Past Successes and Future Challenges in Wastewater Collection Systems Analyses at the Philadelphia Water Department

Hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) models are a key tool for wastewater management planning. The H&H modeling team at the Philadelphia Water Department is a mature group that supports multiple units. The H&H team has been instrumental in developing the long-term control plan to address combined sewer overflows and supports the development of annual reports for regulatory compliance. The H&H team supports PWD’s Design Unit to analyze impacts of projects in the wastewater collection system, its Collector Systems Unit to support operation and maintenance of the wastewater collection system, and supports the initiatives of the Planning and Compliance teams by performing alternatives analyses to reach optimal solutions to meet specific objectives. This presentation/discussion describes the H&H team’s successes, demonstrates tools that help the team address and support myriad tasks and programs, and lists several challenges the H&H team will likely soon face.