Distribution system integrity is the most capital-intensive issue faced by water utilities.
Considering the high replacement value of systems, repair, rehabilitation, and
replacement require sustained attention from management. Water utilities are concerned
about high investments required, quality of water in pipes, and appropriateness of
research products. This paper provides an overview of the issues and research findings to
date, based on an AWWA Research Foundation (AWWARF) project on integrity of water supply infrastructure. The paper
offers a "systems view," with multiple perspectives of the problem and solutions,
beginning with issue trees of the problem and its solution. Then, important management
questions are answered about roles and responsibilities for solving the problem of
distribution system integrity. Components of the problem divide into capital and
operating issues, then into indicators that include cost, level of service, water quality, and
social disruption. These divide into nine indicators of distribution system effectiveness
that are similar to those developed in other AWWARF research. Solutions are illustrated
with an issue tree that includes knowing what to do, being capable of doing it, and being
motivated to do it. These divide into categories of solutions, each of which yields one or
more management practices and assessment variables. The project has twenty
participating utilities and will have completed three workshops by June of 2003, including
the main workshop. This paper is a summary of part of the information that will be
included in the project report, scheduled for release early in 2004. Includes 21 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 260 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 06/15/2003 |
