&EPA
www.epa.gov
AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Addressing the Challenge
Through INNOVATION
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
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&EPA
AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
RESEARCH PROGRAM
"Our nation's extensive water infrastructure has the capacity to
treat, store, and transport trillions of gallons of water and wastewater
per day through millions of miles of pipelines. However, as our
infrastructure deteriorates, there are increasing concerns about the
ability of this infrastructure to keep up with our future needs.
As part of our effort to address these concerns . . . ORD initiated
a new water infrastructure research program. This program will
generate the science and engineering needed to evaluate promising,
innovative technologies to repair existing and provide new water
infrastructure, and that improve effectiveness at reduced cost."
Statement of George Gray, Ph.D.
Assistant Administrator
Office of Research and Development (ORD)
United States Environmental Protection Agency
March 14, 2007
Drinking Water Distribution Systems
• There are 240,000 water main breaks per year in the
United States.
• The number of breaks increases substantially near the
end of the system's service life.
- Large utility breaks in the Midwest increased
from 250 per year to 2,200 per year during a
19-year period.
- In 2003, Baltimore, Maryland, reported 1,190
water main breaks—that's more than three per day.
• A 2005 British study correlated self-reported diarrhea
with low water-pressure events (including water main
breaks).
• The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that water lost
from water distribution systems is 1.7 trillion gallons
per year at a national cost of $2.6 billion per year.
Wastewater Collection Systems
• There are up to 75,000 sanitary sewer overflows per
year in the United States, resulting in the discharge of
3-10 billion gallons of untreated wastewater.
• Up to 3,700 illnesses annually are due to exposure
to recreational water contaminated by sanitary sewer
overflows.
• In 1989, sanitary sewer overflows in Cabool, Missouri,
contaminated drinking water distribution lines,
causing 243 cases of diarrhea and 4 deaths.
• In 1993, direct contact with a discharge of untreated
sewage in Ocoee, Florida, resulted in 39 cases of
hepatitis A.
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
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The Aging Water Infrastructure (AWI) research program
is part of EPA's larger effort called the Sustainable
Water Infrastructure (SI) initiative. The SI initiative
brings together drinking water and wastewater
utility managers; trade associations; local watershed
protection organizations; and federal, state, and local
officials to ensure that all components of our nation's
water infrastructure—drinking water treatment plants,
drinking water distribution lines, sewer lines, and
storage facilities—meet future needs.
The AWI research program supports the four priority
areas of the SI initiative's strategy:
• Better management - Moving beyond compliance
to sustainability and improved performance
• Full-cost pricing - Helping utilities to recognize the
full cost of providing service over the long term
• Water efficiency - Promoting water efficiency in
the residential and commercial sectors
• The watershed approach - Integrating watershed
management principles and tools into utility
planning and management practices
.. ]
The Gap Analysis
A driving force behind the SI initiative and the AWI research
program is the "Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure
Gap Analysis." In this report, EPA estimated that if operation,
maintenance, and capital investment remain at current
levels, the potential funding shortage for drinking water
and wastewater infrastructure could exceed $500 billion by
2020. This funding gap could narrow with the application of
innovative technologies and management practices.
Top Priority
A sustainable water infrastructure is among the top four
priorities of EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson for
these reasons:
• Our drinking water and wastewater systems are aging.
Some components are more than 100 years old.
• The U.S. population is increasing and shifting
geographically. This requires investment in new
infrastructure for growth areas.
• Current treatment may not be sufficient to
address emerging issues and changing regulatory
requirements.
The Research Program
The AWI research program has identified the critical research
needs related to our aging drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure. EPA will work with collaborators and
stakeholders to conduct technology research, development,
and demonstration projects to fill the identified research
gaps. Research projects will fall into four main areas:
Condition Assessment To assess the condition of a drinking
water distribution or wastewater collection system, data
and information are gathered through observation, direct
inspection, investigation, and indirect monitoring and
reporting. An analysis of the data and information helps
determine the structural, operational, and performance
status of capital infrastructure assets. Condition assessment
also includes failure analysis to determine the causes of
infrastructure failures and to develop ways to prevent future
breakdowns. Condition assessment enhances the ability
of utilities to make technically sound judgments regarding
asset management.
System Rehabilitation System rehabilitation is the
application of infrastructure repair, renewal, and replacement
technologies in order to reinstate functionality in a drinking
water or wastewater system or subsystem. The proper
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balance of the repair, renewal, and replacement depends
on the condition assessment, the life-cycle costs of various
rehabilitation options, and the related risk reductions.
Advanced Concepts Developing advanced concepts relates
to the application of innovative infrastructure designs,
management procedures, and operational approaches. The
infusion of these advanced concepts into an established
system is especially challenging; for example, the innovative
concept could be a retrofit solution, but compatibility
with the in-place system is critical. Advanced concepts
go beyond asset management to include maximizing the
benefits from low-impact development, water reuse, source
water protection, and watershed management.
Innovative Treatment Technologies for Wastewater and
Water Reuse These technologies address the dynamic
requirements for improved water quality and the growing
demand for safe and reliable reclaimed wastewater and
storm water. For example, wet-weather flows at water
treatment plants must be managed more effectively in
order to reduce pathogen content. And there are new
challenges relating to the capability of Pharmaceuticals and
personal care products to interfere with, and even inhibit,
the wastewater treatment process. Controlling nitrogen and
phosphorous is a growing priority, especially in the basins
that drain into the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and
the Chesapeake Bay. In Florida, California, and the arid
Southwest, the use of reclaimed wastewater and storm
water is rapidly increasing. There is accelerated demand
for wastewater treatment technologies to be more energy
efficient and to produce smaller volumes of residuals.
Projects under the AWI research program include
technology demonstrations; state-of-the-technology
assessments; applied research; field applications; basic
research; and bench-scale, pilot-scale, and controlled-
condition testing. The projects will focus on:
• Optimizing repair, rehabilitation, and replacement
• Extending the service life of installed drinking water
and wastewater system components
1 Reducing system failures and their adverse effects
on public health and the environment
• Reducing sewer overflows and backups
• Evaluating the performance and cost of innovative
technologies and approaches
• Investigating advanced system design and
management concepts
• Detecting, locating, and characterizing leaks in drinking
water distribution and wastewater collection systems
• Designing systems with a green infrastructure and
low-impact development components to attenuate
wastewater flows
• Reducing high-risk water main and force main breaks
A Sustainable Water Infrastructure Tomorrow
Means Fundamental Change Today
The AWI research program is bringing about that change.
Using the program's technical strength and unbiased
information, EPA is helping reduce the cost and improve
the effectiveness of our aging—and failing—drinking
water and wastewater treatment and conveyance
systems. Existing technologies need to be applied
in unconventional ways. Emerging technologies and
innovative thinking will be at the forefront of creating .
powerful, secure, and reliable water infrastructure.
Outcomes
Near-term outcomes will be technology reports on
condition assessment (inspection technologies),
rehabilitation (service laterals, liners), and advanced
system designs. In the long term, guidance documents
will be developed on asset management, real-time
monitoring, new materials, verification and demonstration
of innovative technologies, and sustainable management
and design approaches.
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&EPA
www.epa.gov
AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
RESEARCH PROGRAM
EPA/600/F-07/015 I September 2007 I www.epa.gov
The Door Is Open for Collaboration
EPA, whose primary role is that of advocate for a sustainable water
infrastructure, is only one partner in this effort. The AWI research
program presents opportunities for utilities, vendors, researchers,
academics, water associations (trade and professional), and other
agencies and organizations to collaborate. In fact, the success of the
program depends on stakeholder involvement, sharing information
and tools, and working together toward the long-term stewardship
of our water infrastructure.
EPA INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE BY
CONTACTING:
Daniel J. Murray, Jr., P.E.
Senior Environmental Engineer
Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program
513-569-7522 • murrav.dan@epa.sov
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
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PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
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$300
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