18 Aug 2025

Coupled Modeling to Support Evaluation of Mission-Assurance Risk from Disruption of Water Infrastructure

Abstract: Coupled modeling refers to the combined use of hydraulic models, graphical models, and existing datasets to analyze water distribution networks. Most DoD installations already possess rich planning and asset management datasets that can be leveraged to provide deep in-sights into their water infrastructure; however, installations rarely use them for increasing the resilience of their systems. This study develops strategies for assessing, integrating, and analyzing these sources into a coupled model designed to inform installations’ water-infrastructure resilience planning, wargaming, and project generation. The performance of coupled models was evaluated for accuracy, specificity, interoperability with DoD systems, enterprise applicability, responsiveness to DoD policy, and decision support. The study team encountered a few implementation issues, but none affected the study’s timeline or funding. One issue was that the hydraulic modeling software, Innovyze Infowater, was purchased by AutoDesk, which should be considered for installations evaluating software purchases. Another issue was data accuracy; tests for data validation showed that some data were incorrect. Coupled approaches can help to better identify where these errors may be. Regarding the issue of model interoperability, by default, the models were not fully compatible for the model simulation or for geospatial data, but both were addressed in this study.

1 Sep 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Water Security Scenarios: Planning for Installation Water Disruptions

Abstract: The Army’s critical missions are at risk from interruption of water supplies. Sufficient amounts of high- quality potable water are a resource without substitute. The Army’s Installation Energy and Water Security Policy establishes requirements for installations to sustain critical mission capabilities and to mitigate risks posed by energy and water disruptions that affect installations; this includes coordinating vulnerability and risk assessments of potential disruptions and implementing adequate responses to mitigate identified risks. Resilient installations will develop storage capacity to forestall water shortages and will also have short- and long-term plans to help the installation recover from events and forestall progressing to more severe deficits. This project supports compliance with the water security policy by exploring the range of conditions and responses possible across installations. Multiple scenarios were developed to explore how a 14-day interruption in water supply might affect an installation and to provide preliminary guidance to help installations develop strategies to address water disruptions to critical missions drawing from existing processes used in mission assurance. Researchers investigated types of installations and classes of scenarios most relevant to installation water security planning and explored several scenarios to provide a framework to helps installations advance their water resilience and security planning.