance components. The latest contender is MXene, a type of metallically conductive two-dimensional nanomaterial discovered by Drexel University researchers that has recently demonstrated potential as a current collector, the part of the battery that directs electrical current to its electrodes.

A recent paper from Drexel researchers reports that a current collector made of MXene film could reduce the battery’s weight and thickness while improving its available capacity.

Published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, the paper reports that MXene current collectors perform as well as the copper foils being used in current lithium-ion batteries, but they are three to four times thinner and about 10 times lighter.

Using them to make the battery components would reduce the overall weight contribution from inactive materials, allowing for more energy-storing material to be used without increasing the battery’s weight, thus improving the battery’s capacity.

The researchers also demonstrated that the MXene current collectors can be readily recycled for use in other batteries, an important step toward reducing battery waste and conserving limited material resources.

Current collectors are key to battery performance because they direct the flow of electrons within the battery, directing them to and from the electrode, which translates the chemical energy into the electrical current that powers electronic devices. They are also prime contributors to a battery’s weight—comprising nearly 15% of its total weight.

“Recent progress in battery technology is centered on improving capacity while reducing their weight,” said Yury Gogotsi, Ph.D., Distinguished University and Bach professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering, who was a leader of the research.

“But the field has also widely acknowledged the importance of finding recyclable alternatives to current battery components in order to ensure their sustainable manufacturing. Our findings suggest that MXene materials could be a strong candidate for use in the batteries of the future.”

MXenes have been tested in dozens of applications—including several in energy storage—since their discovery at Drexel more than a decade ago. Their aptitude for use as a current collector is tied to their exceptional electrical conductivity, excellent flexibility and high mechanical strength. MXenes also remain electrochemically stable in acidic and corrosive electrolytes, and are dispersible in water, which allows for easy processing.

“This is an exciting finding because MXenes are compatible with a variety of electrode materials, so they have the potential to improve next-generation batteries without requiring significant structural design changes,” said Professor Patrice Simon, Ph.D., a co-author of the research from Université de Toulouse in France.

The final test of the components examined the cycling stability and recyclability of the MXene current collector. After eight weeks of continuous charging and discharging, the MXene–graphite electrode maintained good adhesion; the graphite active material remained evenly distributed, and did not detach from the MXene film.

The MXene current collector also preserved its layered structure, showing no degradation. Using a simple and environmentally friendly recycling process developed by the team, the electrode was disassembled and reconstituted using reclaimed materials for the current collector. Electrochemical testing confirmed that its performance remained unchanged.

“As battery materials become increasingly scarce, and sustainability and circular economy become increasingly important, it will be essential to design components that can be reused,” said Yuan Zhang, Ph.D., who is a post-doctoral researcher in Gogotsi’s lab and co-author of the research.

“Thanks to their outstanding electrochemical durability, MXenes can be recycled without losing much of their exceptional properties.”

The investigation was led by Sokhna Dieng, Schlumberger Future Fellow in Gogotsi’s lab, who contributed to the work as part of her doctoral research. She plans to continue exploring MXenes as conductive additives and other passive components in batteries that can improve performance and also enhance safety by preventing dendrite growth.

“We envision batteries with MXene components being used one day in wearable and portable microelectronics, where size and weight are absolutely critical and the amount of material required is minimal,” Gogotsi said.

“Another potential use is in systems where low weight is essential, such as drones or other flying vehicles.”

UK police are building a new system to help fight economic crime and improve the tracking, management and recovery of criminal assets, the Police Digital Service (PDS) has announced.

Set to replace the legacy Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD) that has been used since 2003 to locate and seize illicit assets – including cash, property, vehicles and high-value goods – the Asset Recovery IT (ARIT) project aims to streamline the way criminal assets are tracked and shared, help disparate teams work more effectively together, and improve the evidence provided to courts.

It will also aim to prevent criminal money from funding further illegal activity, with PDS committing to working closely with police officers, financial investigators, prosecutors and local authorities to build a cloud-based system that meets their individual needs.

The system is also expected to support international and cryptocurrency recovery capabilities, helping more than 3,500 users to manage the recovery of assets held abroad or in digital currencies. All of this will take place within a single, streamlined system.

The ARIT announcement follows the Home Office’s conclusion that JARD’s technology was outdated, expensive to maintain, and lacked the flexibility needed for more complex investigations. 

The need to replace JARD has been known for some time, with the Home Office initially publishing a contract notice – worth an estimated £25m – for the “Replacement of the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD) IT Systems” in August 2020.

“JARD is an aging system that has been modified and updated on a number of occasions over its 15-year plus lifecycle,” reads the notice. “It is now, however, reaching the end of its useful life as it is not conducive to modern expectations of electronic data capture and subsequent analytical filtering and manipulation.”

Now contracted to NEC Software Solutions – the Japanese software supplier behind the facial recognition algorithms used by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police – for an estimated £14.4m, PDS said it is aiming to have a “minimum viable product” in place by September 2026.

At this point, JARD will be decommissioned, with the more than 180 government and law enforcement agencies using it – including HM Revenue & Customs – being transitioned over to the national ARIT system by the end of that year.

Computer Weekly contacted the Home Office about what happened with the earlier contract notice – as PDS was only formally commissioned to work on JARD in April 2024 – and why it has taken five years to find a supplier to develop a replacement for a system that was deemed out of date in August 2020. However, the Home Office had not responded by the time of publication.

“ARIT represents a bold step forward in our mission to equip UK law enforcement with the digital tools needed to tackle the evolving threat of economic crime,” said Tony Estaugh, PDS CEO and the former biometrics commissioner of England and Wales.

“This project is a testament to the impact of collaboration and innovation in public service, and I’m proud of the role PDS is playing in delivering a solution that helps safeguard communities and ensure that crime doesn’t pay.”

Marco Fiorentino, the executive director at NEC, added: “The new system will make it easier to protect the public and stop criminals from profiting from illegal activity. With ARIT, whether it’s a police officer seizing a suspect’s luxury car, a financial investigator tracking laundered cryptocurrency, or a council officer handling illicit cash, they’ll be able to log and track evidence quickly and simply.  

“This will lead to quicker action, clearer evidence, and improved results in court.”

PDS said the project falls under the Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (AMLAR) Programme, which is led by the Home Office’s Economic Crime Division, and forms a “key” plank of the department’s wider Economic Crime Plan.

According to the plan, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) – one of the law enforcement bodies that will be using ARIT – estimated in 2021 that, while exact amounts are unknown, it is a “realistic possibility” that over £100bn is laundered through the UK or UK corporate structures every year.

In May 2024, the UK’s then-deputy foreign secretary, Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, said that nearly 40% of the entire world’s “dirty money” is going through the City of London and other crown dependencies.

The latest Home Office statistics on illicit asset seizure show that £284.5m worth of assets were recovered from confiscation, forfeiture and civil recovery orders in the financial year ending March 2025. This represents an increase of 15% on the previous financial year.