In-situ corrosion monitoring in drinking water system 

Principal Investigator: Dr. Woo Hyoung Lee

In drinking water distribution systems (DWDS), corrosion can cause pipeline damage, water leakage, and water quality degradation, which will eventually lead to distribution system structure integrity failure, national economic loss, and public health issues. This project constructed in situ one-dimensional micro-profile and two dimensional (2D) maps at the surface of corroding metals using microelectrode technique. The utilization of microelectrodes to evaluate the effects of flow, pH, alkalinity, DO, and free chlorine concentrations on the water chemistry near the metal surface showed promising results for this technology. Especially in galvanic corrosion studies, microelectrodes measurements provided direct evidence of cathodic-anodic reaction at the water-metal interface (50 µm above the surface) under various water conditions by constructing 2D maps of pH and free chlorine concentration, predicting under which conditions lead leaching would be promoted. For details see https://www.cece.ucf.edu/hyoung-lee/