Identification of the optimal entry points at District Metered Areas and implementation of pressure management

Abstract

Nowadays, the implementation of pressure management in District Metered Areas (DMAs) is considered one of the most effective tools for leakage control, particularly in large networks and in systems with deteriorated infrastructures and with high pressure. The goal of the methodology proposed in this paper is to identify the optimal entry points at DMAs, determine the network needs in terms of reinforcement/replacement, and fix both the location and settings of different types of Pressure Reduction Valves (PRVs) for leakage control. This methodology is based on an optimisation model, which is solved by a Simulated Annealing algorithm, and the solutions obtained always fulfil the minimum pressure requirements for the network. The objective function comprises the total cost of the DMAs implementation and the economic benefits that can be achieved by pressure management. Finally, the results for two case studies are presented and discussed.

Keywords:

• District Metered Areas (DMAs)
• pressure management
• simulated annealing
• water loss management

Acknowledgments

The first author would like to thank the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) for the award of the PhD grant under POS_C – Skills Development Support – Measure 1.2. Reference: SFRH/BD/31723/2006.