Note that pressures from operating one or three pumps during the 'Brown Water Fiasco' exceeded the pressures from typical water hammer damage. These excessive water hammer pressures explain the remarkable spread of brown water throughout the Aiken water system. Also, note in Figure 5 that 96 percent of FOIA reported water hammers cracked water mains within one or two days before the water main leaked upward to the ground, and one water main break was repaired 3 days after known water hammers. Conclusively, water hammers created Aiken water main breaks.
Another important finding from this research is that slug type water hammers occur throughout the Aiken water system at high points in the system to crack the mains, as observed during power outage hammers. Additionally, after repairs are completed, higher pressure slug flow / air pocket hammers create more brown water. Even so, water hammer pressures are lower than those a near pump houses, since runout conditions diminish at distances from the pump houses.
Figure 3. Aiken Shaws Creek pump curves for three pumps from FOIA request.
(Image by Aiken City government.) Details DMCA
Comparison of Brown Water Reports to Known Water Hammer Events
Although much data was withheld by Aiken, some data is available for 2023 through 2025. Data from January 2, 2024 to June 1, 2024 was evaluated, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. All brown water reports were received within one day of known water hammers.
Based on my earlier Aiken publications, water hammers are generated during power outages, during fire hydrant tests, during valve closures for water main repairs, and other flow rate changes. Many hammers did not result in brown water, where only the relationships between specific hammers and brown water are reported here. Installed plastic piping and the stochastic nature of fatigue failures are assumed to explain much of this discrepancy, where confirmation data is unavailable.
Proven fact: Brown water findings = Water hammers break mains to create brown water
Even so, 100 percent of the Aiken Chronicle identified 2024 brown water events occurred on the same day as known water hammers, as shown in Figure 5. Water hammers cause brown water for certain, where water hammers create cracks to accelerate corrosion, and subsequent water hammers knock the rust loose to mix with water to create brown water. Conclusively, water hammers created Aiken brown water.
Figure 5. Brown water vs. water hammer data from FOIA request and D. Moniak, Aiken Chronicles.
(Image by Data adapted by Leishear Engineering, LLC) Details DMCA
Figure 6. Brown water vs. water hammer graph from FOIA request and D. Moniak, Aiken Chronicles.
(Image by Leishear Engineering, LLC) Details DMCA
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