Rehabilitation Scenarios for Sustainable Water Mains

Abstract

The ability to regularly deliver safe drinking water is a constant challenge to municipalities. According to the Canadian National Research Council reports, the renewal and rehabilitation of infrastructure across Canada is estimated to be at least $15 billion. Therefore, selecting the best repair and/or rehabilitation scenarios is essential to optimize the quality of the existing water mains and to minimize rehabilitation cost losses. Current research identifies several rehabilitation methods for water mains, which are classified into three main categories: (1) repair (e.g. Open trench, sleeves); (2) renovation (e.g. slip lining, cement lining, epoxy lining, CIPP); and (3) replacement (e.g. pipe bursting, micro-tunneling, directional drilling, auger boring, open cut). Stochastic life cycle cost (SLCC), using Monte Carlo simulation approach, is utilized to compare the developed scenarios so that the optimal scenario can be accommodated for different types of water main pipes (e.g. Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, Concrete, and PVC). Data, related to the cash flow of each scenario, are collected from contractors and municipalities in Canada. Current research framework will assist municipality engineers to select the optimum rehabilitation scenario for each type of water main. In addition, it will assist them to properly manage their assets, which guarantee better quality of life for the society.