Development of Consequence Management Strategies for Water Distribution Systems

Abstract

This dissertation details the development of a consequence management system for water utilities, which determines the optimal operational response to a contamination event in a water distribution network. In order to develop an effective emergency response plan, water utilities need to explore different operational response actions for the most optimal strategy. By coupling an optimization methodology with a hydraulic and water-quality model, an optimal consequence management strategy can be identified for a specific contamination event. The set of consequence management strategies produced from this research identified protocols to best isolate an event and manage response measures. With the incorporation of spatial information, the concerns of critical customers can be addressed when determining an optimal consequence management strategy. The consequence management tool will be useful to water utilities for both planning emergency response scenarios and responding to an emergency in real-time. With this knowledge, water utility managers will be better prepared to mitigate attacks against water distribution networks.