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Infrastructure Repair Enabling Wise Infrastructure Investments A new program allows utilities to learn from each other in the battle against failing infrastructure. By Carrie W. Capuco, Walter Graf, Ravi George, and Carita Parks C ondition assessment and renewal engineering best appropriate practices. It provides a medium for are critical to infrastructure asset management, the dissemination of cost, performance, capability, and now more than ever, in the face of aging limitation information. With WATERiD, utilities can and deteriorating wastewater and drinking assess whether a practice or technology is right for water infrastructure. As utilities encounter failing their situation, because the hierarchy of information infrastructure, they tend to look for which condition is organized so utilities can contact associates and assessment and renewal engineering technologies they colleagues through utility HUB pages, in private should employ. forums, and through a peer-to-peer review process. In response to this need, Water Environment Research It includes technology profiles and management Foundation (WERF) researcher Dr. Sunil Sinha, Associate practice summaries, and supplements information Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering about individual technologies��� cost and performance, at Virginia Tech, developed the with case studies. The knowledge WATERiD knowledge base (www. base contains lists of vendors, With WATERiD, waterid.org). It is envisioned that consultants, and contractors for a WATERiD will help utilities reduce particular technology by regions: utilities can assess expenses by allowing them to Atlantic, Midwest, Southern, and compare methods and learn from Western. whether a practice the experience of other utilities on The information and experiences or technology the effectiveness and performance shared through this research are of various techniques and managed by Virginia Tech graduate is right for their technologies. ���Water infrastructure students who continually update the situation. is invisible and typically considered knowledge base with case studies a local issue. On several occasions, and performance assessments. renewal planning for water Unlike a static state-of-the-practice infrastructure has been on the cusp of becoming a report, WATERiD will always stay current. Dr. national political platform issue, only to be knocked Sinha and his graduate students gather information out of the spotlight by other suddenly pressing issues. to maintain the knowledge base. Over the last year, One would think that infrastructure renewal for they have traveled to more than 100 utilities around sustainable access to clean water would actually be the country, compiling more than 300 case studies and leveraged more fully as a prominent national issue for technology data sheets on underground pipes. generating political consensus,��� remarks Sinha. ���Our ���Constantly updating this knowledge base with statenation���s infrastructure is the historical backbone of of-the-art best practices and technologies and engaging our economic success. Wise infrastructure investments facilities in submitting experiences, case studies, and have paid for themselves many times over in the finding out what they are applying at their facilities is economic productivity of our nation.��� very important,��� explains Sinha. ���Assessing that gap between our current practices and current technologies Learning From Peers is an important first step in beginning to implement In WATERiD, users can find all relevant information a condition assessment and renewable engineering that helps with decision-making on condition program.��� assessment, renewal engineering, underground Some may find these case studies to be one of the most infrastructure-locating technologies, model tools, and appealing aspects of WATERiD. Reviewers have already 26 wateronline.com ��� Water Online The Magazine