Underground pipes are particularly susceptible to damage from shifting earth. Almost half of the U.S. population lives in an area that is vulnerable to earthquakes. Here, we present simple and tangible ways to prepare for earthquakes.
How do Earthquakes Pose a Threat to Water Systems?
While it’s true that the West Coast is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, they can happen anywhere. To determine how likely one is in your region, check out this useful seismic hazard map. Water infrastructure in areas with high seismic activity is vulnerable to many different forms of ground movement, including:
It’s still common practice in the U.S. to install non-seismically designed pipes, even in high seismic zones. In order to prepare for the future and avoid earthquake damage, water utilities should consider replacing their pipes with those developed to withstand seismic activity. Some municipalities opt to replace all of their pipes in order to mitigate potential earthquake damage. However, due to high replacement costs, this approach may be impractical for certain budgets.
According to the EPA’s Earthquake Resilience Guide, it may be more prudent to anticipate a certain amount of damage and establish a recovery plan than attempt to prevent any damage at all. In order to repair/replace your pipes in a timely and cost-effective manner, it’s important to keep track of their location, their age, and other factors that might contribute to their performance. Asset management software can be a very useful tool when managing water infrastructure and determining the most effective replacement plan.
To accurately assess the potential damage to your water infrastructure during an earthquake, follow these steps:
By tracking this information with asset management software, it’s easy to keep tabs on different assets and their various vulnerabilities. Creating a viable earthquake resilience plan is incredibly important, and having all your information in one place allows you to quickly determine the potential damage, the economic impact and what you’d need for an efficient recovery.
There are currently no Federal or State mandated performance goals for municipalities, meaning there is no measure to determine how prepared you are for damage recovery. Recovery time is the amount of time it will take to get critical assets back to working order after a natural disaster. While a short recovery time may seem like the most logical goal, it might not be the most practical. For example, a 72-hour recovery time would incur significant costs, while it may be just as effective (and more fiscally sound) to balance mitigation and preparedness.
By determining the vulnerabilities of your assets and considering your long-term fiscal responsibilities and goals, you can set reasonable targets for recovery time, materials inventory and emergency services. In order to ensure that water and wastewater infrastructure is prepared to handle an earthquake, set mitigation goals in the following categories:
Remember, damage is unavoidable in a major earthquake; the goal is to be prepared to respond to it. Using WinCan asset management software to track your wastewater infrastructure, you can understand which sewer assets are your most critical, which ones intersect with faults and other geologic features, and which are particularly susceptible to damage due to age or material composition. Want to learn more about WinCan? Request a demo below: