Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe Management: Communication Methodologies and Decision Support Tools for the San Diego County Water Authority - a Case Study

Communicating the condition of underground utilities to decision makers can be a challenge. Buried infrastructure is unseen and the ability to assess its rate of aging is difficult. This is especially true of Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) which has a multitude of potential failure modes beyond wire breaks alone (Faber et al. 2012). The owner's decision on whether to conduct a localized PCCP repair or a comprehensive rehabilitation project relies on evaluation of technical data, risk tolerance, fiscal impacts, policy, and engineering judgment. Each owner is required to formulate an equation in support of their decision-making process with each component being weighted according to the owner's particular needs and circumstances. Developing and implementing that formula may be relatively straightforward for the pipeline engineers involved. However, the successful communication of the problem, the analysis, and the recommendations to high-level decision-makers may be the most important attribute required of those engineers. Adoption of the latest pipeline monitoring and condition assessment technologies for PCCP pipelines can sometimes confuse the decision-making process when a high level of emphasis is placed on only that part of the equation. A more comprehensive analysis of all factors involved is required when making a decision to undertake a full-scale rehabilitation projec,t and a logical methodology is required when presenting this analysis to high-level decision makers. This paper will examine the factors that require consideration when communicating the need for a comprehensive PCCP rehabilitation project. This will be illustrated using a sample case study undertaken at the San Diego County Water Authority to show how a solution can be presented to parties with different vested interests using a series of communication tools to assist with the decision-making process.