Budget allocation and rehabilitation plans for water systems using simulation approach

The challenge of funding renewal plans for water networks is not only in financing but in scheduling as well. Therefore, there is an essential need to prioritize the allocation of funds (budget) to candidate projects, to select the optimal rehabilitation alternative(s), and to develop short and long-term rehabilitation plans for the entire network. A simulation-based priority index (PI) model is developed using an integrated analytic hierarchy process (AHP)/multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT). Qualitative data are collected from practitioners across North America and water network data are collected from two main municipalities in Canada. Two procedures of selecting rehabilitation alternatives (PSRAs) are employed including (1) breakage rate and (2) condition assessment. An automated web-based budget allocation index (BAI-Prioritizer) is developed to prioritize budget allocation to various water network projects. This paper presents the process of developing that web-based decision support tool. The developed PI model assists in building a renewal plan for a water network. The developed model and methodology are applied to two case studies in order to demonstrate their capabilities. The developed research is relevant to researchers and practitioners (municipal engineers, consultants, and contractors) in order to support decisions, prioritize water mains, and plan for budget allocation.