AWWA Joins International Partners In Taiwan To Strengthen Earthquake Resilience

A delegation from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) joined global water leaders in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 19-20 at the 13th CTWWA/JWWA/WRF Water System Seismic Conference, to collaborate on strategies to protect water systems from earthquake damage.

Hosted by the Chinese Taipei Water Works Association (CTWWA), the Japan Water Works Association (JWWA), and the Water Research Foundation (WRF), the conference convened 124 participants and featured 43 presentations from five countries, making it the largest event in the conference’s history. AWWA delegates included leaders from the California-Nevada, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii sections.

AWWA President Heather Collins delivered a keynote highlighting the seismic risks facing regional water systems and the strategies utilities can use to strengthen infrastructure and emergency preparedness.

“This conference is new for AWWA, and we are genuinely excited to be part of it,” Collins said in her opening remarks. “Seismic resilience and water reuse are critical to the future of water systems everywhere, and we see tremendous potential for lasting cooperation.”

AWWA’s California-Nevada, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii Sections contributed technical perspectives from U.S. utilities. Presentations covered a slippage-based seismic design approach for ductile iron pipe under extreme ground motions, experimental assessment of hazard-resilient pipeline systems, and structural health monitoring of pipelines using distributed strain and temperature sensing.

“I was honored and pleased to be part of the delegation representing the U.S. at the seismic conference,” said Mike Britch, engineering and construction manager for the Tualatin Valley Water District. “The conference provided a great opportunity to hear ideas from engineering and academic communities from across the world related to improving the seismic resilience of water systems.”

Throughout the two-day program, experts from Japan, Taiwan, the United States, Turkey and Canada shared new research on seismic design, pipeline performance, and recovery planning, drawing on lessons from recent major earthquakes in the Asia-Pacific region like the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

“This conference further solidified the cooperation among the United States, Japan and Taiwan as we work together to enhance the seismic safety and resilience of water supply systems across our regions,” said CTWWA Chairman Jia-Rung Lee.

For more information about AWWA’s international program, visit awwa.org/international.

About The American Water Works Association
Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most vital resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.