TRUST - Bringing sustainability into practice

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TRUST - Bringing sustainability into practice

Bringing sustainability into practice!

String of TRUST outputs for water professionals and policy makers available

The European water research project Transitions to the Urban Water S ervices of Tomorrow (TRUST) recently came to an end. Over the course of four years and driven by the need of transformation and the wish to protect natural resources, 30 partners in eleven different countries researched innovations and tools to create a more sustainable water future. The results were implemented and tested in nine participating different pilot cities or regions, grouped in green cities, water scarcity regions and urban/peri-urbanmetropolitan areas.

The integrated approach to managing urban water systems developed under AWARE-P was further developed and consolidated in TRUST and other national and international projects. The joint development of this approach and associated tools by researchers, utilities and IT partners, and its in-house implementation by more than 50 utilities so far, allowed to achieve a high level of maturity and a true professional grade. A key objective of TRUST was to innovate, and this required the production of materials that leverage the effect of the accumulated scientific and technical knowledge.

Therefore, a coherent set of materials has now been released free of charge for water professionals and policy makers to guide implementing or improving infrastructure asset management processes: The TRUST manuals of best practice on infrastructure asset management, the TRUST IAM software and the TRUST IAM e-learning course.

The TRUST manuals

The main new element of the TRUST/AWARE-P approach to infrastructure asset management is the practicalities of aligning the strategic, long term visions of policy-makersand CEO’s with the daily life and routine decisions, ensuring that the actions taken contribute for the global corporate goals and for the sustainability of the services and of the infrastructure. Another key element is the systemic approach for asset management, where the unit elements are functional areas instead of being the individual assets. This ensures that decisions are driven by the quality of the service provided and not by the condition of the asset, which are not necessarily directly related.

Vol. 1 introduces a global framework, key principles and concepts and the main challenges and opportunities. Vol. 2 includes specific guidelines for policy- making at a national or regional level of trust is intended to provide policy makers with information and assistance for shaping the transition towards sustainable urban water services of tomorrow. Where to be in 2050? How to facilitate change towards sustainable urban water service? Vol. 3 and Vol. 4focus respectively on strategic and on tactical planning at the utility level. Each one of these manuals presents a concrete case that a decision-maker had to face, describes what has been done, and generalizes the learnings and principles adopted. The other two manuals Vol.5 andVol. 6 are a portfolio of rehabilitation techniques used in supply pipes and storage tanks and

drainage systems. The manuals on strategic and on tactical planning are case-based, in order to provide the water professionals with very practical problems and solutions. The case is further generalised in key principles and recommendations. The two manuals on rehabilitation techniques complement the TRUST / AWARE-P IAM approach with useful technical information on the characteristics, applicability, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of the main rehabilitation techniques for water distribution systems and for drainage networks.

The TRUST IAM Software

The Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM) planning software is a decision-supportenvironment providing organized assessment and comparison for any number of competing projects, solutions or alternative designs, which can be assessed and pitched against each other numerically as well as visually. It was designed as the central planning framework of the AWARE-P infrastructure asset management methodology, where planning alternatives or competing projects are measured up and compared, through selected performance, risk and cost metrics, through interactive numerical and 2D/3D graphical information display. It may also be used to compare different systems or sub-systems for diagnosis and prioritization. It was created as a technical tool, but just as importantly as a negotiation and communication vehicle. As in the TRUST/AWARE-P asset management approach, emphasis placed on evaluating impacts over the long term and in multiple dimensions (service, economics, social), and on quantifying the impact of those interventions in a defendable, repeatable and transparent way.

It is suitable for everyone who wants to implement the TRUST/AWARE-P approach, as well as any other professionals interested in any of the specific tools the software offers. The software is inclusive. It provides transparency, accountability and traceability to the decisions made and it helps bringing sustainability into practice!

The TRUST e-learning course

The e-learning course is built upon the TRUST/AWARE-P IAM approach, which is a result from the joint work of many professionals, practice-oriented and broadly used by utilities. For this reason, getting familiar with it can save a lot of time and money, contributing to a faster capacitation and more efficient and effective management of the urban water systems. Taking benefit of the leading-edge tools made available is a must not miss opportunity for any policy maker and manager responsible for urban water systems. Everyone taking this course will be introduced to the integrated approach, using practical cases whenever possible, either to introduce the concepts and principles, or to consolidate them.

Last, but not least

Given the importance of post-graduate education, the manuals, the e-learning course and the software are complemented by a curriculum for a one-year postgraduate course on sustainable management of urban water cycle services, also freely available. The aim of the curriculum is to provide a reference that may be adapted or adopted by any European university or network of universities. Although the curriculum and courses presented are hypothetical, for the descriptions actual course contents of several European universities are used. TRUST deliverables are also presented as course reading.

PLEASE ENJOY, IMPLEMENT AND DISSEMINATE!

Source: TRUST

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