EPA Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program: State of the Technology for the Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation of Wastewater Collection Systems

In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD) initiated a new research program to address our nation's aging water infrastructure. Under this new program, ORD established the goal to conduct research and demonstrations, and develop technical guidance to transfer innovative technologies and approaches for: (1) More cost-effective operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of aging and failing drinking water and wastewater systems and (2) Development and application of advanced designs and management approaches for drinking water and wastewater systems. In addition, in its research plan for this new program, ORD structured the program following an advanced asset management framework. Under this framework, the program would focus primarily on buried water infrastructure and investigate new and innovative technologies and approaches for condition assessment, rehabilitation and infusion of advanced concepts. This paper presents the issues and state of the technology for the condition assessment and rehabilitation of wastewater collection systems, as defined to support this new research program.