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Objectives : 17 water quality measurement networks (WQMNs, tributaries) in Seoul were analyzed by using NSFWQI and cluster analysis to provide basic data for future river water quality management so that citizens could easily and comprehensively understand the water quality information on the rivers in Seoul.Methods : For the past 3 years (2015~2017), in order to estimate WQI, 9 items, DO (% sat), Fecal coliform, pH, BOD, Temperature change (TC), TP, NO3-, Turbidity and Total solids, were selected from among the 19 water quality data measurement items produced monthly from 17 WQMNs in Seoul. WQI was derived and graded using NSFWQI and cluster analysis was performed using Ward Linkage Method, SOM (Self Organizing Map).Results and Discussion : Water quality of most water quality monitoring networks was BOD Ⅱ grade (slightly good) or higher and TP Ⅲ grade (normal) or higher according to the standard of water quality and water ecosystem river living environment, and NSFWQI was also 64 (Medium)~89 (Good). All showed good water quality. NSFWQI does not show a significant difference by season, so it is believed that it is affected by anthropogenic sources rather than seasonal effects. As a result of examining the correlation between NSFWQI and water quality level according to environmental standards, it was confirmed that R2 has a relatively good correlation with 0.78, and there is no clear difference between the two groups, and through this, it was found that the currently implemented water quality rating system and NSFWQI are well matched. As a result of cluster analysis using ward linkage method and SOM for 17 WQMNs, it was largely divided into 6 groups according to water quality characteristics.Conclusions : It is important to manage pollution sources to systematically manage river water quality as a water resource. It is therefore expected that by converting from the complicated and various water quality information such as is found in this study into a simple water quality index and grouping, the river water quality can be easily understood and can be utilized in the future as basic data for water quality management in Seoul.

The pressure on water infrastructure has increased due to an increase in the number of aging water pipes. Aging pipes are prone to failure, causing significant financial losses and service disruptions. The increasing number of aged pipes and limited budget for pipe rehabilitation or replacement necessitates water infrastructure asset management to ensure sustainable water supply services. In this study, contingent valuation was used to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) and value improved water supply services through the implementation of asset management. To estimate the WTP at the individual and county levels, we performed a nationwide survey including eight provinces and 24 counties/cities with distinct water supply service performances. At the individual level, the median WTP estimated using the double-bounded dichotomous choice model was 249.50 KRW/month (0.22 USD/month). The results showed that high-level satisfaction of customers with water supply services and positive price perception of water bills resulted in a high WTP. At the county level, decreasing water supply service performances were associated with a low WTP, indicating that proper interventions by local utilities are required to achieve sustainable water supply services. Our results provide a quantitative basis for decision-making in implementation of water infrastructure asset management.

Partitioning methodologies such as district metered areas (DMAs) are being applied to the stable maintenance of water distribution network systems in normal conditions such as daily operation and abnormal conditions such as water quality and leakage accidents. However, management and evaluation through the use of existing DMAs generally only have the primary goal of stable water quantity and pressure management. Therefore, the methodology can be limited to achieving the direct effects of water quality parameters such as decreased water age, proper management of residual chlorine, and decreased water quality complaints. This study uses a methodology for determining and prioritizing water quality-oriented Priority Control District Metered Areas (PCDMAs) for stable water quality management to respond to the recent large-scale rusty (red) water crisis in Korea. First, 4 evaluation criteria and 11 evaluation indicators were derived using various water quality-related structured data (water quality measurement data, pipeline data, etc.) and unstructured data (water quality complaints, etc.) based on the Geographic Information System (GIS). A comprehensive prioritization assessment was carried out with multi-criteria decision-making methods based on the analytic hierarchy process. As a result, particular indicators of complaint of water quality and the existence of vulnerable facilities (hospitals, school, etc.) were analyzed as the top five priorities, and it was shown that to be important criteria in determining water quality-oriented PCMDAs. Finally, the proposed methodology was applied to the B metropolitan city of the Republic of Korea, and the evaluation results of all the districts were derived and analyzed. The study shows that the data-based water distribution network PCDMAs selection methodology can be used as a decision-making tool to improve the accuracy and reliability of the operation and management (O&M) of the water distribution operator’s water distribution network. In future research, it will be necessary to evaluate PDDMA with detailed data related to the pipe deterioration (buried environment, the condition of internal/external of the pipe, etc.), which had a significant threshold due to data limitations. And it would be possible to make a real-time evaluation of PCDMA with the real-time water quality test data.

Ozone dosage in most water treatment plants is operated by determining the ozone concentration with the experience of the operation. In this case, it is not economical. This study selected the factors affecting residual ozone concentration and attempted to estimate the optimum amount of hydrogen peroxide dosage for the control of the residual ozone concentration by developing a model for the prediction of the residual ozone concentration. The prediction formulas developed in this study can quickly respond to the environment of water quality and surrounding environmental factors, which change in real time, so it is judged that they could be used for the operation of the optimum ozone process, and the control of ozone dosage could be used as a new method in controlling the concentration of ozone dosage and the concentration of residual ozone.

Peak load rate(i.e., maximum daily flow/average daily flow) has not been considered for industrial water demand planning in Korea to date, while area unit method based on average daily flow has been applied to decide capacity of industrial water treatment plants(WTPs). Designers of industrial WTPs has assumed that peak load would not exist if operation rate of factories in industrial sites were close to 100%. However, peak load rates were calculated as 1.10~2.53 based on daily water flow from 2009 to 2014 for 9 industrial WTPs which have been operated more than 9 years(9-38 years). Furthermore, average operation rates of 9 industrial WTPs was less than 70% which means current area unit method has tendency to overestimate water demand. Therefore, it is not reasonable to consider peak load for the calculation of water demand under current area unit method application to prevent overestimation. However, for the precise future industrial water demand calculation more precise data gathering for average daily flow and consideration of peak load rate are recommended.

A variety of methods for detecting the location of an underground water pipeline are being used across the world; the current main methods used in South Korea, however, have the problems of low precision and efficiency and the limitations in actual application. On this, this study developed locator capable of detecting the location of a water pipe by the use of an IMU sensor, and technology for using the extended karman filter to correct error in location detection and to plot the location on the coordinate system. This study carried out a tract test and a road test as basic experiments to measure the performance of the developed technology and equipment. As a result of the straight line, circular and ellipse track tests, the 1750 IMU sensor showed the average error of 0.08-0.11%; and thus it was found that the developed locator can detect a location precisely. As a result of the 859.6-m road test, it was found that the error was 0.31 m in case the moving rate of the sensor was 0.3-0.6 m/s; and thus it was judged that the equipment developed by this study can be applied to long-distance water pipes of over 1 km sufficiently. It is planned to evaluate its field applicability in the future through an actual pipe network pilot test, and it is expected that locator capable of detecting the location of a water pipe more precisely will be developed through research for the enhancement of accuracy in the algorithm of location detection.

Pipe Deterioration Prediction (PDP) and Pipe Failure Risk Prediction (PFRP) models were developed in an attempt to predict the deterioration and failure risk in water mains using fuzzy technique and the markov process. These two models were used to determine the priority in repair and replacement, by predicting the deterioration degree, deterioration rate, failure possibility and remaining life in a study sample comprising 32 water mains. From an analysis approach based on conservative risk with a medium policy risk, the remaining life for 30 of the 32 water mains was less than 5 years for 2 mains (7%), 5-10 years for 8 (27%), 10-15 years for 7 (23%), 15-20 years for 5 (17%), 20-25 years for 5 (17%), and 25 years or more for 2 (7%).

Owing to time and cost constraints, new methods that would make it possible to evaluate the safety of the water supply pipeline in a less time- and cost-consuming manner are urgently needed. In response to this exigency, the present study developed a new statistical model to assess the safety of the water supply pipeline using the quantification theory type II. In this research, the safety of the water supply pipeline was defined as `a possibility of the pipeline failure`. Quantification analysis was conducted on the qualitative data, such as pipe material, coating, and buried condition. The results of analyses demonstrate that the hit ratio of the quantification function amounted to 77.8% of hit ratio, which was a fair value. In addition, all variables that were included in the quantification function were logically valid and demonstrated statistically significant. According to the results derived from the application of the safety evaluation model, the coefficient of determination () between K-region`s water supply pipeline safety and the safety inspection amounted to 0.80. Therefore, these findings provide meaningful insight for the measured values in real applications of the model. The results of the present study can also be meaningfully used in further research on safety evaluation of pipelines, establishing of renewal prioritization, as well as asset management planning of the water supply infrastructure.

In a pipeline system, aging of the pipeline due to a variety of internal and external factors reduces its functionality as a water supply system and increases the risk of pipe failure. Failure of aging pipelines leads to greater social and economic damage. Thus, through proper rehabilitation and replacement, the pipeline systems must be managed to ensure safe water quality and structural performance. This paper shows the use of the genetic algorithm technique to find a near optimal rehabilitation schedule of water pipeline systems. The goal is to minimize the present value of pipe replacement, renovation and repairs costs over a defined analysis period while requirements for water standards are fulfilled. A case study shows that the rehabilitation model proposed in this study can be a powerful tool to assist in planning the asset management strategies for water pipeline systems.

In the Republic of Korea, multi-regional water supply pipelines were intensively laid during the rapid economic growth period; however, these pipelines are now aging. The cost of renewal of the aged pipelines would be enormous. Therefore, limited resources need to be distributed effectively in accordance with the priority of renewal. In this study, the risks involved in the multi-regional water supply pipeline of region K were calculated and assessed for setting the priority of renewal. The probability of failure of the pipeline was calculated through a quantification theory, and the effects of failure on the water supply pipeline were calculated by interpreting a pressure driven analysis. The risk considering the probability and consequence of failure comprehensively was found to be the largest at section A12. Three alternatives were considered for risk reduction, and the effect of each alternative on the risk reduction was analyzed. As a result, the construction of double piping by laying a new pipeline was found to be the most effective measure for risk reduction. The results of this study can be utilized as the basic data for establishing an investment plan for the renewal of the water supply pipeline and asset management plan.