Water distribution network optimization by non-technical workers
the application of decision support systems to analyzing peace corps data
case study of el Socorro, hondurasCAITLIN AUGUSTIN
PHD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
LATOYA KILGOURPHD CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY
OF MIAMI
CHARLES ERGHOTTPHD CANDIDATE
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SHIHAB ASFOURCHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGUNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Project BackgroundIn 2008 Peace Corps
volunteers enlisted UM-EWB to assist on the development of a water distribution system for the town of El Soccorro, Honduras
Student teams traveled to El Socorro five times over the next two years
Pipeline was constructed in spring 2010
Key PointsProblems encountered in the El Socorro
project were not unique◦The Peace Corps does not have engineers
filling engineering roles◦Decision making is haphazard◦Management of finite resources
Solutions proposed in El Socorro can be applied in all communities where Peace Corps works◦The Peace Corps uses standardized excel
forms for data collection◦A decision support system can optimize
existing water and funding resources
Presentation overviewProject introductionStudy tools
◦ IE Tools◦Peace Corps Data Collection
Tools◦Community Interviews
Decision Support System◦Build of Model◦Example Run
General Recommendations
Conclusion
Water is one of the most basic of all needs—we cannot live for more than a few days without it. And yet, most people take
water for granted. We waste water and don’t realize that clean water is a very limited resource. More than 1 billion people
around the world have no access to safe, clean drinking water—Robert alan.
Project Introduction
Background: water needs worldwide
Rural communities in developing countries often find it difficult to provide safe water to its residents due to costs, technical expertise, and economies of scale.
These communities rely on international aid and volunteers to assist on the projects. These volunteers often rely on 'on-the-job ' training and tools to design systems for water distribution, and lack computer software to help run initial simulations and models.
The primary motivation behind these projects is to assist the communities by helping create necessary infrastructure to meet basic water needs.
Project Introduction
The project seeks to provide the Peace Corps and other non-governmental organizations an assessment tool for use in region on water distribution projects
This decision support system is designed to function with Peace Corps standard topographical data collection forms
Project challenges Expertise- volunteers are generalists Competing Interests- community desires,
government desires Finite Resources – limited number of resources
to distribute in decision making process Long Range Planning – short terms mean high
turnover and lack of ‘big picture’ awareness Public/Private Relationships – relationship
between decision makers are often in conflict Business Proficiency – no budgeting awareness
The goal is to transform data into information, and information into
insight”—Carly fiorina
Study Tools
Industrial Engineering Tools Risk Assessment Models: Failure Mode and
Effects Analysis, health and safety risk assessment
Statistical Quality Control: Xbar and R charts created
Cost Analysis: Created a cost analysis of the cost required to implement telemedicine in various situations.
Optimization models: Usage of population density, water source location, and budget
Decision Support Systems: Programs were designed in VBA/Excel for managers to create
Engineering Project Management: Project was organized and managed using software such as Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Visio.
Peace Corps Data collection
Topographical surveys◦GPS of each home◦GPS of water sources
Community mapsNumber of
people/home◦Future construction
Water quality testsWater needs survey
◦Water usage/day
Community interviews conducted
Water usageWater needsHealth of population
(by age group)Willingness to pay
(Contingent Valuation Method)
Current water access
Decision Support System
Model Definition
Integer programming optimization model Designed to handle large-volume data
imports (500+ data points) Provide optimized water lines based on
the cost per capita for construction The user can specify budget The user can obtain volume provided/house
and volume/capita
Database
Provides the data from which our solver will make a decision and allows user to access, manipulate, and query data
Imported file supplied by the Peace Corps
Overview: Knowledge base Our DSS model allows for storage of information
in the model through generated reports Seeks to advance the general knowledge base
by providing a preliminary design suggestion for water distribution systems designed by non governmental organizations
OVERVIEW: USER
Our DSS is made for ‘managers’ rather than ‘staff specialists’
Designed to be user-friendly for a computer users of all experience levels.
The solverOptimal water distribution lines based on
construction cost and environmental factorsSolver provides us with us:
◦Binary table of which pipelines to implement◦Volume of water per house for each pipeline◦Extra cost associated with water per house
Outline of how it works◦“The Main procedure is called from the Start
button, which then initializes the problem input parameters …etc.”
Selecting The environmental factor: Flow rate
There is a UN standard that each person needs 13.7 gallons of water a day (.051860 m³)
This constraint seeks to determine if the gallons/day requirement is satisfied, and if not, what the additional cost isVolume provided per house/day (in gallons)=
General Equation: (Cross Sectional Area)(3600)(hrs of operation)(Sqrt((head loss*2*gravity*(Pipe Diameter/Length))/(friction factor* .003785 m³))
Specific Equation: (.008105 m^2)(3600)(8 hrs)(Sqrt ((110 m*2*9.81 m/s^2)(.1016 m/LENGTH))/ (.0119*.051860 m³))
Used in conjunction with cost dataCost calculation
General Equation: 10 USD* ((13.7 gallons*6 people per house* number of houses)- (number of houses*6 people per house*gallons provided))
Resolve Options
User has the ability to◦Allows user to input other datasets◦Add or delete specific pipelines ◦Turn on/off environmental indicators◦Change budget amount
Case study El Socorro, Honduras
Background: el Socorro, Honduras
Current situation (2009)Approximately 1200 residents
only receive water pumped to their home every 15 days
The water isn’t treated to potable standards
They currently supplement water consumption with purchases from the nearest town—spending approximately 50% of their income on water.
Goal: design a water distribution system that will maximize existing resources to provide the maximum number of people potable water
User Interface: Home
User interface: Load File Data
Database
Input form
The solver: cost and Environmental factors
El socorro water project outcomes
Budget of $30,000214 out of 217 homes served (86%)Water tariff of $2.50 US for monthly
delivery
Future DevelopmentChange additional cost (current
program demonstrates how this function will work)
Include additional constraints◦Select type of pipe◦Select pipe diameter
Provide a calculation for expected lifetime of a system
conclusions
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