Quick Dips

Safer Water Supplies for Auckland

Continuity of Auckland's water supplies in the event of a natural disaster should be more secure, thanks to an on-going study into risk management and disaster planning.

Spearheaded by the Auckland Regional Council, the "Lifeline" project is driven by the city's utility services and airport company, the University of Auckland, Civil Defence and the Chamber of Commerce, together with risk assessment consultants.

The study looks at the interdependence of the city's "lifeline" services, and is intended to minimise disruption and danger in the event of a natural disaster.

Watercare Services Ltd has used the exercise to pinpoint Auckland's waterflows and develop a definitive computerised information system.

They have taken on Auckland University mechanical engineering masters student, Raid Hassan Al-Moussawi, using the Graduates in Industry Fellowships programme to provide a practical problem for post-graduate research.

As part of the exercise, Al-Moussawi has mathematically simulated how water is flowing in underground pipes and analysed the dynamics of water flow. He has also written software which uses GIS (geographical information systems) data to produce an outline of the region-- where the pipes are -- and is now translating the history of the system into the programme.

Raveen Jaduram, a planning manager with Watercare Services, says a vital part of Al-Moussawi's research project is translating the damage analysis from earthquake or volcanic eruption into digital data.

The project, due for completion in January, will provide Watercare with the ability to test every link in the underground piping system and access computerised solutions to minimise damage.

Jaduram says while the company works within the New Zealand and Australian Risk Management Standard, the philosophy behind the Lifeline project focuses on the inter-relationships between all the parties involved. Watercare Services will also amass data which will identify potential problems involving other suppliers.

"If there's no electricity, for instance, we need to know which parts of our system would be affected, how long it will take for the electricity to be back in operation and what the priority channels are for water and electricity in terms of health and fire services," says Jaduram.

"It's really getting the Auckland Lifeline groups together and defining the inter-relationships so the Regional Council Civil Defence can put in place a plan, rather than sit back and wait for a disaster to happen."

Raid Hassan Al-Moussawi ensuring that water is on tap.