Water Simulation Packages (WSP)

8th Annual International Symposium on Water Distribution Systems Analysis

Cincinnati, OH, August 27-30, 2006
http://www.eng.uc.edu/wdsa2006/

Background:
Dating to 1999, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has sponsored annual symposia on water distribution systems analysis (WDSA). These international meetings have come to be recognized as the North American focal point for computational methods used to analyze, design, and operate water distribution systems, as well as related field studies and applications. For 2006, the organizing committee will expand this annual event into a one-time stand-alone Symposium dedicated to WDSA, with increased opportunities for participation and expanded scope. Please see the above web site for complete details. Attendance is expected to be in the range of 250 to 300 participants drawn from universities, governmental agencies, water utilities and consulting engineering firms.

Topics of Interest:
Abstracts are solicited on virtually all topics of relevance to water distribution systems analysis. Applied, theoretical, and methodological studies are welcome. Topic categories include:

• System Operation and Control
• System Design
• Optimization Algorithms for System Design and Control
• Real-Time Forecasting, Operational Analysis, and Event Detection
• Vulnerability/Consequence Assessment
• Water Security Research and Applications
• Water Quality Sensing and Monitoring
• Case Studies and Field Applications
• Hydraulic Transient Analysis
• Leak Detection
• Infrastructure Asset Management
• Model Calibration Algorithms and Applications
• Network Demand Modeling
• Network Hydraulic Models and Algorithms
• Network Water Quality Models and Algorithms
• Stochastic Simulation and Analysis
• Systems Integration or Integration with GIS/SCADA/CIS

Venue:
The venue will be the new Marriott Kingsgate Conference Center at the University of Cincinnati.

Continue Reading »
WDSA2006 Call For Abstracts

The followings information was received from Bentley:

The Haestad Methods Solution Center is proud to announce the latest version of Bentley’s flagship stormwater modeling solution, CivilStorm V8.

The new version represents yet another milestone for the industry, becoming the only stormwater model to offer users two hydrodynamic engines (EPA’s SWMM, and Haestad Methods’, numerically robust and fast, implicit solution), and three different interchangeable and totally compatible platforms: stand-alone, AutoCAD, and now MicroStation.

The new MicroStation interface is a perfect fit for CivilStorm. It is not only the first development of a Haestad Methods product in Bentley’s engineering platform, but also a celebrated industry breakthrough, being MicroStation the platform of choice of forty-eight of the 50 U.S. state transportation departments.

Bentley’s multi-platform technology is allowing users to collaborate effectively as it delivers solutions that integrate with most engineering platforms, including AutoCAD, ArcGIS and MicroStation.

Version 8 also includes many other user-requested features, including support for new unit hydrographs (i.e. Delmarva), enhanced water quality features, direct import from EPA’s SWMM and Bentley’s StormCAD, and the new element prototypes, query-based selection sets, and user-defined attributes.

For more information see CivilStorm’s web page.

Wallingford Software announced a new version release of InfoWorks:

The latest release of Wallingford Software’s InfoWorks, Version 6.5, offers extended features in all three products – water supply, collection systems, and river systems.

InfoWorks WS boasts extensive new function in its water quality capabilities. The path and concentration of externally introduced substances can be traced from reservoir through the entire distribution network. This is applicable to both standard substances such as chlorine, and any malign introductions that are the subject of much security analysis at present.

Read the full press release.

From MWH Soft web site:

Fast, comprehensive, and reliable, H2OMAP Protector is specifically designed to give water utilities strategic advantages in a full spectrum of critical areas, including:

• Reducing infrastructure vulnerability against terrorist attacks, unforeseen operational disruptions and contamination threats
• Planning infrastructure improvements to protect public health and insure a safe, reliable potable water supply
• Preparing for and determining effective crisis response strategies
• Rapidly locating and isolating all areas impacted by contamination, disaster or attack
• Identifying population at risk
• Generating customer notification data
• Tracking contaminants to originating sources
• Assessing effect of water treatment on contaminant
• Calculating required purging water volume
• Developing efficient flushing strategies
• Evaluating impact of actions on fire-fighting capabilities
• Determining all critical facilities that will result in the distribution system hydraulic failure
• Modeling for regulatory compliance
• Updating emergency response plans

See the full press release.

The EPANET User-List archive will be available in a day or two on this web site.

Update: the archive is now available at http://www.water-simulation.com/wsp/bb

See Bill James announcement:

Continue Reading »
EPANET User-List archive and forum

MWH Soft announced H2ONET Designer:

H2ONET Designer is the state-of-the-art in water distribution system optimization. Software so rich and powerful it will help you identify the best combination of network improvements that meet target system hydraulic design/performance criteria at minimum cost. You can now conceive and evaluate effective and economical design, rehabilitation, and enhancement alternatives for upgrading and modifying your existing water distribution piping systems for improved performance. An invaluable and complete master planning and decision support tool, H2ONET Designer lets you quickly determine cost-effective rehabilitation, replacement, strengthening, and expansion options to reliably supply projected demands at adequate levels of service, considering any modeling condition time frame (e.g. maximum day), multiple design scenarios (e.g., find the single optimum solution that provides the standard of service under peak day for normal operation + average day under a failure scenario), multiple fire flow scenarios, and complete extended period simulation (EPS) designs (e.g. 24-hour operational design). You now have the tool to help you produce the best possible design and improvement alternatives with a minimum effort and at significant cost-savings. Such capabilities will greatly assist you in planning and designing a sound system and in optimizing your Capital Improvement Program. All in an extremely easy-to-use and fully interactive graphical environment.

Continue Reading »
H2ONET Designer

Here is a message from Dr. Avi Ostfeld:

Dear Colleagues,

On May 26, 2005 I have issued a call to this list on a “Battle of the Sensors” exercise as part of the planned Special Issue of the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management on Drinking Water Distribution Systems Security. Since than I have worked closely with Prof. Jim Uber from the University of Cincinnati to formulate the “Battle” rules, network examples, etc. and came to two main conclusions: (1) the “Battle” is an extremely interesting and challenging issue, and (2) it would be much better to have a session (or more) on that topic, prior to moving to a journal manuscript. We (myself and Jim) are inviting you all (see attached initial announcement) to take part at this challenge during the 8th Water Distribution Systems Analysis SYMPOSIUM in Cincinnati, August 27-30, 2006. If you have any further questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact me or Jim.

Thanks,

Avi

Read the announcement (in PDF format).

Frank Fisl, from Watercom Engineering, announced a book auction at the company web site:

We are presently auctioning off our remaining book inventory with prices starting as low as $1. You may place your bids before the auction ends on July 19. The books are sorted by category, i.e. General Sciences, Geology, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Pollution Control, Technology and Water Management.

For more information see the auction page.

Following MWH soft announcement of the International Geoengineering Conference here are the Conference Brochure and the Technical Program.

News announcement by MWH Soft:

Fifth Generation of Market-Leading Surge Modeling Software Dramatically Improves Accuracy and Efficiency of Transient Design for Water Systems Protection and Management

MWH Soft announced the worldwide availability of Generation V5 of H2OSURGE for AutoCAD (Autodesk, San Rafael, CA) and InfoSurge for ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, CA). The latest release of these groundbreaking hydraulic transient management tools marks a new high point in the evolution of the industry’s premier and widely acclaimed pressure surge analysis applications, H2OSURGE and InfoSurge - products that embody MWH Soft’s long-standing leadership in the water industry and its continuing commitment to delivering pioneering technology to enhance the safety and reliability of the nation’s water supply.

The new version is packed with critical features that directly compute volumes of leakage and breaks in pipes, improving distribution system water quality maintenance and management and enhancing protection from potential contaminant intrusion during low (or negative) pressure transient events. Low pressure in drinking water distribution systems is a well-known risk factor for outbreaks of waterborne disease. Low pressure transient events can cause the intrusion of contaminated water into pipes with leaky joints, cracks or breaks. This is especially important in systems with pipes below the water table. Generation V5 marks the latest in a series of important releases that have focused on solving significant industry challenges associated with these pressure-related intrusion events.

Continue Reading »
Newest Version of H2OSURGE™ for AutoCAD® and InfoSurge™ for ArcGIS®