Operation, Control, Management and Adoption of Urban Water Infrastructure Systems

Urban water infrastructures must sustain urban living by supplying reliable drinking water, minimising contact risk with pathogens, maintaining urban flood risk at an acceptable level, and protecting the aquatic environment. On top of this, the infrastructures must contribute to circularity.

This module deals with the operation, control, management and adaptation of urban water infrastructure systems, comprising both networks and off-grid systems.

All the B-modules in the Water Resources Engineering track will have a workshop on ethical responsibility of engineers.

Operations and control of urban water systems

Link to learning objectives module B2: LO1, LO2 and LO7.

Lectures about this topic will focus on operation of drainage systems, control of urban water infrastructures and data processing:

• Conventional operation of both drinking water and urban drainage systems

• Automated operation via real time control of urban water infrastructures.

• Cybersecurity of urban water infrastructure

• Data collection, storage, validation and mining for operation and maintenance of urban water infrastructures. Data sources are (internal) monitoring networks, call data, risks databases, insurance data and social media (especially for urban flooding). Sensors and sensor network design. Data validation.

Asset management of urban water infrastructure systems

Link to learning objectives module B2: LO3, LO4 and LO7.

Lectures about this topic will focus on asset management of urban water infrastructure systems. Topics that will be covered are:

• Overview, inspection, deterioration, interventions and other related topics.

• Introducing AM concepts, highlight process steps, AM “management” methods, i.e., performance appraisal, financial accounting, portfolio modelling and management, and (technical) requirements and data needs per process step.

• Inspecting techniques for urban water infrastructures, related to the field of application/related failure mechanisms, both conventional and more advanced

• Deterioration modelling concepts ranging from deterministic models (impact of uneven soil subsidence on failure of rigid pipes) to cohort survival statistical models.

• Different methods for prediction of asset deterioration via pipe condition grades, burst rate, blockage and collapse rate will be shown with examples.

• Different types of interventions (from regular maintenance to rehabilitation and replacement).

• Deterioration modelling.

Adaptation of urban water infrastructures

Link to learning objectives module B2: LO5, LO6 and LO7.

Lectures about this topic will focus on adaption to climate change, water demand management and urban pollution. Interaction with other infrastructure systems and related governance issues will also be addressed:

• Adaptation to climate change / uncertain future including urban flood risk management: Dealing with excess of water; basic definitions and concepts, flood risk assessment, different interventions and management options, urban pollution management, thermal energy recovery from piped systems, nature-based solutions

• Water demand management

• Emerging water quality issues and urban pollution management. Water quality impacts of emissions from urban water infrastructures: CSO, SSO, WWTP effluent. Entire range of impacts from acute toxic to long term build up. Including new topics: Emerging contaminants (include Coronavirus), microplastics

• Public health aspects related to urban water infrastructures, focussing on water supply (drinking water + alternatives) and wastewater and stormwater management (reducing contact risk with pathogens).

• Urban pollution management.

• Interactions with other infrastructure systems and related governance issues

• Physical interactions between water and wastewater, gas, road, telecom etc infrastructure; Material interactions: water-energy-food nexus