Resilience and Its Relation to System Structure of Combined Sewer Systems: Virtual Case Study Based on Stochastic Generation

Abstract

Resilience is a system’s ability to minimize failure consequences when faced with exceptional conditions. This paper studies the relation between resilience and system structure of combined sewer systems. Stochastic generation model is used to obtain systems with various structures and their performance is tested in Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Results show that resilience is mostly affected by the total count of combined sewer overflow (CSO) outfalls. The count of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) also influences resilience but not remarkably. The cost-effectiveness of each system structure is also discussed. This study provides insight into the structural characteristics of combined sewer systems and can provide guidance for their planning and design.