dc.contributor.author	Wetzel, George L.	en
dc.contributor.committeecochair	Reaves, Dixie Watts	en
dc.contributor.committeecochair	Younos, Tamim	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Matheson, Lance A.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mills, Bradford F.	en
dc.contributor.department	Agricultural and Applied Economics	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-14T20:47:00Z	en
dc.date.adate	2003-10-30	en
dc.date.available	2014-03-14T20:47:00Z	en
dc.date.issued	2003-05-23	en
dc.date.rdate	2003-10-30	en
dc.date.sdate	2003-10-24	en
dc.description.abstract	A simulation model analyzes cost effectiveness of remote facility monitoring for risk reduction in rural water supply systems by performing a break-even analysis that compares operating costs with manual and remote monitoring. Water system operating cost includes the value of water loss (i.e., realized risk) resulting from operating excursions which are inversely related to mechanical reliability. Reliability is controlled by facility monitoring that identifies excursions enabling operators to implement mitigating measures. Cost effectiveness refers to the cost relationship among operating alternatives that reveals changed economic conditions at different operating rates inherent in the inverse relationship between fixed and variable costs. Break-even analysis describes cost effectiveness by identifying the operating rate above which the more capital intensive alternative will result in lower operating cost. Evidence indicates that increased monitoring frequency associated with remote monitoring can reduce water system operating cost by improving reliability, but whether remote monitoring is cost effective depends upon system-specific factors. The lack of a documented tool for evaluating this type of cost effectiveness led to the project objective of developing a model that performs break-even analysis by simulating water system operating costs as functions of system size (delivery rate). When the spreadsheet-based static deterministic parametric simulation model is run for the Tazewell County, Virginia water system based upon 1998 data, break even is predicted at approximately fifty-five percent of annual capacity (116,338,000 gallons) with operating cost of $1,043,400. Maximum annual operating cost reduction from a $317,600 investment provides payback in nine years.	en
dc.description.degree	Master of Science	en
dc.identifier.other	etd-10242003-104455	en
dc.identifier.sourceurl	http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10242003-104455/	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35478	en
dc.publisher	Virginia Tech	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelexhibit2-8to2-13.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelexhibit3-12to3-18.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelexhibit3-21.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelexhibit3-20.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelexhibit3-19.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	wetzelathesis.pdf	en
dc.rights	In Copyright	en
dc.rights.uri	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/	en
dc.subject	remote monitoring	en
dc.subject	water supply system	en
dc.subject	cost effectiveness	en
dc.title	A Parametric Simulation Model for Evaluating Cost Effectiveness of Remote Monitoring for Risk Reduction in Rural Water Supply Systems and Application to the Tazewell County, Virginia System	en
dc.type	Thesis	en
thesis.degree.discipline	Agricultural and Applied Economics	en
thesis.degree.grantor	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	en
thesis.degree.level	masters	en
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science	en

A Parametric Simulation Model for Evaluating Cost Effectiveness of Remote Monitoring for Risk Reduction in Rural Water Supply Systems and Application to the Tazewell County, Virginia System

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