The state of knowledge and practice regarding water hammer in the Swedish water and wastewater sector
Kiste, Kristofer LU
and Larson, Magnus
LU
(2026)
In Water Practice and Technology
21(5).
p.1842-1854
- Abstract
The theory of water hammer is well developed and can support quantitative assessment in engineering studies. However, in the Swedish water and wastewater sector, water hammer analysis is often overlooked during the design of pressurized pipe networks. Apart from a study from the 1980s, the status of knowledge on water hammer has, to the authors' knowledge, been mapped neither in Sweden nor internationally. Using surveys, this study examines the knowledge within the Swedish utility sector concerning water hammer. The results reveal a substantial and significant lack of expertise among utility engineers. Many utilities do not take water hammer into account during the design, and among consultants, knowledge of the phenomenon is limited.... (More)
The theory of water hammer is well developed and can support quantitative assessment in engineering studies. However, in the Swedish water and wastewater sector, water hammer analysis is often overlooked during the design of pressurized pipe networks. Apart from a study from the 1980s, the status of knowledge on water hammer has, to the authors' knowledge, been mapped neither in Sweden nor internationally. Using surveys, this study examines the knowledge within the Swedish utility sector concerning water hammer. The results reveal a substantial and significant lack of expertise among utility engineers. Many utilities do not take water hammer into account during the design, and among consultants, knowledge of the phenomenon is limited. Universities offering civil and environmental engineering programs provide little to no coverage of water hammer. Consequently, a clear knowledge gap exists within the sector on this topic. Improved collaboration between universities and utilities is recommended to ensure that engineers acquire the necessary knowledge. In addition, it is suggested to develop a practical tool for assessing water hammer risks to help utility engineers determine the sufficient level of water hammer evaluation. Ideally, this tool should be incorporated into the primary Swedish publication on water hammer known as VAV P58.
(Less)
- author
- Kiste, Kristofer
LU
and Larson, Magnus
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- hydraulic transients, pipe rupture, pressure surges, sub-atmospheric pressure, water hammer evaluations
- in
- Water Practice and Technology
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- IWA Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105041053292
- ISSN
- 1751-231X
- DOI
- 10.2166/wpt.2026.269
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d39a3e0f-38f1-4407-8f16-375cc965de27
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-30 10:40:16
- date last changed
- 2026-06-30 10:40:56
@article{d39a3e0f-38f1-4407-8f16-375cc965de27,
abstract = {{<p>The theory of water hammer is well developed and can support quantitative assessment in engineering studies. However, in the Swedish water and wastewater sector, water hammer analysis is often overlooked during the design of pressurized pipe networks. Apart from a study from the 1980s, the status of knowledge on water hammer has, to the authors' knowledge, been mapped neither in Sweden nor internationally. Using surveys, this study examines the knowledge within the Swedish utility sector concerning water hammer. The results reveal a substantial and significant lack of expertise among utility engineers. Many utilities do not take water hammer into account during the design, and among consultants, knowledge of the phenomenon is limited. Universities offering civil and environmental engineering programs provide little to no coverage of water hammer. Consequently, a clear knowledge gap exists within the sector on this topic. Improved collaboration between universities and utilities is recommended to ensure that engineers acquire the necessary knowledge. In addition, it is suggested to develop a practical tool for assessing water hammer risks to help utility engineers determine the sufficient level of water hammer evaluation. Ideally, this tool should be incorporated into the primary Swedish publication on water hammer known as VAV P58.</p>}},
author = {{Kiste, Kristofer and Larson, Magnus}},
issn = {{1751-231X}},
keywords = {{hydraulic transients; pipe rupture; pressure surges; sub-atmospheric pressure; water hammer evaluations}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{1842--1854}},
publisher = {{IWA Publishing}},
series = {{Water Practice and Technology}},
title = {{The state of knowledge and practice regarding water hammer in the Swedish water and wastewater sector}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2026.269}},
doi = {{10.2166/wpt.2026.269}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2026}},
}