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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Robert Leible, Superintendent of Water Production
DATE: March 14, 2024
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing Crawford, Murphy & Tilly to provide professional engineering services to update the city's water distribution system hydraulic model in an amount not-to-exceed of $200,000.00.
PURPOSE:
To obtain City Council authorization to enter into an agreement for professional engineering services with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT), Aurora, IL for a comprehensive update to the city's existing hydraulic model for the city's Public Works/ Engineering Department and the Water Production Division.
BACKGROUND:
A hydraulic model (HM) is a computer software program that is customized for a specific water distribution system based on many factors including installed water mains, storage tanks, valves, operating pressures, population, water demand and water billing consumption data. The value of hydraulic modeling is significant. The analysis that can be derived from a HM can be used to improve customer experience if there are issues related to pressure, quantity, or water quality. Hydraulic modeling supports the water utility by determining how demographic growth or new customer types will affect pressure and flow in the distribution system. Planning of infrastructure replacement, i.e., watermains or storage tanks is enhanced via modeling so that replacements and/or repairs ensure that the system will perform as needed for years to come. A real world example of a hydraulic model result is the correct sizing of water mains to ensure appropriate fire flow to an area or facility.
DISCUSSION:
The city most recently completed an update to the HM in 2016 and prior to that in 2005, both by CMT. As with any model, the results are only as good as the programmed inputs to the model. Since the last update, many conditions that affect the accuracy and performance of the model have changed including population, water demands in the existing ...
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