Distribution Network Assessment using EPANET for Intermittent and Continuous Water Supply

Drawbacks of intermittent water supply system and inability to shift to continuous supply mode is the main challenge in developing countries. The suitability of the infrastructure laid over past two to three decades to meet the 24/7 demand of todays population is the issue for many water mangers. The present study addresses this issue using EPANET software for a pilot study area in Nagpur city, India. GIS maps, field survey data, remote sensing data and in-situ measurements of pressure and water quality are used in model simulation study. Total 96 artificial reservoirs are inserted into the network which replicate the end-user practices of excess water withdrawal. Reservoirs are assumed connected to damand nodes with equivalent diameter pipes for intermittent supply simulation. For continuous supply, demand multipliers are derived using Monte Carlo simulation. Bulk decay coefficient 0.17 day^?1 for residual chlorine is used in water quality simulation. Simulation scenario of intermittency indicates existing network is not suitable to maintain desired headloss, and pressure in most of the pipes is very low (<1 m). Water age and water quality problems reveal that rehabilitation of distribution mains and critical pipes in the central part is primarily important before implementing 24/7 water supply scheme in the study area.     

给水管网中管材对水质变化的影响研究

研究了给水管网中镀锌钢管、铝塑管等常用管材中水质变化的规律,得出了三种管材中游离氯和化合氯的衰减规律,分析了金属离子溶出的影响因素.发现三种管材中旧镀锌钢管的余氯衰减最快,新镀锌钢管比铝塑复合管余氯衰减要快,旧镀锌钢管中余氯衰减呈现一级动力学特征,新镀锌钢管和塑料管余氯衰减呈现零级动力学特征.随着管网水停留时间的增加,锌、铁等金属离子浓度增加,溶出铁的含量与浊度、色度呈现很好的线性相关关系.     

Water Supply System Performance for Different Pipe Materials Part II: Sensitivity Analysis to Pressure Variation

In water supply systems there are many situations during normal operation that induce the occurrence of pressure transients, where high pressures are followed by low, sometimes even negative pressures. These transients may cause ruptures in pipes creating thus leaks or opportunities for contaminants to enter the water supply system. Thus severe pressures transients should be avoided or adequately controlled in potable drinking systems. The level of service provided by water distribution systems is an important matter in the water industry of today. However, the measure of the performance of a pipe system network is not a straightforward task. In this study the performance of pressures in two networks (a cast iron network and a polyethylene network) with the same typology was compared. The transient state conditions were induced by different typical hydromechanical devices operation characterised by a sudden pumps trip-off, a leakage occurrence and a closure of an automatic control valve. For the hydraulic simulations, advanced models based on numerical computation for steady and transient state conditions were used. A performance evaluation model was developed to analyse each type of situation since the simulation time period and the concerns regarding the system behaviour can be fairly different.     

Modeling of Water Main Failure Rates Using the Log-linear ROCOF and the Power Law Process

This paper presents applications of the log-linear ROCOF and the power law process to model the failure rate and estimate the economically optimal replacement time of the individual pipes in a water distribution system. The performance of the two failure rate models is examined using the maximized log-likelihoods for different modeling approaches in which the method of observing failures differs. The optimal replacement time equations for the two models are developed by applying the methodology of Loganathan et al. (J Water Resour Plan Manage ASCE 128(4):271–279, 2002) for the case in which modified time scales are used. It was found that the log-linear ROCOF showed better performance than the power law process when the ‘failure-time-based’ method is used. Furthermore, the ‘failure-time-based’ method is proved to be superior compared to the ‘failure-number-based’ method for the water mains under study, implying that recording each failure time results in better modeling of the failure rate than observing failure numbers in some time intervals.     

Design of Water Distribution Network for Equitable Supply

Water shortage is experienced in different parts of the world in different magnitude. In certain countries, water deficit is a regular phenomenon and in some other countries it happens for a short duration, due to failure of any component in the system. Shortage of water at source can be best tackled by distributing the available water equally among the consumers. This paper deals with the design of water distribution network capable of equitable supply during shortage in addition to the satisfactory performance under non-deficit condition. Performance of a typical water distribution network, with shortage of water at source is illustrated in detail. Head dependent outflow analysis with extended period simulation, is used to determine the actual supply from each node to consumers. Relationship between duration of supply and volume available at source as well as supply from each node are established for understanding the behaviour of network under low supply situation. A term “inequity” which is the maximum difference in supply demand ratio among different consumers is presented. This is based on the actual performance of the network instead of surrogate measures, generally used for reliability. It is illustrated that the maximum “inequity” in supply in a network during the entire duration of supply can be estimated with single analysis. Design of a water distribution network, duly considering equity in addition to the cost minimization and minimum head requirement is presented. Genetic Algorithm is used for solving this multi objective problem. The solution technique is illustrated using two benchmark problems, namely two loop network and Hanoi network. Results show that considerable improvement in equitable supply can be achieved with additional investment on pipes above the least cost solution. Hence it is better to design networks duly considering deficit condition for better reliability. It is also illustrated that it will be difficult to improve equity beyond a limit for a given network, through selection of different pipe diameters.     

Improving Consumer Satisfaction in Water Distribution Networks Through Optimal Use of Auxiliary Tanks (A Case Study of Kashan City,Iran)

Temporal and spatial variations in pressure may lead to consumer dissatisfaction and distrust of water distribution networks when it comes to reliable performance. Pressure management is a set of programs and operations conducted in water distribution networks to adjust the pressure. Constructing new auxiliary tanks in proper locations at the best height for the area they serve minimizes the pressure fluctuations. Additionally, chlorine is often injected in the reservoirs and tanks to improve the water quality. The goal of this research was to improve the condition of the network by adding auxiliary tanks with appropriate locations, heights and chlorine concentration. An optimization model is prepared to optimize consumer satisfaction, water quality and the relevant costs as objective functions. The performance of the models are evaluated by a selected case study; and the objectives are optimized in three scenarios. Using the proposed model in a water distribution network, a trade-off diagram of reliability and costs is obtained, that lets the decision makers select the proper options considering the available fund. A new indicator, the consumer satisfaction index, is also proposed as a way to evaluate the performance of water distribution networks.     

An Integrated Model to Evaluate Losses in Water Distribution Systems

To evaluate non revenue water (NRW) and losses in water distribution networks a methodology is developed by applying “annual water balance” and “minimum night flow” analyses. In this approach the main NRW components such as leakage from reported and un-reported bursts and background leakage, with real or estimated data, enabling assessment of indices of leakage performance are evaluated. Also, a novel procedure is introduced in this paper that can determine the nodal and pipe leakage by using a hydraulic simulation model. Recognising the pressure dependency of leakage the total consumption is divided into two parts, one pressure dependent and the other independent of local pressure, and the hydraulic behaviour of the network is analyzed. A computer code is developed to evaluate all components of water losses based on the proposed methodology. For better representation of the results and management of the system, the outputs are exported to a GIS model. Using the capabilities of this GIS model, the network map and attribute data are linked and factors affecting network leakage are identified. In addition, the effects of pressure reduction are investigated. The model is illustrated by a real case study. The results show that the suggested model has overcome the shortcomings of the existing methodologies by accounting for the leakage and other NRW components in water distribution networks more realistically.     

Optimal pipe replacement strategy based on break rate prediction through genetic programming for water distribution network

Pipe breaks often occur in water distribution networks and result in large water loss and social-economic damage. To reduce the water loss and maintain the conveyance capability of a pipe network, pipes that experienced a severe break history are often necessary to be replaced. However, when to replace a pipe is a difficult problem to the management of water distribution system. This study took part of the water distribution network of Beijing as a case and collected the pipe properties and the pipe breaks data in recent years (2008–2011). A prediction model of pipe beak rate was first developed using genetic programming. Then, an economically optimal pipe replacement model was set up. Finally, the optimal pipe replacement time was determined by the model. The results could help the utility managers to make cost-effective pipe maintenance plans.     

Validation and Examination of Existing Water Distribution Network for Continuous Supply of Water Using EPANET

Dire Dawa, the second largest city of Ethiopia, was facing about the distribution system adopted for supplying clean water. It was being observed that an intermittent type of supply with main and secondary distribution pipes. It was observed that, the current water demand has surpassed the present existing supply about 65%. Hence, in order to provide sufficient quantity and good potable water with continuous (24 X 7) water supply for various sectors of study area: Sabiyan region, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, was selected. Also, Dire Dawa Water Supply & Sewerage Authority has taken a strong decision in order to validate and examine the existing water distribution network for improved water supply. On the other hand, the main important factor which effects the validation is that the age of pipes and other accessories in present existing network were longstanding. Therefore, to avoid the leakage losses and various problems encountered with the present system, a detailed is study is conducted and the analysis is carried out using EPANET tool to design for continuous water supply. After thorough analysis by considering future concerns, it was suggested that, two GLSRs of each with 2.7 Mm³ capacity may be provided in order to meet the future demands. The tanks are provided at required elevation to ensure that the water flows in all pipes of the network efficiently. Based on the output it was observed that the diameter of pipes from the existing system ought to be revised. Additionally, other parameters which effect the network like frictional losses, velocity of flow in the pipes, residual head and pressure at nodes were also examined thoroughly by the use of different tools like WaterGEMS and Auto CAD in addition to EPANET.     

Identification of Critical Pipes for Water Distribution Network Rehabilitation

The water distribution network needs to be rehabilitated when the network is unable to perform the desired function. In this study, a methodology is developed to identify the critical pipes in the water distribution network for its rehabilitation by using four network reliability metrics: supply shortage, pressure decline, energy loss per unit length, and the hydraulic uniformity index. These metrics consider different aspects of reliability of the water distribution network using pressure-dependent analysis to calculate the overall criticality of the pipes. In contrast to the conventional reliability index, the present study uses both the normal and abnormal conditions at nodes (fire demand) and pipe (pipe failure) and thus, provides more balance reliability metrics for the network. The literature shows that the node and pipe level metrics have been used separately, whereas in this study both the node and pipe level metrics are combined to develop the present methodology. The methodology is applied to four different water distribution networks, including one typical realistic water distribution network, the data for which is adopted from literature. The results show that the methodology can identify the critical pipes successfully to prioritize the water distribution network rehabilitation and found to be simple in implementation for practicing professionals. The results further show that the critical pipes are found to be located from the source on the paths that do not have a loop or around the nodes of higher demand. The study might also be useful for the extension plan of a water distribution network along with strengthening the deficient nodes/ pipes of the network.

     

Methodology for Detecting Critical Points in Pressurized Irrigation Networks with Multiple Water Supply Points

The modernization processes of hydraulic infrastructures from old open channels to pressurized networks have increased water use efficiency along with a dramatic increase of energy consumptions. The significant energy requirements associated with the increment of the energy tariffs for irrigation involve higher production costs for farmers. Therefore, strategies to reduce energy consumption in irrigation districts are strongly demanded. Methodologies based on sectoring and critical points control have been applied to branched networks with a single water supply point, obtaining significant energy savings. In this work, a new critical point control methodology for networks with multiple sources has been developed: the WEPCM algorithm, which uses the NSGA-II multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to find the lowest energy consumption operation rule of a set of pumping stations connected to an irrigation network that satisfies the pressure requirements, when the critical points are successively disabled. WECPM has been applied to a real irrigation district in Southern Spain. The obtained results were compared with those achieved by the WEBSOM algorithm, developed for sectoring multiple source networks. The control of critical points by the replacement of two pipes and the installation of four booster pumps provided annual energy savings of 36 % compared to the current network operation. Moreover, the control of critical points was more effective than sectoring, obtaining an additional annual energy saving of 10 %.     

紫外线消毒对水中余氯衰减规律的影响研究

对经紫外线消毒后水中余氯的衰减规律进行了研究,考察了pH、有机物含量、紫外线强度及剂量等因素对氯衰减速率的影响。结果表明:紫外线剂量低于40mJ/cm2时紫外线消毒对氯衰减基本没有影响,而当紫外线剂量大于40mJ/cm2时会加速氯的衰减速度,紫外线剂量从40mJ/cm2提高到1 000mJ/cm2时,水中余氯由3.2mg/L下降到2.8mg/L;低紫外线强度下氯的衰减速度低于高紫外线强度情况,如紫外线剂量为100mJ/cm2,紫外线强度为0.113 00mW/cm2和0.028 25mW/cm2时,水中余氯分别为2.31mg/L和2.63mg/L;在同一紫外线剂量下,pH偏酸性时氯衰减速度高于高pH情况;增加水中有机物浓度会加快氯的衰减速度。在实际应用低紫外线强度进行消毒时,如降低投氯量将不能有效保证管网水中的余氯量。     

Cascade Correlation Artificial Neural Networks for Estimating Missing Monthly Values of Water Quality Parameters in Rivers

Three layer cascade correlation artificial neural network (CCANN) models have been developed for the prediction of monthly values of some water quality parameters in rivers by using monthly values of other existing water quality parameters as input variables. The monthly data of some water quality parameters and discharge, for the time period 1980–1994, of Axios river, at a station near the Greek – FYROM borders and for the time period 1980–1990, of Strymon river, at a station near the Greek – Bulgarian borders, were selected for this study. The training of CCANN models was achieved by the cascade correlation algorithm which is a feed-forward and supervised algorithm. Kalman's learning rule was used to modify the artificial neural network weights. The choice of the input variables introduced to the input layer was based on the stepwise approach. The number of nodes in the hidden layer was determined based on the maximum value of the correlation coefficient. The final network arhitecture and geometry were tested to avoid over-fitting. The selected CCANN models gave very good results for both rivers and seem promising to be applicable for the estimation of missing monthly values of water quality parameters in rivers.     

全国水质监测规划概述

水质监测是水资源管理与保护的重要基础。目前我国水资源紧缺,水污染严重,水质监测提供的水质信息显得尤为重要。加上新《水法》的颁布实施,对水质监测工作提出了明确的、更高的要求,因此,加强水资源管理与保护工作需要水质监测超前发展,而水质监测规划是推进水质监测事业持续发展的依据。通过对水质监测站网、能力建设、技术体系等方面的规划,预计2010年将实现站点优化布局,实现水质自动监测。     

Evaluating the Economic Residual Life of Water Pipes Using the Proportional Hazards Model

This paper provides a method for evaluating the residual lives of water pipes using the proportional hazards model (PHM) based on the economically optimal replacement times of pipes. The survival times, which are used in the proportional hazards modeling process, were defined as the economically optimal replacement times of pipes. The break rate of an individual pipe is estimated using the General Pipe Break Model (GPBM). The optimal replacement time of a pipe is obtained using the equivalence relationship between the GPBM and threshold break rate. In order to use the GPBM effectively, the process of estimating the GPBM has been modified in this paper by utilizing additional break data for the time of installation and adjusting the value of the weighting factor (WF) in the GPBM. The residual lives and hazard ratios of the case study pipes, of which the cumulative number of breaks was at least one, were estimated using the estimated survivor function of the constructed PHM. The time-dependency of the pipe material covariate caused the hazard rate of the cast iron pipes to become lower than the hazard rate of the steel pipes after 19 years since installation. The methodology developed in this paper may help utilities identify important factors related to the economics of water pipe maintenance and; therefore more efficiently maintain their water pipes.     

Pipe Networks Risk Assessment Based on Survival Analysis

Integrated management of pipe networks should include methods for monitoring, repairing and replacing deteriorating components (usually pipes), but also methods and everyday operating practices towards a proactive risk assessment approach in order to give a solid answer to the unavoidable “repair or replace” dilemma. The present paper attempts to check whether the Discriminant Analysis and Classification (DAC) method can be used to achieve the above mentioned goals and predict the future behaviour of network pipes. Three pipe networks carrying different types of fluids (oil; gas; and water) are used as case studies. For each case study network, the DAC method is used to classify the pipes into two groups (failures/successes), based on simple variables (pipe/network characteristics) and dimensionless joint ones. Several scenarios are being analysed for each case. The results for the two cases of oil and gas networks are very satisfying. The implementation of the DAC method to water pipe networks needs to overcome serious problems related to the quality, reliability and compatibility of the data records provided by the Water Utilities. In this paper, these shortcomings are faced combining field data with theoretical one. Also the distinction between what “failure” and “success” actually mean in a water pipe network has to be determined. The present study uses the total water volume being lost as a definition criterion.     

Classification of Drinking Water Quality Index and Identification of Significant Factors

Water pipes are considered to be one of responsible sources for the water pollution. Among these sources of water supply, the water pipes are the only source of carrying out fresh or processed water into lakes, ponds and streams etc. In Pakistan, knowledge on the condition of water pipes is scarce as deterioration of water pipes are hardly inspected due to high cost. The aim of the current research was to examine the quality of water pipelines of eight districts of South-Punjab, namely, Mianwali, Khushab, Layyah, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Selected sampling stations were analyzed for physio-chemical parameters such as pH, Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), Sulfate (SO₄), Chlorine (Cl), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Hardness, Nitrate (NO₃), Fluoride (F) and Iron (Fe). The data pertaining water monitoring contain different parameters and seem difficult work for the interpretation of water quality by managing different parameters separately. For this purpose, National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSF-WQI) was determined to communicate the quality of water in a simple form. Besides this, groups comprising of similar sampling sites based on water quality characteristics were identified using unsupervised technique. Factor Analysis (FA) has been performed for extracting the latent pollution sources that may cause the more variance in large and complex data. The calculated values of WQI from 1600 sampling stations ranging from 20.73 to 223.74 are divided into five groups; Excellent to Unsuitable class of waters with the average value 62.09 described as good limit for drinking water. Further sampling stations are divided into five optimal clusters selected with suitable k value obtained from Silhouette coefficient. Results of k-means clustering are also verified with natural groups made by WQI. Analysis of multivariate techniques showed several factors to be responsible for the water quality deterioration. It is found out from the FA that three latent factors such as organic pollution, agriculture run-off and urban land use caused 83.30 % of the total variation. Hence, water quality management and control of these latent factors are strongly recommended.     

Parameter Estimation in Water Distribution Networks

Estimation of pipe roughness coefficients is an important task to be carried out before any water distribution network model is used for online applications such as monitoring and control. In this study, a combined state and parameter estimation model for water distribution networks is presented. Typically, estimation of roughness coefficient for each individual pipe is not possible due to non-availability of sufficient number of measurements. In order to address this problem, a formal procedure based on K-means clustering algorithm is proposed for grouping the pipes which are likely to have the same roughness characteristics. Also, graph-theoretic concepts are used to reduce the dimensionality of the problem and thereby achieve significant computational efficiency. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated on a realistic urban water distribution network.     

南水北调工程辛庄口门有压重力输水系统管径优化设计

南水北调工程河南省辛庄口门输水系统设计日供水能力86万m3,总长约212 km,属典型的长距离、大流量有压重力输水系统,管道在整个工程投资中所占比例较大.为节省工程投资,结合辛庄口门实际情况,建立了以管道材料用量最小为目标函数,满足设计供水能力为约束条件的数学模型,采用非线性规划的方法对管道直径进行了最优化求解,计算结果为实际工程的最优化设计提供了有力支持.     

Comparison Among Resilience and Entropy Index in the Optimal Rehabilitation of Water Distribution Networks Under Limited-Budgets

The replacement of existing pipes is a strategy for the rehabilitation of water distribution networks that is frequently adopted by water companies. Usually, the optimal choice of the pipes diameter is a difficult optimization task, because limited budgets are available. In order to support the selection of a rehabilitation strategy, surrogate reliability measures are often used as an indirect measure of the water distribution system hydraulic performance. Among others, the resilience and entropy indices have attracted considerable interest because they both represent a measure of the network robustness. In the present work, a comparison between these indices is provided in the framework of the optimal rehabilitation of an existing network under limited budget constraint. The resilience and entropy indices are applied to the case of a realistic water distribution network in an extended period simulation framework. Several values of the maximum budget allocable for rehabilitation are considered, and hydraulic calculations are undertaken by means of a pressure driven approach within a modified EPANET 2 environment. The effectiveness of the two surrogate reliability measures is demonstrated by an a-posteriori reliability assessment.