Water mains’ prioritisation for small to medium-sized utilities of Canada

Abstract

Ageing water infrastructure is a major concern for water utilities throughout the world. Due to lack of reliable data, it is challenging to develop an extensive water mains’ renewal programme and predict the performance of water mains. Small and medium-sized water utilities are affected more due to the scarcity of data/information and lack of technical and financial resources. In this study, a life cycle costing (LCC) model is developed for small to medium-sized water utilities of Canada to prioritise repair, rehabilitation and replacement strategies of water mains. The proposed model will guide in establishing a practical and cost-effective renewal programme for new installations or for rehabilitation of damaged water mains. To validate the effectiveness of the LCC model, it is tested and implemented on a medium-sized water utility, namely Greater Vernon Water, British Columbia.