Document Details

The Value of Water Supply Reliability in Urban Water Systems

Charles W. Howe, Mark Griffin Smith, Lynne Bennett, Charles M. Brendecke, J. Ernest Flack, Robert M. Hamm, Roger Mann, Lee Rozaklis, Karl Wunderlich | January 4th, 1994


Reliability is an important dimension of urban water supply. While out-of-pocket losses appear small, water customers place high values on reliability. This demand for reliability can be measured by contingent valuation methods, while the costs of providing various levels of reliability can be estimated through hydrologic simulation. A framework for optimizing reliability is presented and the contingent valuation survey is described. Results from three Colorado towns are presented.

Keywords

risk assessment, water supply