Risk Assessment and Management of Water Supply System Infrastructure Initiative for the 21st Century
Dr. James A. GOODRICH1
Water Supply and Water Resources Division, USEPA
Daniel J. MURRAY2
Water Supply and Water Resources Division, USEPA
1. Introduction
Both drinking water and wastewater infrastructure are critical toproviding essential services to not only protect public health and theenvironment, but is essential to a strong economy. There has been asignificant investment in water infrastructure in the United States. There areover 16,000 wastewater plants serving 190 million people utilizing over600,000 miles (965,000 km) of sewers. Drinking water is provided by nearly
160,000 large and small drinking water systems serving 264 million people via
1,000,000 miles (1,609,000 km) distribution pipes.
2. Problem Overview
The current problem in the United States is that the water infrastructureis aging and spending has not been adequate to repair, replace, orrehabilitate drinking water distribution systems and wastewater collection
systems. The American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card in 2005 rated
both the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure as “D-.“ It was statedthat there is a risk in reversing the public health, environmental and economic
gains of the past three decade if the infrastructure is allowed to continue
deteriorating. Sanitary sewer overflows caused by broken pipes are thought
to be responsible for releasing as much as 10 billion gallons of raw sewage
yearly. The difference between projected needs and required spending toimprove the water infrastructure ranges from $ 0 to over $13 billion per year
for drinking water and $ 3 billion to over $ 26 billion for wastewater collection
systems. The U.S. EPA has responded to this problem as part of its
Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy. This strategy is based upon Four Pillars:• better management,• water efficiency• full cost pricing, and• watershed approach•
There are also cross-cutting themes to be found under each Pillar:• innovation• partnerships• technology• research___________________

1
2

26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 e-mail:Goodrich.james@epa.gov
26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 e-mail:Murray.Dan@epa.gov- 87 -3. Program Description
The purpose of the “Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure for the 21stCentury” research program is to generate innovative technologies for the most cost effective:••

Operation, maintenance, and replacement of aging and failing drinking water andwastewater systems andDesign of new drinking water and wastewater systems.

This research initiative will focus on both the drinking water distribution system andwastewater collection system integrity. The research focus areas are:•••Condition Assessment
 Gravity Sewers
 Pressure Pipes (Distribution Systems and Force Mains)
System Rehabilitation
 Gravity Sewers
 Pressure Pipes
Advanced Concepts (Design & Management) Distribution, Collection and Water Reuse Systems
 Treatment Systems

The Wastewater Collection Systems research program goal is to develop and demonstrate
innovative technologies for:••••

Improved inspection and condition assessment
Cost-effective rehabilitation and replacement
Sewerage system designs, e.g., real-time control, watershed approach
Improved performance and service life extension

The Drinking Water Distribution System research program goal is to develop and demonstrate
innovative technologies for:••••

Improved inspection and condition assessmentCost-effective rehabilitation and replacement
Sewerage system designs, e.g., real-time control, watershed approach
Improved performance and service life extension

The program will consist of a wide variety of projects and institutional approaches. The
research projects will include: (1) full scale, long term demonstration assessments, (2) stateof the technology evaluations, (3) applied research (pilot scale), and (4) basic research that
includes proof of concept and bench scale projects. Another aspect of this research programis the development of “Centers of Excellence.” These Centers will be competitively selectedamong academic institutions or consortiums among several universities that will establish
nationally and internationally recognized expertise to work collaboratively with the U.S. EPAand key stakeholders.
It is the goal of the “Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure for the 21stCentury” research program to reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost, extend theservice life of installed infrastructure, reduce sewer overflows, reduce high risk water main
breaks, reduce the amount of untreated wastewater entering surface waters, and optimize theoperation, design, and cost efficiency of the infrastructure, thus improving public health,protecting the environment, and improving the economy.

- 88 -

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Risk Assessment andManagement of Water Supply
Systems - Infrastructure
Initiative for the 21st Century

PurposeGenerate innovative technologies formore cost effective:• Operation, maintenance, andreplacement of aging and failing drinking
water and wastewater systems• Design of new drinking water andwastewater systems.

James A. Goodrich and Daniel J. Murray
Water Supply & Water Resources
Division/NRMRL/ORD/USEPA
4th U.S. – Japan Governmental Conference on
Drinking Water Quality Management andWastewater Control
Bankoku Shinryokan, Okinawa
January 25-28, 2007

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Current Problem

Background

American Society of Civil Engineers 2005 Infrastructure
Report Card

U.S. water infrastructure is critical for providing
essential services•• Protect public health and the environment• Support our economy•

Significant investment in water infrastructure• Over 16,000 POTWs, serving 190 million people• About 54,000 community water systems, serving 264
million people• 600,000 miles wastewater sewers• 1,000,000 miles water distribution lines“D-” for drinking water “…New solutions are needed…(we) risk
reversing the public health, environmental and economic gains of
the past three decades.”“D-” for wastewater “…Sanitary sewer overflows, caused by blocked
or broken pipes, result in the release of as much as 10 billion gallons
of raw sewage yearly”

U.S. Conference of Mayors 2005 National City WaterSurvey•“aging water resources infrastructure” rated top priority

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

The “Gap”

Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative

The difference between projected needs and spending trends($ billion per year)
Drinking
Water

Wastewater

Total

Congressional
BudgetOffice0-8.3

3.2-11.1

3.2-19.4

Water
Infrastructure
Network

9.4

9.2

18.6

EPA
Gap Analysis
Report2.3-13.2

1.6-13.5

3.9-26.7• Responding to the 2002 “Gap” Report• Water Infrastructure Gap Forum in 2003
• Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy Four Pillars: better management, waterefficiency, full cost pricing, watershed
approach Cross Cutting Themes: innovation,partnerships, technology, researchInnovation and Research for Water
Infrastructure for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Wastewater Collection Systems

Research Initiative• Wastewater Collection Systems
Research• Drinking Water Distribution Systems
Research- 89 -

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Drinking Water Distribution Systems

Wastewater CollectionSystems
Develop and demonstrate innovative technologies
for:• Improved inspection and condition assessment• Cost-effective rehabilitation and replacement• Sewerage system designs, e.g., real-time control,
watershed approach• Improved performance and service life extension

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure forthe 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Drinking Water Distribution
Systems

Research Focus Areas• Condition Assessment

Develop and demonstrate innovative technologies
for: Gravity Sewers
 Pressure Pipes (Distribution Systems and ForceMains)• System Rehabilitation• Leak detection/location• Assessment of high risk mains• Cost-effective rehabilitation and replacement• Distribution system designs, e.g., dual systems
with wastewater/stormwater reuse Gravity Sewers
 Pressure Pipes• Advanced Concepts (Design & Management) Distribution, Collection and Water Reuse Systems
 Treatment Systems

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Program & Project Types• Technology Demonstration Programs• “State of the Technology” Assessments• Applied Research – Decision Support• Basic Research – Advanced Designs• “Center of Excellence”

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Program & Project Types (cont’d)

Program & Project Types (cont’d)• “State of the Technology” Assessments• Technology Demonstration Programs Optimization of internal camera inspections
 Emerging inspection and rehabilitation
technologies
 Innovative sewer and collection/distribution
system designs
 Understanding forensics of sewer/water maindegradation and failure Emerging and innovative inspection
technologies and rehabilitation technologies
 Innovative sanitary sewer and collection
system designs
 Wastewater separation/reuse/dual systemdesigns- 90 -

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Program & Project Types (cont’d)

Program & Project Types (cont’d)• Applied Research• Basic Research Cross-sector application of advanced andremote sensing techniques
 Evaluation and improvement of decision
support systems
 Improvement of repair and rehabilitationmaterials

 Exploration of advanced techniques(molecular and isotope tracers) for conditionassessment
 Development of new and innovative pipe andsystem design approaches
 Center-based, academic researchInnovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st CenturyProgram & Project Types (cont’d)

Program & Project Types (cont’d)• Cross-Cutting Areas• “Center of Excellence”

 Cost, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and lifecycle costing; Performance and outcome measurement; Technology baseline development; Decision-support systems;
 Systems modeling; and Integrated management systems.

 Competitively awarded, academic researchcenter Collaboration among several universities
 Establish nationally recognized expertise Cooperative research program with EPA andkey stakeholders

Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure
for the 21st Century

Possible Goals/Outcomes••••••

Closing the “gap”…reducing life-cycle costs
Extending service life of installed infrastructure
Reducing sewer overflows, back-ups, failures
Reducing I&I and plant WWF bypasses
Reducing high risk water main breaks
Improving condition assessment and decision-making
capabilities• Reducing potable water leakage & intrusion potential• Use of performance/cost data for decision support• Incentives for adoption of innovative technologies- 91 -