Speaker
-
Abhilash Srungarapati PMP, CMIT, CAPM Wastewater Infrastructure Professional | Independent Presenter
Abhilash Srungarapati PMP, CMIT, CAPMWastewater Infrastructure Professional | Independent PresenterAbhilash Srungarapati is a construction and infrastructure professional with experience in wastewater systems, utility condition assessment, and infrastructure planning. His interests include underground asset management, climate resilience, and the application of emerging technologies to public infrastructure challenges. He is actively involved in engineering research, technical publications, and industry conferences focused on improving the performance and sustainability of critical infrastructure systems.
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Sep 17 2026
- Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
From GIS to Ground Truth: Rethinking Wastewater Infrastructure Resilience Under Extreme Weather
Extreme weather events are exposing a critical vulnerability in U.S. wastewater systems—not just hydraulic capacity limitations, but the growing disconnect between documented asset data and actual field conditions. Many municipalities rely heavily on GIS records and legacy datasets that do not accurately reflect current infrastructure conditions, leading to misinformed rehabilitation decisions and increased risk of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) during peak wet weather events. This presentation will examine how field-validated condition assessment, including CCTV inspections and PACP-based defect coding, can be integrated with hydraulic analysis to improve system reliability. Drawing from real-world municipal operations experience at Houston Public Works, the session will highlight common failure scenarios such as buried manholes, inaccessible pipeline segments, and structural deficiencies that are often not captured in asset management systems. The discussion will focus on a risk-based framework that combines inflow and infiltration (I&I) analysis, field verification, and targeted rehabilitation strategies such as CIPP and point repairs. Attendees will gain practical insights into bridging the gap between digital asset data and real-world conditions to enhance resilience, optimize capital planning, and reduce system failures under extreme rainfall events.
