Critical Flood Risk Assessment, Priority Classification and Vulnerability Assessment Guidelines for PR Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

Floods occurs in almost every part of the world because of extreme rainfall events. Around 7,000 people lose their lives and nearly 100 million people worldwide are adversely affected by floods each year. Flooding also cost billions of dollars each year in damages and repairments. Puerto Rico is not exempt to this problem. In this project, a risk assessment priority matrix was created to classify each wastewater treatment plants in Puerto Rico. The classification and prioritization of the plants will allow the owner to identify those with highest risks and perform specific vulnerability assessment. General guidelines for the specific vulnerability assessment were provided. The results of this project showed that 57% of the wastewater treatment plants are at high risk of flood damage. Key Terms ⎯ Flood Assessment, Flood Resilience, Risk Assessment, Vulnerability