The Value of System Control

On November 8, 2019, Arlington County, VA, suffered a water main rupture at a critical location in their system near historic Chain Bridge. Arlington County Water, Sewer, Streets (WSS) staff were able to isolate the pipe quickly and limit the consequence of the main failure by accessing up-to-date location and operability data on the control valves in the vicinity of the break. Fortunately, Arlington County WSS had just completed a valve inspection and repair project conducted by Xylem Assessment Services prior to a pipeline condition assessment project on a parallel transmission main. One of the valves repaired during that assessment was utilized to limit the consequence of the main break. Having access to meaningful system control information enabled Arlington County WSS staff to disseminate information to the public rapidly and frequently, reduce the amount of water lost in the failure, expedite repairs, and limit the footprint of the break within their network.