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Engineering case studies

WUCA has developed a suite of engineering case studies that showcase how the water sector is applying climate adaptation in practice, by using climate change information in engineering design and project delivery processes. These case studies were motivated by requests from engineers across WUCA utilities who requested concrete examples of how other water sector professionals are integrating climate change information into on-the-ground projects. Spanning from Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida and Copenhagen, Denmark, the case studies demonstrate how engineers and water managers are applying climate change data and information to redesign facilities and assets, increase levels of climate resilience, and reduce risks to infrastructure. While climate adaptation best practices continue to mature, these examples offer practical approaches for designing engineering projects for a changing climate.

Case studies were developed in partnership with the utilities and operators profiled, and project contacts are provided in each case study to facilitate follow-up and enable interested readers to learn more about implementing similar measures or approaches.

 

Project in Seattle

Ship Canal Water Quality Project

Location: Seattle, Washington
Utility: Seattle Public Utilities
Climate impacts: Extreme Rainfall

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Dam in Colorado

Colorado Dam Safety Program Dam Design

Location: State of Colorado
Utility: Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Climate impacts: Extreme Rainfall

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Miami waterfront

Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades

Location: Miami, Florida
Utility: Miami-Dade Water and Sewer
Climate impacts: Sea Level Rise

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Water rushing over barrier in San Francisco

Sea Level Rise Capital Planning Guidance

Location: San Francisco, California
Utility: City and County of San Francisco
Climate impacts: Sea Level Rise

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Project with New York Skyline in background

Climate Resiliency Standard Operating Procedure

Location: New York City, New York
Utility: New York Department of Environmental Protection
Climate impacts: Sea Level Rise and Extreme Events

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Facilities

Drinking Water Cooling System

Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Utility: Tarrant Regional Water District
Climate impacts: Extreme Heat

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Workers at site of low lake level pumping station

Low Lake Level Pumping Station

Location: Southern Nevada
Utility: Southern Nevada Water Authority
Climate impacts: Drought

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Flooding in Denmark

Cloudburst Management Plan

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Utility: The City of Copenhagen
Climate impacts: Extreme Rainfall

View Case Study(Opens PDF document)(Opens new window)

Note

Case studies were developed with Dr. Heidi Roop, University of Minnesota, and the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group(Opens another site in new window).

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