Drought Management Planning with Economic and Risk Factors
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 133, Issue 4
Abstract
Traditional drought management planning has focused on curtailing demand through various conservation measures when regional hydroclimatic indicators reach specific trigger levels. This study suggests a methodology that can augment traditional drought management methods in two ways. First, regional hydroclimatic indicators, which are not necessarily indicative of the impacts of droughts on individual water storage systems, are replaced with system specific indicators in the context of supply reliability, or likelihood of system failure. Second, the study illustrates how economically optimal programs for conjunctive supply and demand management can be developed once the susceptibility of a specific water supply system to drought conditions is quantitatively understood. The method links a stochastic simulation program with a mixed-integer linear program aimed at achieving target levels of supply reliability at minimum economic cost. Results from a case study in Western Massachusetts were used to guide capital planning by indicating a clear need for emergency water sources. Results were also used during a recent drought to justify the avoidance of premature tapping of emergency supplies which could have cost up to $750,000.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to thank the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission for funding this work. Special thanks are offered to the Engineering and Operations Staff, who not only supplied technical information and reviewed documentation, but participated actively in workshops aimed at identifying and prioritizing drought response measures. The writers also thank the four reviewers for their thoughtful and comprehensive review, which unquestionably improved the quality of this work.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 133 • Issue 4 • July 2007
Pages: 351 - 362
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 4, 2005
Accepted: Aug 7, 2006
Published online: Jul 1, 2007
Published in print: Jul 2007
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