Common and Challenging Questions in Water System Infrastructure Management

In 2001, the Water Research Foundation published "Distribution Infrastructure Management: Answers to Common Questions." The goal of that report was to synthesize published research in a way that would be understandable and practical for water system managers and engineers. The report was organized to provide a framework for an effective infrastructure renewal program, including data acquisition, data management, condition assessment, rehabilitation, and program management. Many of the answers were quite basic; for instance, the corrosion process was described, along with strategies for stopping it—not exactly cutting-edge research. In 2011, the Foundation commissioned an update of this study, with a focus on "Challenging Infrastructure Management Questions". This next report will not only reflect the new knowledge generated over the past 10 years, but will focus on what utilities need to know in order to most effectively manage their systems. Rather than starting with the answers (the existing research) and developing the questions, the new report focuses on the questions that are most important, whether they have answers or not. This paper discusses important infrastructure questions facing U.S. water utilities, as developed through a series of workshops and other interactions with leading utilities in the preceding year. Some of these questions have definitive answers, as developed through research and practice. Other questions, however, represent challenges to be addressed by the industry in the future. The most important questions remain the same as in 2011: How long will our pipelines last? Which pipes should be renewed? What are the best ways to renew our pipes? The research helps answer these questions, but relevant, practical answers sometimes resemble opinions, rather than provable fact. The goal of this whitepaper is to elicit critiques from the pipeline engineering community so that the final Water Research Foundation report will be practical and useful…and objective.