Planning for Water Distribution System Renewal

Water distribution system renewal is an urgent infrastructure problem and will be on the agenda of utilities, local governments, and industries for many years. Based on national studies, a large gap exists between current expenditures on water main renewal and the investment levels needed to sustain system integrity. Many aging pipe segments are candidates for renewal and must be updated through funding from capital improvement programs. Planning to prioritize the programs requires risk analysis and data systems to support the decision processes. Analysis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and American Water Works Association data shows that the national replacement cost of all water supply pipelines is on the order of $1 trillion. Recent estimates by EPA show that 20 year needs for replacement and rehabilitation of pipeline systems are about $201 billion, but, current investments indicate an increasing backlog of deferred investments and replacement cycles at close to 200 years in utilities. Resistance to rate increases and political reluctance to face the problem are causes of the buildup in deferred maintenance.

You will learn how utilities engage in sophisticated but practical studies to allocate their scarce capital for asset management and renewal of distribution and transmission pipelines. Topics will include planning and assessment methods, technologies for condition assessment and pipeline renewal, and management strategies to include preparation of business cases. A review of recent international research projects about pipeline renewal planning will be included.

Agenda

The Problem of Aging Water Infrastructure: Causes and Extent

Urgency of Addressing Aging Water Distribution Infrastructure

Pipe Breaks, System Integrity and Water Losses

Water Quality and Health Effects Relating to Distribution Systems

Pipeline Inventory and Materials

How Decisions Are Made About Pipeline Rehabilitation

Pipe Industry and Institutions

Asset Management Systems

Pipeline Integrity and Condition Assessment

Planning, Economics, and Risk Assessment

Business Cases for Capital Investment Programs

Failure Models and Disaster Management

O&M, Monitoring, SCADA

Pipe Repair, Rehabilitation, and Replacement Methods

Small Scale Systems

Case Studies

Toward the Future: Practical Steps to Take