The aim of this paper is to compare sorting and ranking methods for prioritization of rehabilitation interventions of sewers, taking into account risk, performance and cost. For that purpose multiple criteria decision-aid (MCDA) methods such as ELECTRE TRI for sorting and ELECTRE III for ranking are applied in a real case-study and the results obtained are compared. The case study is a small sanitary sewer system from a Portuguese utility located in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. The problem to investigate is the prioritization of the sewer candidates for rehabilitation. The decision maker (a panel group of specialists) has chosen five assessment measures: water level and maximum flow velocity (hydraulic performance indices), sewer importance and failure repair cost (collapse-related consequences of failure) and the risk of collapse. The results show that the outcomes from ELECTRE III are easier to understand than those from ELECTRE TRI method. Two different sets of weights were used, and the sorting and ranking results from both methods were found to be sensitive to them. ELECTRE TRI method is not straightforward as it involves technical parameters that are difficult to define, such as reference profiles and cut levels.

Water services are a strategic sector of large social and economic relevance. It is therefore essential that they are managed rationally and efficiently. Advanced water supply and wastewater infrastructure asset management (IAM) is key in achieving adequate levels of service in the future, particularly with regard to reliable and high quality drinking water supply, prevention of urban flooding, efficient use of natural resources and prevention of pollution. This paper presents a methodology for supporting the development of urban water IAM, developed during the AWARE-P project as well as an appraisal of its implementation in four water utilities. Both water supply and wastewater systems were considered. Due to the different contexts and features of the utilities, the main concerns vary from case to case; some problems essentially are related to performance, others to risk. Cost is a common deciding factor. The paper describes the procedure applied, focusing on the diversity of drivers, constraints, benefits and outcomes. It also points out the main challenges and the results obtained through the implementation of a structured procedure for supporting urban water IAM.

Pluvial or surface flooding can cause significant damage and disruption as it often affects highly urbanised areas. Therefore it is essential to accurately identify consequences and assess the risks associated with such phenomena. The aim of this study is to present the results and investigate the applicability of a qualitative flood risk assessment methodology in urban areas. This methodology benefits from recent developments in urban flood modelling, such as the dual-drainage modelling concept, namely one-dimensional automatic overland flow network delineation tools (e.g. AOFD) and 1D/1D models incorporating both surface and sewer drainage systems. To assess flood risk, the consequences can be estimated using hydraulic model results, such as water velocities and water depth results; the likelihood was estimated based on the return period of historical rainfall events. To test the methodology two rainfall events with return periods of 350 and 2 years observed in Alcântara (Lisbon, Portugal) were used and three consequence dimensions were considered: affected public transportation services, affected properties and pedestrian safety. The most affected areas in terms of flooding were easily identified; the presented methodology was shown to be easy to implement and effective to assess flooding risk in urban areas, despite the common difficulties in obtaining data.

The effects of climate dynamics on urban areas involve the aggravation of existing conditions and the potential for emergence of new hazards or risk factors. Floods are recognized as a leading source of consequences to society, including disruption of critical functions in urban areas, and to the environment. Consideration of the interplay between services providers ensuring urban functions is essential to deal with climate dynamics and associated risks. Assessment of resilience to multiple hazards requires integrated and multi-sectoral approaches embracing each strategic urban sector and interactions between them. A common limitation resides in the limited data and tools available for undertaking these complex assessments. The paper proposes a methodology to undertake the spatial characterization of the flood related hazards and exposure of both essential functions and services providers in urban areas, in the context of limitations in data and in ready-to-use tools. Results support the resilience assessment of these hazards, taking into account interdependencies and cascading effects. The approach is applied to Lisbon city as the study case. Results are promising in demonstrating the potential of combining data and knowledge from different sources with dual modelling approaches, allowing us to obtain trends on the magnitude of effects of climate scenarios and to assess potential benefits of adaptation strategies. Quantification of the effects is reached, but results need to be assessed together with the underlying levels of uncertainty. The methodology can facilitate dialogue among stakeholders and between different decision levels.

The main objectives that generally motivate the implementation of energy management strategies, suggestions of possible assessment criteria and corresponding performance measures are presented in a systematic way. A methodology based on the hydraulic energy balance along water pipe systems and four performance indices to assess energy efficiency is established. This methodology is applied to a real-life water supply system for two consumption scenarios and two operating schemes. The calculation of index E4 and the comparison between scenarios and schemes rely on the hydraulic simulation of the system. The application of this methodology has demonstrated the robustness and practicality of the proposed new performance indices, being particularly relevant for the comparison of different measures for the improvement of energy efficiency, such as the use of variable speed pumps and the installation of micro-turbines. More applications are needed for systems with different sizes, layouts and elevations in order to identify and to overcome practical application difficulties.