Field testing is necessary to understand and check the performance of certain aspects of hydraulic systems. Data from field testing is used to:

• assess the performance and efficiency of pumping systems
• determine steady-state and transient pressures in pipelines with critical pressure limits
• calibrate hydraulic models for high-accuracy modelling results
• support commissioning, to understand the performance of newly-installed or modified hydraulic infrastructure such as surge vessels and control valves
• validate hydraulic modelling results.

The development of hydraulic models is limited by the quality of real-world data available to calibrate them. Where there is insufficient data, or modelling results are very sensitive to specific assumptions, field testing can provide the information required to use modelling recommendations with a high degree of confidence.