Smart Water Network Modeling for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

Urbanization can significantly increase the load on aging, inefficient and already strained sewer infrastructure, resulting in catastrophic pipe failure, unwanted spillage, property damage, and serious threat to public health. Urbanization can also dramatically alter the natural water cycle, resulting in diminished water quality, increased frequency and severity of flooding, channel erosion and destruction of aquatic habitat. Recent advances in smart water network (SWN) modeling technology have played a crucial and growing role in addressing these challenges. SWN technology has equipped practicing engineers with a comprehensive set of analytical decision making tools designed to help them preserve structural integrity, manage and reduce the risks of sewer overflow and urban runoff, improve resiliency and keep their urban drainage networks operating well into the future. These advances propel routine conveyance system analysis from basic planning and design to two-dimensional surface/subsurface flow modeling, real-time operation and control, analytical risk-based asset integrity and condition assessment, and optimal selection and placement of green infrastructure based on cost and effectiveness. SWN is providing critically needed support to federal, state, and local agencies and watershed practitioners — not only in optimizing their integrated water management and adaptation strategies, but in ensuring sustainable drainage, addressing environmental quality restoration and protection needs in urban and developing areas, and improving communities’ resiliency. It is also within the grasp of utilities of all sizes, but they need to seize the opportunity.