Virtual Cities for Water Distribution and Infrastructure System Research

In a society concerned over the possibility of terrorism, secrecy, and security of infrastructure data is crucial. However, research on infrastructure security is difficult in this environment since experiments on real systems can not be publicized. "Virtual cities" are one potential answer to this problem, and a library of these virtual cities is now under development. "Micropolis" is a virtual city of 5000 residents fully described in both GIS and EPANet hydraulic model frameworks. To simulate realism of infrastructure, a developmental timeline spanning 130 years was included. This timeline is manifested in items such as pipe material, diameter, and topology. An example of using the virtual city for simulation of fire protection is presented. The data files describing Micropolis are available from the authors for others' use. A larger city, "Mesopolis," is currently under development and will incorporate additional critical infrastructure dependencies such as electrical power grids and communications. This will supplement the development of further models to account for risks and probability of electrical power failure due to hurricane events. It is hoped that Micropolis, Mesopolis, and additional virtual cities will serve as a "hub" for the development of further research models.