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Water Distribution System Failure Risks with Increasing Temperatures.
Emily N Bondank1, Mikhail V Chester1, Benjamin L Ruddell2
1Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering , Arizona State University , 660 South College Avenue , Tempe , Arizona 85281 , United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|August 10, 2018
Summary
Climate change-driven temperature increases will significantly impact water systems. Expect more hardware failures and service outages, especially concerning water quality and pumping units.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Engineering
- Climate change impacts
Background:
- Climate change is increasing ambient temperatures, posing risks to water availability and infrastructure.
- The effects of temperature stress on water system hardware failure, quality, and service reliability are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate changes in hardware failure rates and water quality noncompliance probability due to rising temperatures.
- To model the likelihood of service outages in potable water systems under heat stress.
Main Methods:
- Developed a fault tree model to assess the probability of service outages.
- Simulated scenarios with peak summer temperatures ranging from 36°C to 44°C.
Main Results:
- Projected a 10-101% increase in component failures with rising temperatures.
- Estimated a 7-91% increase in service outages due to heat stress.
- Identified increased pumping unit failures and water quality noncompliance as key concerns.
Conclusions:
- Water utilities must address temperature-related risks to ensure reliable service.
- Effective strategies include monitoring chlorine residual and disinfection byproducts.
- Cooling pumping unit motors and electronics is crucial for preventing failures.
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