Water Security & Infrastructure Resilience Handbook
Grant funded through Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP)
Objective
The project developed a comprehensive handbook to assist site planners in assessing contextual water security and formulating risk-mitigation solutions. The framework synthesized industry-standard methods utilized by government and private entities. Additionally, the team consulted on integrating these practices into the client's existing planning and infrastructure investment frameworks.
Methodology
Site water sources were evaluated across two primary categories: localized, on-site groundwater extraction and off-site delivery via regional infrastructure. The project executed groundwater and regional infrastructure resilience assessments to address the distinct vulnerabilities of each. The research demonstrated that a regional assessment was critical to understanding a site's overall resilience, regardless of its immediate water source.
The methodology accounted for external vulnerabilities, such as agricultural contamination, industrial runoff, and unsustainable demand from adjacent development, as well as the declining reliability of major regional water projects. By adapting advanced methodologies routinely used by municipalities and utilities, the team successfully incorporated long-term viability assessments into the client's standardized site planning framework.
Outcomes
The framework provided two primary benefits to the client: a holistic understanding of regional risks alongside available site resources, and the establishment of highly improved metrics to prioritize large-scale infrastructure investments.