Prioritization of Potable Water Infrastructure Investments on the Navajo Nation

Notorious for its high poverty levels and low socio-economic status, the Navajo Nation’s socio-economic well-being is hindered greatly in part by the lack of an adequate potable water infrastructure which has resulted in health disparities and has attributed to stunted economic growth within the Nation. Large candidate regional water transmission pipelines projects aimed to meet these needs have been identified. With capital costs exceeding their fiscal capability, decision-makers must choose projects that generate the most bang for the buck. To address these challenges, three (3) interconnected planning tools have been developed: (1) a water pipe installation construction cost estimation model (WaterCOSTE) to improve the accuracy of capital cost estimates; (2) a hydraulic optimization model (WaterTRANS) that improves design efficiency for branched water transmission systems; and (3) a decision support system (DSS) that allows candidate water transmission projects to be ranked while considering economic development, health improvement and environmental protection objectives. Estimates derived from WaterCOSTE are used as input into WaterTRANS to find least-cost system designs. The system costs along with other project data are then input into the DSS to determine project rankings. To demonstrate how the DSS can be used and applied, two candidate projects on the Navajo Nation are evaluated. The tools developed will enable decision-makers to improve planning processes and make wiser investment decisions that will lead to expanding the water infrastructure coverage and living conditions on the Navajo Nation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate College

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Chee, Ronson Riley

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lansey, Kevin E.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lansey, Kevin E.
• Valdes, Juan B.
• Duan, Jennifer G.
• Gupta, Hoshin V.

• Decision Support System
• Pipeline Construction Cost Estimation
• Water Distribution
• Water Infrastructure Investments
• Water Pipelines
• Water Transmission Systems

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/624473