Assessment of hazards and risks for the Comisión Municipal de Agua Potable y Saneamiento de Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

• Main Author: Bridger, Stephen A.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/14490

A comprehensive framework is applied to assess the hazards and risks in the water supply system for the Municipal Potable Water and Wastewater Commission of Xalapa or Comision Municipal de Agua Potable y Saneamiento de Xalapa (CMAS Xalapa) in Veracruz, Mexico. The framework is designed to examine a water supply system from source to tap and consists of four components: system characterization, identification of hazards, assessment of the impacts of the major hazards, and determination of priority recommendations for system improvements. For CMAS Xalapa, a characterization of each water supply system element, source, transmission, treatment, and distribution, as well as the regional attributes is conducted. Recurrent hazards that affect water quality, quantity, and pressure objectives are identified and the ensuing risks are discussed. Recommendations to enhance the management and decision-making capabilities of CMAS Xalapa and to improve data collection and analysis for each element within the system are discussed. The priority recommendations that are proposed are summarized here: • Install online turbidimeters at the WTP to monitor influent and effluent turbidity levels • Redevelop the water treatment capabilities at Huitzilapan • Calculate a water balance • Install permanent stream gauging stations at sources and increase the frequency of measurement • Implement a full-scale distribution network leak detection and repair program • Enhance the water conservation program • Conduct distribution network and transmission system pressure analyses • Increase the number of pressure control devices • Increase network redundancy • Develop watershed management plans for each water source === Applied Science, Faculty of === Civil Engineering, Department of === Graduate