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Robust decision support tools that aid water utilities to make informed, swift and precise decisions are becoming the need of the hour. Application of sophisticated models to aid the process of condition assessment and risk analysis on water pipelines have been limited owing to the lack of scalability, inability to incorporate external open source datasets and mathematically complicated output results. Interactive visualization of resultant model output is the key element in extracting valuable information to support decision making. This thesis presents a framework for visualization of data related to drinking water pipelines. Critical components of strategic, tactical and operational level decision making are explored in context with data presentation and information depiction. This thesis depicts various aspects of developing GIS web applications and their important functionalities for query and visualization of data. Multiple facets of data storage, standardization and application development are highlighted in this document. Publishing of application geo processing services in web environment is done through Virginia Tech enterprise geodatabase. Risk assessment and Performance models developed by a utility are projected in the application environment through help of widgets. Applications are coded into links on a Drupal website (www.pipeid.org) for model dissemination and utility engagement purposes. / Master of Science / Drinking water supply network primarily consists of pipelines, pumping stations, reservoir basins and treatment plants. Water pipelines are routinely inspected to check their condition and maintain appropriate water quality. Management of these subsurface assets should be given prime importance for maintaining high standards of services at acceptable cost to customers. An integral step in accomplishing this task is to view pipeline network in a geographic map. Different factors affecting pipeline condition are displayed on the map in the form of individual layers. Such real-world problems are analyzed with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) tools that incorporate spatial features with tabular information. Moreover, interpretation of raw data into meaningful insights and distribution of allocated knowledge to all the concerned parties can be efficiently accomplished using rich internet applications. This thesis presents a framework to use GIS tools for developing web applications using raw data samples from contacted water utilities. Sample web applications are created and discussed in the form of case studies. Also, the challenges in water utility sector with respect to utilizing GIS tools for supporting daily decision-making processes is highlighted in this document. The recommendation to improve the suggested framework and adding more functionalities to developed applications are presented at the end with references.

Previous authors have developed many different types of water pipe condition and failure models using the various methodologies available.  Contrary, current utilities are struggling to maintain their current water infrastructure system, due to the lack of effective prediction tools at hand.  The gap between the methodologies available in academic research and the tools available to current water utilities needs to be addressed.  This paper presents a fuzzy inference prediction model used to forecast the performance rating of individual drinking water pipeline sections (node to node) in which utilities can easily apply to their drinking water infrastructure system. Prior to the development of a prediction model, a through literature and current practice review is completed detailing and summarizing all the available mathematical models.  Following, an infrastructure overview is presented detailing the various pipe materials, lifecycle and failure modes and mechanisms.  A data structure is also detailed which lists all parameters that affect the condition and/or performance of a pipeline.  All of these tools are successfully used to develop a fuzzy inference performance model. The fuzzy inference performance model is considered novel in that it considers close to 30 pipe parameters.  Moreover, the performance model is applied using the Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA) and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) databases to evaluate and verify the predicting results.  Lab testing of several pipe samples is also used to evaluate the model.  The testing consists of a ring bearing test which is used to calculate the rupture modulus of the pipe.  Comparing the original vs. the current rupture modulus can determine the remaining strength of the pipe.  The remaining strength can then be used to assess the performance results predicted by the fuzzy inference model. Further a framework is set forth which utilizes the model's predicted performance ratings to develop deterioration curves which can be used as a tool to forecast and plan future inspection, repair, rehabilitation and replacement of water pipelines.  The deterioration model is made up of a Markov chain approach coupled with a non-optimization technique. / Ph. D.

Notorious for its high poverty levels and low socio-economic status, the Navajo Nation’s socio-economic well-being is hindered greatly in part by the lack of an adequate potable water infrastructure which has resulted in health disparities and has attributed to stunted economic growth within the Nation. Large candidate regional water transmission pipelines projects aimed to meet these needs have been identified. With capital costs exceeding their fiscal capability, decision-makers must choose projects that generate the most bang for the buck. To address these challenges, three (3) interconnected planning tools have been developed: (1) a water pipe installation construction cost estimation model (WaterCOSTE) to improve the accuracy of capital cost estimates; (2) a hydraulic optimization model (WaterTRANS) that improves design efficiency for branched water transmission systems; and (3) a decision support system (DSS) that allows candidate water transmission projects to be ranked while considering economic development, health improvement and environmental protection objectives. Estimates derived from WaterCOSTE are used as input into WaterTRANS to find least-cost system designs. The system costs along with other project data are then input into the DSS to determine project rankings. To demonstrate how the DSS can be used and applied, two candidate projects on the Navajo Nation are evaluated. The tools developed will enable decision-makers to improve planning processes and make wiser investment decisions that will lead to expanding the water infrastructure coverage and living conditions on the Navajo Nation.

Utbyggnation av städer och allt större andel hårdgjorda ytor leder till problem med dagvattenhanteringen. Flödena blir snabbare samtidigt som större mängder än tidigare bildar avrinning och då är det viktigt att de befintliga systemen klarar av att hantera dem. Dagvatten från tak och hårdgjorda ytor och dräneringsvatten från källarfastigheter kan vara kopplat till spillvattennätet och leda till att vattenflödena i ledningarna vid stora regn kan bli betydligt större än de är dimensionerade för, med kapacitetsproblem som följd. En lösning som många VA-huvudmän har implementerat är att använda öppna dagvattenlösningar istället för att välja det mer kostnadskrävande alternativet att bygga ut ledningssystemet. Att koppla om stuprör, brunnar och dräneringsledningar och gräva diken för att leda om vattnet är både kostnads- och resurskrävande. Syftet var därför att undersöka om multikriterieanalys kan fungera som ett lämpligt verktyg för att allokera resurserna till de områden som ger mest nytta per satsad krona. Detta genom att ta fram en metodik för detta syfte och testa dess robusthet för att avgöra om den är lämplig att applicera eller om osäkerheterna i parametervärdena blir för stora för att några slutsatser ska kunna dras. Metodiken som togs fram testades på Bjursås, ett litet samhälle två mil utanför Falun, eftersom omfattande utredningar gjorts i området tidigare, vilket innebar att mycket data fanns att tillgå. Undersökningar gjordes av var mängderna kunde förväntas bli stora, var det fanns stor risk för källaröversvämningar och vilka områden som bidrog mest till bräddningar. Detta utvärderades tillsammans med förväntade åtgärdskostnader och en samlad bedömning gjordes av var nyttan per satsad krona bör bli störst. Stora osäkerheter återfanns i bedömningen. Slutsatsen blev att metoden kan fungera som stöd vid beslutsunderlag, men att den inte är tillräckligt robust för att kunna användas uteslutande utan att efterföljande utvärderingar och kritisk granskning av resultaten måste göras. Detta kan lämpligtvis ske genom en känslighetsanalys. För att resultaten ska utgöra ett användbart verktyg för VA-huvudmannen måste också kostnaderna utvärderas noggrannare än de har gjorts i den här studien. / Urbanization along with a greater amount of hardened surfaces affects the storm water management. When the flows get faster and larger amounts create runoff, it is crucial that the available systems are able to handle the water. Storm water from roofs and asphalt surfaces and drainage water can be connected to the sewage water pipelines and make the flows in the conduits at rainfall much greater than they are designed for, leading to capacity issues. Many municipalities have implemented open storm water solutions instead of choosing the more cost-ineffective way of expanding the conduit system. Reconnecting downspouts, wells and drainage pipelines and digging trenches to lead the water is both cost and resource demanding. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate whether multi criteria analysis can be used as an appropriate tool in order to allocate the resources to the most beneficial areas. This was done by developing a method for this aim and testing its robustness in order to determine if it is suitable to use in this context or if the uncertainties make the method too unreliable. The robustness in the method developed can be questioned since the uncertainties can be substantial. To be able to use this method, a lot of data is needed and the method needs to be updated relatively often in order to contain relevant information. It is recommended that a sensitivity analysis is performed along with the method, since the use of only one set of parameters can make the result relatively arbitrary. Using a Monte Carlo procedure with the uncertainties defined can reduce the time needed to measure and identify the values. The sensitivity analysis showed that the parameters that have the largest impact on the results are the number of residents living in every real estate with a basement, the catchment areas, the roughness parameters of the pipelines and the use of energy and chemicals in the system. In the future, the urbanization is expected to increase as well as the amount of rainfall and problems related to inflow and infiltration are expected to become more common. The hope is that the method used and its results will be useful for the municipalities’ future planning and to inspire to more studies on this topic.

A model for the prediction of color release from a pilot distribution system was created in 2003 by Imran. This model allows prediction of the release of color from aged cast iron and galvanized steel pipes as a function of water quality and hydraulic residence time. Color was used as a surrogate measurement for iron, which exhibited a strong linear correlation. An anomaly of this model was an absence of a term to account for pH, due to the influent water being well stabilized. A new study was completed to evaluate the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors against traditional adjustment. Two control lines were supplied with nearly same water qualities, one at pH close to pHs and one at pH well above pHs. The resulting data showed that effluent iron values were typically greater in the line with lower pH. The non-linear color model by Imran shows good agreement when the LSI was largely positive, but underpredicted the color release from the lower LSI line. A modification to the Larson Ratio proposed by Imran was able to give a reasonable agreement to the data at lower LSI values. LSI showed no definite relation to iron release, although a visual trend of higher LSI mitigating iron release can be seen. An iron flux model was also developed on the same pilot system by Mutoti. This model was based on a steady state mass balance of iron in a pipe. The constants for the model were empirically derived from experiments at different hydraulic conditions with a constant water quality. Experiments were assumed to reach steady state at 3 pipe volumes due to the near constant effluent turbidity achieved at this point. The model proposes that the iron flux under laminar flow conditions is constant, while the iron flux is linearly related to the Reynolds Number under turbulent conditions. This model incorporates the color release models developed by Imran to calculate flux values from different water qualities. A limited number of experiments were performed in the current study using desalinated and ground water sources at Reynolds Numbers ranging from 50 to 200. The results of these limited experiments showed that the iron flux for cast iron pipe was approximately one-half of the predicted values from Mutoti. This discrepancy may be caused by the more extensive flushing of the pipes performed on the current experiments which allowed attainment of a true steady state. Model changes were proposed to distinguish between near stagnant flow and the upper laminar region, with the upper laminar region showing a slight linear increase. Predictions using the galvanized flux model were not accurate due to an inferior color release model that was developed for galvanized pipes. The model exhibits a high dependence on sulfate concentrations, but concentrations of sulfates in the current experiments were low. This led to low predicted flux values when the actual data showed otherwise. A new galvanized model was developed from a combination of data from the original and current experiments. The predicted flux values using the new model showed great improvement over the old model, but the new model database was limited and the resulting model was not able to be independently tested.