COST-EFFECTIVE WATER-QUALITY MODELING OF POTABLE WATER DISTRIBUTION-SYSTEMS

Before privatization of the water authorities in England and Wales in 1989, future water companies were instructed to provide auditable proo f of their investment requirements by the production of asset manageme nt plans. With respect to distribution systems for potable water, asse t management plan studies have established that unlined ferrous mains are often the main cause of complaints about discoloured water. It has also been found that the investment in water mains rehabilitation, wh ich is driven by water quality problems, overshadows similar investmen t requirements driven by high burst rates and poor hydraulic performan ce. This paper describes how certain techniques of water quality model ling have been developed and refined to provide a rapid, cost-effectiv e method for identifying requirements for water-main rehabilitation.