In a new pipe installation, leakage is defined as the volume of water that must be added to the 'full' pipeline to maintain a specific test pressure within a __________ range

• A. 10 psi
• B. 15 psi
• C. 20 psi
• D. 5 psi

Answer: (D)

In a hydrostatic leakage test, you fill the pipe and pressurize it to the test pressure, then monitor how much water you must add to keep that pressure from dropping. Leakage is defined by the amount of water needed to keep the full pipeline at the test pressure within a small, defined tolerance around that pressure. That tight tolerance is important because it makes the test sensitive to actual leaks rather than allowing normal fluctuations to be mistaken for leakage. A looser tolerance would let bigger pressure variations occur, which could hide small leaks and give an unreliable result. So the best choice is the one that uses the narrowest allowable variation around the test pressure, reflecting standard practice for accurate leakage measurement.