Leakage detection and location in water distribution systems using a fuzzy-based methodology

Loss of water due to leakage is a common phenomenon observed practically in all water distribution systems (WDS). However, the leakage volume can be reduced significantly if the occurrence of leakage is detected within minimal time after its occurrence. This paper proposes a novel methodology to detect and diagnose leakage in WDS. In the proposed methodology, a fuzzy-based algorithm has been employed that incorporates various uncertainties into different WDS parameters such as roughness, nodal demands, and water reservoir levels. Monitored pressure in different nodes and flow in different pipes have been used to estimate the degree of membership of leakage and its severity in terms of index of leakage propensity (ILP). Based on the degrees of leakage memberships and the ILPs, the location of the nearest leaky node or leaky pipe has been identified. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, a small distribution network was investigated which showed very encouraging results. The proposed methodology has a significant potential to help water utility managers to detect and locate leakage in WDS within a minimal time after its occurrence and can help to prioritise leakage management strategies.     

Optimal sensor locations for contamination detection in pressure-deficient water distribution networks using genetic algorithm

A new sensor placement problem is formulated to cover two objectives of: (1) assuring quality of water delivered to consumers; and (2) detection of any contamination event at the earliest so as to minimize its consequences, through maximization of: (1) demand coverage; and (2) time-constrained detection likelihood for pressure deficient networks. The network may become pressure-deficient owing to continued use of water distribution network beyond its design life. The two objectives are combined using weights. Genetic algorithm is used to obtain optimum sensor locations. The methodology is applied to a pressure- deficient network in the Dharampeth zone of Nagpur city (India). The pressure- dependent analysis is carried out using WaterGem v8i to simulate the system hydraulics. Performance objectives are evaluated considering the availability of flows at nodes and velocity of flow in pipes under pressure-deficient conditions. Comparison of optimal sensor network design is carried out with that obtained by demand-dependent analysis.     

Leakage detection in a real distribution network using a SOM

One great challenge for waterworks is effective leakage detection. This paper presents a method based on the self-organising map for leakage detection in a water distribution network. The data used for training and validating the test results consist of vectors of the flow meter readings and knowledge of reported leak locations. The most important factor facilitating the self-organising-map-based modelling of leaks is the developed leak function. The results of the experiments presented show that the model trained on flow data can detect leaks in a defined distribution network area.     

A review of data-driven approaches for burst detection in water distribution systems

This study focuses on data-driven approaches for burst detection and classifies them into three categories: classification method, prediction-classification method and statistical method. The performance of these methods is discussed. By analysing uncertainty in burst detection, this paper revealed that non-stationary monitoring data and limitations present in these methods challenge the reliability of detection results. Data pre-processing and probabilistic solutions to deal with the uncertainty are summarised. From these findings and discussions, this paper concludes and recommends that: a) data-driven approaches are promising in real-life burst detection and reducing false alarms is an important issue; b) more comprehensive performance evaluation might be necessary, in particular regarding detectable burst size; c) further research on new methods employing multivariate analysis and a new category based on clustering analysis would be beneficial to tackle uncertainty; d) more focus on the use of pressure data might facilitate burst location and reduce investment in burst detection.     

Equity in water supply in intermittent water distribution networks

Equity in water supply is one of the major problems faced in intermittent water distribution systems. A new index ‘uniformity coefficient’ is introduced to measure the equity in distribution of water within the network, which may be useful for performance evaluation of water distribution networks (WDNs). An iterative head‐driven analysis technique is developed to compute the uniformity coefficient of a network. The effect of various design parameters of WDN on the uniform coefficient is studied. The results indicate that equity in water supply is significantly affected by the location of the tank and layout of the network. The equity in water supply can be improved in an existing network by staggered supply.     

A numerical investigation into the effect of pressure on holes and cracks in water supply pipes

The effect of water pressure in a pipe on the rate of leakage from leak openings in the pipe is one of the main factors influencing leakage that is still not understood sufficiently. In this study, the behaviours of different types of leak openings (round holes and longitudinal and circumferential cracks) on pressurized pipes were investigated for different pipe materials (uPVC, steel, cast iron and asbestos cement) using finite element analysis. Linear elastic behaviour was assumed. The study found that (1) pipe stresses are significantly affected by a leak opening, and can easily exceed the material's yield strength in the vicinity of the opening; (2) round holes show the smallest expansion with pressure, followed by circumferential cracks and then longitudinal cracks; (3) the areas of all leak openings increase linearly with pressure; (4) longitudinal pipe stresses affect the behaviours of round holes and circumferential cracks, but not that of longitudinal cracks; and (5) the effect of pressure on a leak opening increases exponentially with increasing hole diameter or crack length. An equation is proposed for modelling the effect of pressure on individual leaks.     

Biostability analysis for drinking water distribution systems

The ability to limit regrowth in drinking water is referred to as biological stability and depends on the concentration of disinfectant residual and on the concentration of substrate required for the growth of microorganisms. The biostability curve, based on this fundamental concept of biological stability, is a graphical approach to study the two competing effects that determine bacterial regrowth in a distribution system: inactivation due to the presence of a disinfectant, and growth due to the presence of a substrate. Biostability curves are a practical, system specific approach for addressing the problem of bacterial regrowth in distribution systems. This paper presents a standardized algorithm for generating biostability curves and this will enable water utilities to incorporate this approach for their site-specific needs. Using data from pilot scale studies, it was found that this algorithm was applicable to control regrowth of HPC in chlorinated systems where AOC is the growth limiting substrate, and growth of AOB in chloraminated systems, where ammonia is the growth limiting substrate.     

Multiobjective optimization of water quality and rechlorination cost in water distribution systems

To comprehensively describe the effect of residual chlorine and disinfection by-products (DBPs) on water quality in water distribution systems (WDS) and optimize rechlorination cost, this study developed a multi-objective optimization model of water quality and rechlorination cost. Firstly, chlorine decay and DBPs formation were simulated using EPANET_MSX. An improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) with real code was used to optimize the multiobjective model and Pareto fronts could be obtained under different conditions. The results showed that Pareto fronts obtained by average value were better than those obtained by standard deviation and multiplication. Moreover, with the number of boosters increased, maximum value of water quality increased and rechlorination cost decreased. Wall chlorine decay constants were the most important on Pareto fronts, followed by the number of chlorination nodes, proportional coefficients of trihalomethanes (THMs) generation based on residual chlorine consumption, and THMs concentration.     

Predicting risk of water quality failures in distribution networks under uncertainties using fault-tree analysis

The water quality in a distribution system is affected by many factors, including operational and environmental conditions as well as the condition in and around the distribution network. Lack of reliable data as well as knowledge gaps with respect to the impact of these factors on water quality make the quantification of water quality failure risk very challenging. Furthermore, the variability inherent in (sometimes) thousands of kilometers of distribution pipes presents added complexities. Major modes of water quality failures can be classified into intrusion of contaminants, regrowth of bacteria (biofilm), water treatment breakthrough, leaching of chemicals or corrosion products from system components, and permeation of organic compounds through plastic pipes. Deliberate contamination and negligence of operators have in recent years become an added concern. In earlier works by Sadiq et al. (2004 Sadiq, R., Kleiner, Y. and Rajani, B. 2004. Aggregative risk analysis for water quality failure in distribution networks. Journal of Water Supply Research and Technology: Aqua, 53(4): 241–261. [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007 Sadiq, R., Kleiner, Y. and Rajani, B. 2007. Water quality failures in distribution networks – risk analysis using fuzzy logic and evidential reasoning. Risk Analysis – An International Journal, 27(5): 1381–1394. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), an aggregative risk analysis approach using hierarchical structure was proposed to describe all possible mechanisms of contamination. In this paper a similar structure is used as a basis for a fault-tree approach. While fault-tree analysis is widely used for many engineering applications, in this paper we specifically explore how interdependencies among factors might impact analysis results. Two types of uncertainties are considered in the proposed analysis. The first is related to the likelihood of risk events, and the second is related to non-linear dependencies among risk events. Each basic risk event (input factor) is defined using a fuzzy probability (likelihood) to deal with its inherent uncertainty. The dependencies among risk events are explored using Frank copula and Frechet's limit. The proposed approach is demonstrated using two well-documented episodes of water quality failures in Canada, namely, Walkerton (ON) and North Battleford (SK).     

Corrosion in a distribution system: Steady water and its composition

Corrosion processes in drinking water distribution systems have been investigated for years. This paper proves the existence of a layer of steady water surrounding and partly filling corrosion scale in corroded water pipes. It is expected that steady water may substantially influence the corrosion. The idea of steady water explains why longer retention times would lead to more turbid waters containing more suspended Fe oxides (hydroxides). During stagnation period stagnant water mixes partially with steady water and the compensation of ions' concentration as well as particle diffusion is observed. Steady water is rich in ions and has reductive properties causing quick disappearance of nitrates and unwanted ammonia formation. Ammonia in turn may be responsible for fast oxygen and chlorine decay in the distribution system due to nitrification. Nitrates may also undergo denitrification in steady water, i.e. they would support bacterial existence in the distribution system. Such an environment makes favourable conditions for sulphate reducing bacteria and in fact in all of the steady water samples we have detected sulphides. Moreover, our results have shown that considerable amounts of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) can be formed in the corroded distribution system.     

Segment identification in water distribution systems

This paper presents a new method for identifying the segments that are formed after the installation and closure of isolation valves in a water distribution network. This method is able to identify segments also when one-way devices are installed in the network. Thanks to its short computing times, the method enables the analysis of real networks which always comprise a large number of nodes and pipes.

The numerical examples presented in this paper refer to two real water distribution networks. The first network is a part of a provincial network where two one-way devices are present; the second is a complex urban network without one-way devices. The method was first used to analyse the existing situation in both networks, i.e. the set of segments that are formed as a consequence of the present valve system. The method was subsequently used for the problem of the hypothetic redesign of the isolation valve system in the second urban network, i.e. the search for the optimal positions of the isolation valves in the network; in the redesign phase it provided solutions which are more cost-effective than the configuration of isolation valves currently present, the level of water service reliability being the same.     

Chlorine demand-based predictive modeling of THM formation in water distribution networks

The potential carcinogenicity of trihalomethanes (THMs) has led to increasingly stricter regulation of drinking water supplies. This has led to the need to manage better the chemical and microbiological risk balance in chlorinated supplies. The use of empirical equations to predict THM concentrations in water quality models is challenging and expensive due to the numerous temporally and spatially dependent uncertainties involved. In this paper, the benefits of a simple predictive method using a THM productivity parameter based on chlorine consumed by bulk free chlorine reactions are explored using extensive field data from a water distribution system in the Midlands region of the UK. It is concluded that the productivity parameter provides an appropriate, relatively robust, yet straightforward alternative to the use of an empirical equation based on regression analyses to predict THM concentrations in distribution, and that the method has the potential to help distribution system water quality model calibration.     

Experimental evaluation of a vibration-based leak detection technique for water pipelines

Conventional water pipeline leak detection surveys employ labour-intensive acoustic techniques, which are usually expensive and not amenable for continuous monitoring of distribution systems. Many previous studies attempted to address these limitations by proposing and evaluating a myriad of continuous, long-term monitoring techniques. However, these techniques have difficulty to identify leaks in the presence of pipeline system complexities (e.g. T-joints), offered limited compatibility with popular pipe materials (e.g. PVC), and were in some cases intrusive in nature. Recently, a non-intrusive pipeline surface vibration-based leak detection technique has been proposed to address some of the limitations of the previous studies. This new technique involves continuous monitoring of the change in the cross-spectral density of surface vibration measured at discrete locations along the pipeline. Previously, the capabilities of this technique have been demonstrated through an experimental campaign carried out on a simple pipeline set-up. This paper presents a follow-up evaluation of the new technique in a real-size experimental looped pipeline system located in a laboratory with complexities, such as junctions, bends and varying pipeline sizes. The results revealed the potential feasibility of the proposed technique to detect and assess the onset of single or multiple leaks in a complex system.     

Effects of disinfectant and biofilm on the corrosion of cast iron pipes in a reclaimed water distribution system

The effects of disinfection and biofilm on the corrosion of cast iron pipe in a model reclaimed water distribution system were studied using annular reactors (ARs). The corrosion scales formed under different conditions were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the bacterial characteristics of biofilm on the surface were determined using several molecular methods. The corrosion scales from the ARs with chlorine included predominantly α-FeOOH and Fe₂O₃, while CaPO₃(OH)·2H₂O and α-FeOOH were the predominant phases after chloramines replaced chlorine. Studies of the consumption of chlorine and iron release indicated that the formation of dense oxide layers and biofilm inhibited iron corrosion, causing stable lower chlorine decay. It was verified that iron-oxidizing bacteria (IOB) such as Sediminibacterium sp., and iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) such as Shewanella sp., synergistically interacted with the corrosion product to prevent further corrosion. For the ARs without disinfection, α-FeOOH was the predominant phase at the primary stage, while CaCO₃ and α-FeOOH were predominant with increasing time. The mixed corrosion-inducing bacteria, including the IRB Shewanella sp., the IOB Sediminibacterium sp., and the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) Limnobacter thioxidans strain, promoted iron corrosion by synergistic interactions in the primary period, while anaerobic IRB became the predominant corrosion bacteria, preventing further corrosion via the formation of protective layers.     

Analysis of water distribution networks with head-dependent outlets

Conventional methods of analysis of a water distribution system impose specified quantities of demand at the nodes and compute the corresponding residual heads. In this study an almost fixed relationship between the residual head and the corresponding outflow is assumed in the analysis. Ignoring this relationship where it is essential may not display the true picture of network performance. Studies in this direction are of recent origin but are seen to impose an upper limit on the outflow beyond a certain level of residual head. In this study a methodology is proposed which takes into account the residual head versus outflow relationship having no clamping of the outflow. An efficient solution technique is employed for solving the governing equations. The appropriateness of the methodology is demonstrated with examples.     

Approximate methods for uncertainty analysis of water distribution systems

Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) has been commonly applied for uncertainty analysis of model predictions. However, when modelling a water distribution system under unsteady conditions, the computational demand of MCS is quite high even for a reasonably sized system. The aim of this study is to evaluate alternative approximation schemes and examine their ability to predict model prediction uncertainty with less computational effort. Here, MCS is compared with a point estimation method, the first-order second-moment (FOSM) method, and a quasi-MCS method, Latin hypercube sampling (LHS). Hydraulic and water quality simulations are performed using EPANET and the evaluated model outputs are nodal pressure, water age and chlorine concentration. Six input parameters, pipe diameter and roughness coefficient, nodal spatial and temporal demands and bulk and wall decay coefficients, are considered. To examine the effect of the magnitude of input uncertainty on model output, three uncertainty levels are evaluated. The study is performed for a real system with 116 pipes and 90 nodes. Results demonstrate that LHS provides very good estimates of the predicted output range for steady and unsteady conditions compared with MCS, while FOSM did well for steady conditions but poorly for some periods in the extended-period simulation for chlorine concentration.     

Effect of THMs concentrations on the redesigning of Bani Suef water distribution system

Controlling trihalomethanes (THMs) formed in water distribution systems (WDS) is an important issue for producing safe drinking water in the last decades. The main objective of this study is to design WDS to minimize THMs formation. Implemented case of Bani Suef water distribution system (BSWDS), Egypt, was modeled and studied for operating scenarios 2020 and 2040 (case study) using WaterCAD software, alternative [1]. Drinking water samples were collected from fifteen points located on BSWDS according to monthly sampling program performed between February and September 2015. Laboratory analysis showed that the total growth rate coefficient was 1.157 day^?1, used in THMs prediction by WaterCAD. Three design alternatives [2, 3, 4] were prepared to reduce the formed THMs based on WaterCAD results. Alternative [2] represented new design of alternative [1] through using decreased pipes diameters to study the effect of reducing travel time on minimizing THMs. Alternative [3] was prepared by redesigning alternative [1] using extending new pipelines from dead ends. Alternative [4] was prepared by redesigning alternative [1] through replacing asbestos cement pipes with new UPVC ones. Predicted THMs from alternatives [2, 3, 4] are lower about 27.85, 21.82 and 11.4% than alternative [1], respectively, for 2020. While, for 2040, are lower about 26.41, 20.2 and 11.4%, respectively.     

谱聚类在给水管网分区优化中的应用

利用图划分技术和图论算法实现给水管网分区。根据给水管网分析,确定分区数量,建立权重邻接矩阵并计算图拉普拉斯矩阵及其特征向量,通过多路图划分对隐藏在特征向量中的聚类信息进行数据挖掘,采用遗传算法和K均值方法实现最佳节点聚类。利用PageRank和最短路径算法确定水表和阀门位置,最终实现给水管网优化分区。实际给水管网模型分区实例表明所提方法在给水管网分区的有效性。     

Controllability analysis as a pre-selection method for sensor placement in water distribution systems

Detection of contamination events in water distribution systems is a crucial task for maintaining water security. Online monitoring is considered as the most cost-effective technology to protect against the impacts of contaminant intrusions. Optimization methods for sensor placement enable automated sensor layout design based on hydraulic and water quality simulation. However, this approach results in an excessive computational burden. In this paper we outline the application of controllability analysis as preprocessing method for sensor placement. Based on case studies we demonstrate that the method decreases the number of decision variables for subsequent optimization dramatically to app. 30 to 40 percent.