Optimal strategies for the financially sustainable management of drinking-water and wastewater networks

申请人建议通过整合三个主要研究主题，为实施安大略环境部（莫伊）财政上可持续的饮用水和废水系统立法所需的知识库做出贡献。 首先，水文模拟模型将得到增强，以量化地下水和地表水流量与代表市政当局内的水和废水（以及雨水）分配系统的工程结构的相互作用，这种相互作用是由于水管泄漏以及卫生和暴雨下水道而发生的。第二，将加强水管和卫生下水道基础设施的战略规划模式，进一步界定绩效指标，以便量化基础设施的状况和运营情况，调查和估计其当前的实际状况，预测其在未来潜在运营条件下随时间的退化情况，并估计基础设施的现值以及运营、维护与莫伊（2007年）立法相关的公共服务审计委员会报告（CICA，2007年）所需的修理、修复和更换（OMR 3）支出。第三，将开发一个市政控制和优化模型，以模拟替代管理策略的影响，以平衡规定的水费收入乘以饮用水消耗量和废水排放量，以及为OMR 3活动提供资金所需的费用。最佳管理战略将涉及最大限度地减少总OMR3成本与可持续的资本储备，以考虑财务，工程和水文的不确定性。申请人的研究成果是开发软件，将所提出的水文、战略规划以及控制和优化模型集成到一个单一的资产管理系统（AMS）中，并使市政当局能够遵守莫伊的财务可持续饮用水和废水系统立法。该资产管理系统将在滑铁卢市和滑铁卢地区作为试点进行测试。

The applicants propose to contribute to the knowledge-base required to implement Ontario Ministryof the Environment's (MOE) financiallysustainable drinking-water and wastewater system legislation byintegrating three major research themes. First, a hydrological simulation model will be enhanced to quantifythe interaction of groundwater and surface water flow with engineered structures representing the water and wastewater (as well as storm water) distribution system within the municipality, where this interaction occurs due to leaking water mains as well as sanitaryand storm sewers. Second, a strategic planning model for the watermain and sanitarysewer infrastructure will be enhanced to; further define performance indicators in order to quantifythe condition and operation of the infrastructure, surveyand estimate its actual current condition, project its deterioration over time under potential future operational conditions, and estimate the present value of the infrastructure as well as inflation in the unit cost of operation, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and replacement (OMR3) expenditures needed for PSAB reporting (CICA, 2007) associated with the MOE (2007) legislation. Third, a municipal control & optimization model will be developed to simulate the impact of alternative management strategies for balancing the revenue from prescribed water rates multiplied against the amount of potable water consumed as well as wastewater discharged, with expenses needed to fund OMR3 activities. The optimal management strategywill involve minimizing total OMR3 costs with a sustainable capital reserve to account for financial, engineering and hydrologic uncertainties. The outcome of the applicants' research is to develop software that integrates the proposed hydrologic, strategic planning, and control & optimization models into a single asset management system (AMS), and enables municipalities to complywith MOE's financiallysustainable drinking-water and wastewater system legislation. This asset management system will then be tested with the Cityof Waterloo and the Region of Waterloo serving as the pilot.