102-0248-00L  Infrastructure Systems in Urban Water Management

SemesterSpring Semester 2019
LecturersM. Maurer, A. Scheidegger
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentPrerequisites: 102-0214-02L Urban Water Management I and 102-0215-00L Urban Water Management II.


AbstractAn increasing demand for infrastructure management skills can be observed in the environmental engineering practice. This course gives an introductory overview of infrastructure management skills needed for urban water infrastructures, with a specific focus on pipe deterioration and engineering economics.
ObjectiveAfter successfully finishing the class, the participants will have the following skills and knowledge:
- They can perform basic engineering economic analysis
- Know the typical value and costs involved in running a wastewater infrastructure
- Know the key principles of infrastructure management
- Know how to quantify the future rehabilitation demand
ContentThe nationwide coverage of water distribution and wastewater treatment is one of the major public works achievements in Switzerland and other countries. Annually and per person, 135,000 kg of drinking water is produced and distributed and over 535,000 kg of stormwater and wastewater is drained. These impressive services are done with a pipe network with a length of almost 200,000 km and a total replacement value of 30,000 CHF per capita.

Water services in Switzerland are moving from a phase of new constructions into one of maintenance and optimization. The aim today must be to ensure that existing infrastructure is professionally maintained, to reduce costs, and to ensure the implementation of modern, improved technologies and approaches. These challenging tasks call for sound expertise and professional management.

This course gives an introduction into basic principles of water infrastructure management. The focus is primarily on Switzerland, but most methods and conclusions are valid for many other countries.
Lecture notesThe script 'Engineering Economics for Public Water Utilities' can be downloaded on the course website:
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LiteratureSee the reading resources on the course website:
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Prerequisites / NoticeCourse website:
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