The impact on human health caused by lead release has resulted in stringent lead regulations, which limit the drinking water concentration of lead to 10µg/L. In order to meet regulation guidelines, sources of lead are being removed from the distribution system and premise plumbing. Lead service lines (LSLs) are replaced to minimize the effect of lead release, with LSL contributing as much as 50-75% of total lead at the tap. Adsorption of lead on galvanized iron corrosion scales have been shown to increase lead release in LSL replacements, which is very concerning for utilities considering replacing the LSLs. Adsorption of lead on to iron minerals has been hypothesized as a mechanism for lead exposure. With the significant presence of unlined cast iron pipes in Halifax, the objective of this thesis was to determine the relationship between the iron particles found in cast iron pipes and lead release at the tap.

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Water distribution utilities are responsible for supplying both clean and safe drinking water, while under constraints of operating at an efficient and acceptable performance level. The City of Kingston, Ontario is currently experiencing elevated costs to repair its aging buried water main assets. Utilities Kingston is opting for a more efficient and practical means of forecasting pipe breaks and the application of a predictive water main break models allows Utilities Kingston to forecast future pipe failures and plan accordingly. The objective of this thesis is to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to forecast pipe breaks in the Kingston water distribution network. Data supplied by Utilities Kingston was used to develop the predictive ANN water main break model incorporating multiple variables including pipe age, diameter, length, and surrounding soil type. The constructed ANN model from historical break data was utilized to forecast pipe breaks for 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year planning periods. Simulated results were evaluated by statistical performance metrics, proving the overall model to be adequate for testing and forecasting. Predicted breaks were as follows, 33 breaks for 2011-2012, 22 breaks for 2012-2013 and 35 breaks for 2013-2016. Additionally, GIS plots were developed to highlight areas in need of potential rehabilitation for the distribution system. The goal of the model is to provide a practical means to assist in the management and development of Kingston’s pipe rehabilitation program, and to enable Utilities Kingston to reduce water main repair costs and to improve water quality at the customer's tap. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-10-21 15:30:10.288

O presente trabalho apresenta um plano de substituição de tubulações do sistema de distribuição de água da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), utilizando um sistema de informações geográficas (SIG), que permitiu o relacionamento de dados do cadastro físico das tubulações com informações de reparos de vazamentos. Foram criados grupos de tubulações de mesmo material e, em alguns casos, de um mesmo período de implantação, para a definição de taxas anuais de substituição a partir da previsão de quebras futuras e da determinação do tempo ótimo de substituição das tubulações. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a vida média das tubulações apresenta um valor inferior ao verificado em países desenvolvidos. Assim, a taxa anual de substituição de tubulações, devendo oscilar entre 1,25 e 2%, será superior à média dos países desenvolvidos, que gira em torno de 0,5 a 1%, considerando que a idade média das tubulações varie entre 100 e 200 anos. / The following study presents a pipes replacement plan for the water distribution system of the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo (MRSP), using a geographic information system (GIS), which allowed the relation between the data of the water mains and the information about leakage repairs. Water main groups of the same material were created and, in some cases, of the same installation period, for the definition of yearly replacement rates based on the future breaks forecast and determination of the water mains optimal replacement timing. The results obtained suggest that the water mains average life, show a lower value than the one verified in developed countries. Thus, the water mains year replacement rate, witch should range from 1.25 to 2%, will be higher than the average in developed countries, witch is about 0.5 and 1%, considering that water mains mean age varies between 100 and 200 years.

O presente trabalho apresenta um plano de substituição de tubulações do sistema de distribuição de água da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), utilizando um sistema de informações geográficas (SIG), que permitiu o relacionamento de dados do cadastro físico das tubulações com informações de reparos de vazamentos. Foram criados grupos de tubulações de mesmo material e, em alguns casos, de um mesmo período de implantação, para a definição de taxas anuais de substituição a partir da previsão de quebras futuras e da determinação do tempo ótimo de substituição das tubulações. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a vida média das tubulações apresenta um valor inferior ao verificado em países desenvolvidos. Assim, a taxa anual de substituição de tubulações, devendo oscilar entre 1,25 e 2%, será superior à média dos países desenvolvidos, que gira em torno de 0,5 a 1%, considerando que a idade média das tubulações varie entre 100 e 200 anos. / The following study presents a pipes replacement plan for the water distribution system of the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo (MRSP), using a geographic information system (GIS), which allowed the relation between the data of the water mains and the information about leakage repairs. Water main groups of the same material were created and, in some cases, of the same installation period, for the definition of yearly replacement rates based on the future breaks forecast and determination of the water mains optimal replacement timing. The results obtained suggest that the water mains average life, show a lower value than the one verified in developed countries. Thus, the water mains year replacement rate, witch should range from 1.25 to 2%, will be higher than the average in developed countries, witch is about 0.5 and 1%, considering that water mains mean age varies between 100 and 200 years.

This study compared four different water main failure prediction models: a statistically simple model, a statistically complex model, a statistically complex model with modifications termed the 2019 model, and an age-based model. The statistically complex models compute the probability of failure based on age, size, internal pressure, length of pipe in corrosive soil, land use, and material of the. These two values are then used to prioritize a water main rehabilitation program to effectively use the municipality’s funds. The 2019 model calculates the probability of failure and consequence of failure differently than the statistically complex model by considering corrosive soil data instead of assuming all the pipes are in highly corrosive soil and average daily traffic volume data instead of using street classifications. The statistically simple model only uses the pipe age and material for probability of failure. The age-based model relies purely on the age of the pipe to determine its probability of failure. Consequences of failure are determined by the proximity of the pipe to highly trafficked streets, critical services, pipe replacement cost, and the flow capacity of the pipe. Risk of failure score is the product of the consequence of failure score and probability of failure score. Pipes are then ranked based on risk of failure scores to allow municipalities to determine their pipe rehabilitation schedule. The results showed that the statistically complex models were preferred because results varied between all four models. The 2019 model is preferred for long-term analysis because it can better account for future traffic growth using the average daily traffic volume. Corrosive soil data did not have a significant impact on the results, which can be attributed to the relatively small regression parameter for corrosive soil. The age-based model is not recommended because results of this study shows it places a significantly high number of pipes in the high and critical risk categories compared to the other models that account for more factors. This could result in the unnecessary replacement of pipes leading to an inefficient allocation of funds. Keywords: Risk of Failure, Consequence of Failure, Probability of Failure

The concept of reusing wastewater in buildings has recently become more important. This is due to change in climatic conditions and reduction of the yield of water resources. Greywater can broadly be defined as not extremely polluted wastewater coming from basins, showers, baths, kitchen sinks and washing machines. The concept based on the use of alternative rate sources wouldn't need same strict parameters as drinking water. Dissertation engage in collecting greywater from basins, showers and wash machines separately from the other more polluted domestic wastewater at the dorms, the laundry machines, the hotels, detached houses, the swimming pools, the office buildings and other buildings. The research showed that membrane filtration meets all needed parameters of water quality and can be used in house systems where we use cleansed white water to flush toilets, watering garden or grass areas. There is still a lack of experience and documentation for such system of operation in our country. Systems of use of greywater in selected objects are detaily solved in my dissertation directed at system proposal.

This diploma thesis deals with the topic the assessment of the technical condition of water supply networks. Part of the work is a case study that evaluates the technical condition of the water supply network in the city district Brno-Lisen. The work describes in detail how the pressure zones and selected water mains evaluated. The output is an Excel application, which can be set according to technical indicators carry out an evaluation of the technical condition of the individual pressure zones.

Thesis deals with the technical audit of public water supply. The first part is devoted to the current state of the problem in the Czech Republic and abroad. The thesis describes the methodology developed by ÚVHO FAST Brno, which is used to evaluate technical condition of selected parts of the water supply infrastructure. In the practical part of the thesis, the aplication TEA Water is used in the preparation of a technical audit for the part of the water supply of Brno.

<p>The aging water infrastructure system in the United States has posed considerable hindrance to policy-makers as they seek to provide safe, reliable, and clean drinking water for communities. The deterioration of the physical water infrastructure negatively affects the economics of water utilities and can lead to increases in water rates for consumers, so that utilities can recover the financial losses. However, the dynamics emerging from the interactions among changes in water service reliability, water-rates, consumer behavior (with respect to water consumption and willingness to support water-rate changes in response to changes in water rates, and water utility economics, are still unknown factors in the management of water infrastructure systems. </p> <p>The overarching objective of this dissertation is the creation and demonstration of the dynamics of coupled human and water infrastructure systems under conditions of water main breaks and water-rate increases. First, using water-main break data for a 21-year period from two U.S. cities in the Great Lakes region, the dissertation demonstrates a methodology to estimate the system-wide monthly frequency of water main breaks as a function of a number of explanatory variables. Using a random-parameters negative-binomial approach, the statistical estimations show that pipe diameters, average pipe age, distribution of pipe age, pipe material, time of year, and mean monthly temperature all have a significant impact on monthly water main break frequencies. The results can assist asset managers in quantifying the effect of factors may have on the likelihood of water main breaks, as well as in making cost-effective decisions regarding pipe renewal.</p> <p>Next, by incorporating qualitative survey data and using quantitative econometric methods, consumer behaviors in responses to the water-rate increases, and based on perceptions of water service reliability and quality in a Midwestern U.S. city was evaluated. Using a multivariate binary probit approach, the results provide insights as to how individuals are likely to respond to water-rate increases based on the reliability of current water services and the quality of the supplied water. The outputs of the econometric enable utility managers to better understand the behavior of consumers under different rate conditions and help water utilities in their long-term and short-term financial analyses.</p> <p>Finally, the aforementioned two components are integrated into the interdependency analysis to evaluate the interactive effects of features of the physical water infrastructure (pipeline characteristics, water and associated energy losses, and the revenue loss for water utilities) and the behavior of stakeholders (water utilities and consumers). The developed hybrid system dynamics and agent-based model examines interdependencies between the physical water infrastructure, the water utility, and the water consumers to explore possible emergent behavior patterns of water users during water rate increases over time. The model is demonstrated over the 2001–2010 period on a case study city with a large water distribution system that includes 4,000 miles of pipeline and nine water treatment plants serving a population of 863,000. This model was then verified and validated throughout the development of simulation models and included the following steps: 1) data validity, 2) conceptual model validity, 3) computerized model validity, and 4) operational validity. The results suggest the simulated behavior of the model was reasonable and the output of the simulation model regrading water main break frequency, amount of water and associated energy losses, generated revenue, and payoff periods for implementing proactive maintenance strategies had the accuracy required for the model’s intended purpose. </p> <p>The framework developed in this doctoral study can be applied to different size classifications of cities, as well as different classifications of utility companies (such as electricity and gas) by updating the parameters in the model to reflect the characteristics of the infrastructure system components. The distinctive methodological approach in this doctoral work could capture the emergent behaviors of human-water infrastructure interactions such as the impact of increasing water-rates on residential consumers, the impact of water price elasticity cascading into the water utility revenue, and the impact of residential consumers’ water consumption on water utility revenues. In conclusion, the results of this doctoral research can assist asset managers in understanding their systems, identify pathways for growing revenue through reducing non-revenue water and increasing water-rates, and implementing a proactive pipeline asset management program towards the provision for safe, reliable, and clean drinking water.</p>