Flynn, Patrick

With nearly 20 years of engineering experience under his belt, Pat has built a career seeking out the toughest challenges facing the water...

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About Flynn, Patrick

With nearly 20 years of engineering experience under his belt, Pat has built a career seeking out the toughest challenges facing the water infrastructure industryapproaching each with thoughtful analysis, strategic planning, and a deep commitment to solving complex problems through advanced hydraulic and hydrologic modeling. Hes helped transform urban stormwater drainage and sanitary sewer systems from overwhelmed to optimized. Whether its simulating a 100-year storm to analyze drainage infrastructure, optimizing design of multi-million dollar construction projects, or fine-tuning long-term capital improvement plans, he brings technical rigor, enthusiastic energy, and a splash of creativity to every project. When not wrangling runoff, hes likely sharing insights, mentoring the next generation of engineers, or finding new ways to make data tell a compelling story. Get ready for a presentation thats as informative as it is engaging!

Flynn, Patrick

Titles from this speaker

Description: Investigating I/I into a Collection System with a Network of 87 Pump Stations Using...

Investigating I/I into a Collection System with a Network of 87 Pump Stations Using SCADA Data

Abstract

Overview: This presentation will describe the approach and share the results of an analysis performed to quantify dry weather flows (DWF) and rainfall derived inflow and infiltration (RDII) into a manifold sanitary sewer force main system with 87 contributing pump stations. The presentation will detail a method of analyzing pump station inflows without the need for installation of expensive flow meters upstream of every pump station in a collection system. The approach also allows for evaluation of historical storms that may have been the catalyst for system-wide assessments prior to any flow metering or other hydraulic assessment plans or studies.

Approach and Current Status: This approach utilizes existing SCADA sensors and data loggers installed in pump stations and transforms pump startup/shutoff activity into a contiguous dataset of inflow rates based on wet well geometry and pump operational envelopes as depicted in Figure 1. This flow data can then be used to analyze DWF diurnal patterns and magnitudes as well as timing and magnitude of any wet weather responses. This data can, in turn, be used to assess performance at individual pump stations in support of a system-wide sanitary sewer master plan update. This approach has been used to develop an updated sanitary sewer system master plan and create a short list of system improvements and capital improvement projects. Key projects from this updated plan have already started detailed design and critical projects are expected to be completed by 2022. This method will also be used to assess pre and post construction I/I and pump station performance.

Results and Benefits: SCADA information was successfully transformed from inconsistent on/off recordings into a contiguous flow hydrograph, as depicted in Figure 2. By analyzing all pump station performance throughout the system holistically, a more complete assessment of system-wide hydraulic performance can be achieved without exorbitant costs supporting system studies, which reserves budget for physical system enhancements. As part of a master plan update, this approach has been employed to economically assess performance of pump stations under existing conditions by simulating a variety of actual and synthetic rainfall conditions. These assessments of individual pump station capacity limitations, force main velocity and head loss performance, and water reclamation facility inflows under both existing conditions and future expected population growth and land development were then used to create an updated sanitary sewer master plan. This plan was executed for a fraction of the cost of a plan with a comprehensive flow metering network.

Conclusion: Using SCADA data is an economical way to analyze actual system performance, assess individual pump station or system capacity, update and recalibrate hydraulic models, and develop potential improvements for sanitary sewer collection systems with any number of pump stations. The approach described in this presentation was executed for a fraction of the cost of a plan with a comprehensive flow metering network installed in gravity sewers and was applied successfully to a collection system with 87 individual pump stations.

The following conference paper was presented at Collection Systems 2021: A Virtual Event, March 23-25, 2021.

SpeakerFlynn, Patrick

Presentation time

11:20:00

11:40:00

Session time

11:00:00

12:00:00

SessionInfiltration & Inflow

Session number7

Session locationSimu-live

TopicCollection Systems, Infiltration/Inflow, Modeling, Pump station, forcemain, real-time control, SCADA, Utility of the Future

Author(s)

P. FlynnC. Marra

Author(s)P. Flynn1; C. Marra2

Author affiliation(s)Stantec1; Stantec2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Mar 2021

DOI10.2175/193864718825157703

Volume / Issue

Content sourceCollection Systems Conference

Word count17

Description: Reinvigorating Capital Improvement Planning: Changing the Face of Project...

Reinvigorating Capital Improvement Planning: Changing the Face of Project Prioritization

Abstract

Introduction:
Every water utility in the world goes through the process of creating capital improvement plans (CIPs). Some utilities are more proactive than others, and as CIPs are the formalization of prioritizing capital projects, all face the same challenge, trying to ensure the 'right' projects are prioritized for the available funding.

This paper will describe a new and reinvigorated approach to capital planning that looks to balance capital cost, with the risk reduction of completing a project and leveraging the benefits associated with each project to create balanced, equitable and flexible CIPs. A reinvigorated approach will be of interest to all water utilities wishing to streamline their CIPs. Whether under a financial burden or failing to deliver projects through lack of clear decision making and prioritization, this approach offers a clearer, objective and more defensible approach to capital planning.

Approach:
Applying a reinvigorated CIP approach involves comparing all projects using three common criteria, risk, benefit and cost. Risk when applied is termed risk reduction benefit (RRB). For CIP planning, the RRB is typically determined as the cost of asset failure if not replaced and project benefits. The benefit criteria are identified as a project's social, environmental and economic attributes; collectively called triple bottom line (TBL) and are the potential upside across these areas of building a project. The third common criteria to be considered is cost, the capital and operational cost of implementing a project. The CIP project and the associated common criteria are entered into a prioritization model designed to maximize TBL and RRB and minimize the cost exceedance of the entire CIP portfolio. Figure 1 shows the simple prioritization model. Although simple in concept, prioritizing using three criteria is complex and the approach uses Optimizer™ software by Optimistic to complete the calculations. The software that uses a heuristic learning algorithm, which is an approach designed to solve multi-criteria problems in a faster and more efficient manner that favors speed of process over absolute accuracy or completeness.

The TBL vs. RRB vs. Cost approach when applied to Atlanta made the CIP more comprehensible as each project had a business value and is removed the elements of doubt as to whether the 'right' project were being promoted.

Results:
Stantec applied an Optimatics model for Atlanta using a triple bottom line per dollar (TBL/$) and risk reduction per dollar (RRB/$) to evaluate project benefits and risks. This provided quantifiable and equitable justifiable decisions to governing bodies, regulatory agencies, funding entities, and customers.

The example shown in Figure 2 is taken from Atlanta's Enterprise-wide CIP shows how for the optimal CIP following re-prioritization, the application of annual budget was applied, and how funds for large capital projects were encumbered over more than one year, and projects of different types distributed to create a rolling comprehensible, equitable, and flexible CIP.

Conclusions:
All projects included in a CIP are important but prioritizing them based on triple bottom line per dollar (TBL/$) and risk reduction benefit per dollar (RRB/$) will mean that when scheduling is being determining in year 1, and revisited in subsequent years, will ensure that projects remain value and the changing risk through deteriorating assets are recalculated, moderate risk in year 1, may become a high risk by year 5; understanding the current risk and the potential for change in the future will ensure that, not only are 'right projects' being included, but they are also being designed and implemented at the 'right time'.

One fundamental need of this approach is that the optimization model is designed to run on a routine and periodic basis; for most water utilities this is likely to be on an annual basis. During subsequent updates, the CIP project parameters and cost assumptions can be reviewed and updated as needed. Concurrently, the TBL and RRB scores for those projects already included will be revisited and updated to reflect the passing of time. New scored projects will then be added to OptimizerTM, and a range of scenarios be recreated. Using the available revenues, and project schedules for the next 10-years, the CIP will be re-prioritized, and a new CIP created.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2025, held September 27-October 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation time

13:30:00

14:00:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionAnalyze This: Risk Based CIP Planning

Session locationMcCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

TopicAsset Management, Program Development & Reliability Strategies

Author(s)

Anderson, Nicholas, Flynn, Patrick

Author(s)N. Anderson1, P. Flynn1

Author affiliation(s)Stantec Inc.1, GHD2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825160160

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count11

Base text size -

Flynn, Patrick

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