Advances in Premise Plumbing Modeling

Abstract

In summer 2019, a new task committee on Premise Plumbing Modeling (PPM) was approved under the auspices of the Water Distribution Systems Analysis Committee of ASCE EWRI. The primary purpose of the PPM task committee is to advance the science of the new field of premise plumbing modeling. In particular, the PPM committee intends to identify areas where methods and models developed over the past several decades to manage municipal water distribution systems can also be applied to solve vexing problems that arise in the premise plumbing systems of contemporary buildings. The ultimate goal of the PPM committee is to identify and develop water systems management tools for use by practicing engineers, as well as the larger water distribution research community, in support of the safe design and operation of indoor water distribution systems. Initially, three general areas were identified where current modeling approaches could be applied to premise plumbing: [1] hydraulic design and performance, [2] building water quality and age, and [3] water safety and security. Using these three core areas as a backdrop, this presentation will describe key accomplishments of the PPM task committee including: creation of a monthly webinar series reaching an international audience, distribution of a quarterly newsletter to the professional community, presentation of technical sessions at annual EWRI national Congress, preparation of a state-of-the-art journal paper, publication of a textbook style final report to archive the main topics covered in the PPM webinar series. Finally, this talk will conclude with a glimpse of the challenging problems posed by modern premise plumbing systems and the unique opportunities waiting for researchers working in the field of water distribution network analysis.