Hydraulic Performance Index of a Sewer Network

An objective methodology is proposed for evaluating the hydraulic performance for possible rehabilitation of sewer systems. It involves assigning a hydraulic performance index to each pipe section. This hydraulic index reflects both the local surcharge in a pipe and the surcharge induced at upstream sections of the same branch in a sewer network. The hydraulic index also takes into account the vulnerability and the retention capacity of each pipe section. This index may be used directly to establish the rehabilitation priority of different sections to maximize hydraulic performance for the entire network. This methodology was successfully applied to the sewer system of the city of Laval in Canada. The results show how pipe dimensions and locations have the effect of surcharging or relieving a pipe network and how the hydraulic performance index adequately rates the contributions of sewer network components.