Abstract for:Development of an asset management planning tool for integrated wastewater collection and treatment systems

This paper presents the development of a system dynamic model for the sustainability assessment of strategic asset management plans for municipal wastewater collection systems. A causal loop diagram is constructed to present the links between sewer-network and sewage-treatment-plant systems and to depict the feedback mechanisms existing between physical, financial, and consumer sectors. Then, the presented cause-effect chains are mathematically parametrized and modeled in the novel system dynamic model. Unlike other sustainability assessment tool, this one captures the non-linearities and variations in the energy footprints of wastewater-collection and -treatment services, as well as both the positive and negative impacts on upstream and downstream processes.

Application of this model will enable decision makers to assess the sustainability impacts of their strategic decisions on sewage collection and treatment systems, find synergistic cost-saving opportunities, and improve the sustainability performance of their asset management plans.