Drinking Water Distribution System Management Incorporating Health and Asset Risk

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this research project is to make a fundamental contribution to the nation?s health by probabilistically estimating health risks due to pipe breaks. U.S. drinking water distribution systems may be compromised in a number of different ways, and pipe breaks and their associated repair and renewal activities are among the most important causes of drinking water distribution system contamination. Despite the vulnerability to contaminant intrusion through pipe breaks, there is limited understanding and documentation of the magnitude of health risks from drinking water distribution system pipe breaks. Furthermore, distribution system asset management does not include the health risks associated with pipe breaks into the planning process. Having accurate, probabilistic estimates of the health risks associated with pipe breaks would allow distribution systems to be maintained in a way more protective of public health. This will be the first rigorous, probabilistic estimate of the health risk associated with pipe breaks in the U.S. In addition, this project will lead to substantial improvements in the predictive accuracy of pipe break risk models. These two advances - health risk assessment and improved asset risk assessment - will be combined to yield an integrated, risk-based water distribution system asset management framework. Currently, operators and utility managers consider public health protection (e.g., environmental compliance) and asset management as two separate and often divergent goals. This research will enable more comprehensive integration of these potentially divergent goals into a systems-based risk and decision model. This research will also make fundamental contributions to real-time drinking water distribution systems management. The research advances will be based on a close working collaboration with a large water utility, ensuring that the methods developed can be used in practice.