RESTORING THE LOS ANGELES WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOLLOWING AN EARTHQUAKE

This paper introduces a discrete event simulation model of post-earthquake restoration for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) water supply system, the largest municipal system in the United States. The real-life post-earthquake restoration process carried out by LADWP is detailed. Past approaches to modeling post-disaster lifeline restoration are reviewed, highlighting the key benefits and limitations of the discrete event simulation approach used here. The new model of LADWPs’ post-earthquake water restoration process is then described briefly, including sample results from calibration to the restoration observed following the 1994 Northridge, CA earthquake. This research is part of a larger effort by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research to measure and understand community resilience.