Expertise in water loss control applied to extreme problems of water distribution management

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Waldron

The application of International Water Association guidelines to control water losses provides a foundation for new methods and psychologies for controlling Water Distribution Systems. Best management techniques utilizing International Water Association water loss control methodologies compared to totally open distribution networks can now be supported for analysis scenarios using both network analysis and genetic algorithms.

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miran Mastaller ◽  
Philipp Klingel

The International Water Association water balance is an approach applied worldwide for determining and analysing water losses in water distribution systems (WDS) up to the point of customer metering. Thus, water losses occurring ‘before’ a customer meter are at the expenses of the water utility while water lost or wasted ‘after’ the meter is paid for by the customer. This applies to systems where customer metering is in place and/or consumption is charged according to the consumed volumes. However, many WDS in the world lack customer meters, are operated intermittently and a considerable amount of water is lost or wasted within the private property, e.g. by overflows of private tanks. The flat-rate tariff applied might not cover this amount or part of the amount. Thus, actual consumption and wastage should be separately quantified or estimated with respect to the utility's water reduction measures and the calculation of revenue water. This paper presents a water balance approach adapted to WDS which are operated intermittently, lack customer metering and charge flat-rate tariffs as well as a methodology for establishing the balance. The application is demonstrated for a district metered area of the city of Tiruvannamalai, India.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3446
Author(s):  
Martin Oberascher ◽  
Michael Möderl ◽  
Robert Sitzenfrei

Water losses in water distribution networks (WDNs) are unavoidable. Water losses are evaluated based on performance indicators (PIs) and used for future recommendations for network operators to take measures against water losses. However, these evaluations primarily focus on large and medium sized WDN and do not deal with the challenges of small WDNs (e.g., technical, and financial limitations, missing data). Therefore, an appropriate water loss management is a major challenge for operators in the federal state of Tyrol (Austria) due to the high number of small WDNs, e.g., low income in combination with long network lengths. In this regard, this work specifies and discusses state funding in Austria to support network operators to reduce water losses. To assess the impacts on management strategies, 40 WDNs, supplying 200 to 16,000 inhabitants, are investigated in detail. As the comparison of different PIs shows, a volume related PI (e.g., water loss volume divided by total water demand) is recommend as the decision criterion for local authorities due to minimal efforts and its easy calculation. Moreover, public funding helps to significantly reduce water losses in individual systems, but countermeasures should be different for small and larger WDNs. For example, leakage detection campaigns and rehabilitation planning based on pipe age should be established in future for larger WDNs in Tyrol. In contrast, an online flow metering system to monitor system inflows is suggested for small WDNs. Based on measurement data, leakages and burst can be detected and repaired swiftly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80
Author(s):  
Anca Hoțupan ◽  
Roxana Mare ◽  
Adriana Hădărean

Abstract Water losses on the potable water distribution networks represent an important issue; on the one hand, water loss does not bring money and on the other hand, they modify water flow and pressure distribution on the entire system and this can lead to a cut-off of the water supply. A stringent monitoring of the water distribution network reduces considerably the water losses. The appearance of a leakage inside the distribution network is inevitable in time. But very important is its location and repair time – that are recommended to be as short as possible. The present paper analyses the hydraulic parameters of the water flow inside a supply pipe of a looped network that provides potable water for an entire neighbourhood. The main goals are to optimize these parameters, to reduce water losses by rigorous monitoring and control of the service pressure on the supply pipe and to create a balance between pressure and water flow. The presented method is valid for any type of distribution network, but the obtained values refer strictly to the analysed potable water distribution looped network.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e407101220659
Author(s):  
Emerson Pessanha de Almeida ◽  
Fernando das Graças Braga da Silva ◽  
Victor Eduardo de Mello Valerio

The research carried out in the water distribution networks is of great importance, given the social, environmental and economic impacts that have occurred due to the scarcity of water resources. Therefore, any scientific effort shown in research that studies water distribution systems is of great relevance. Techniques such as mathematical modeling, computer simulation and statistical methods are widely used in order to obtain more reliable answers, whether for the identification of the current situation of the network, as well as for the prediction of scenarios, failure events, increased demand, etc. The objective of this work is to carry out a bibliometric analysis to identify the state of the art of research that addresses the theme of water distribution networks for the control and reduction of the volume of water losses, which will serve as a guide for future works to to structure itself in the most relevant researches that study the theme. The developed methodology was able to analyze a metadata composed of 4188 documents taken from the Web of Science journals database. As a result, a geographical view of the theme was obtained, pointing out the main countries, affiliations, journals and researchers, as well as pointing out the main documents and relevance of the theme. It can be concluded after the results obtained that bibliometric analysis is an important tool for obtaining the state of the art. With it is possible to have a better understanding of the current situation in the development of research, familiarizing researchers with what is most current and relevant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-150
Author(s):  
E. Vitan ◽  
Anca Hotupan ◽  
Adriana Hadarean

Abstract The performance evaluation of an implemented water distribution network is in tight relation with the choice of adequate measures for water loss reduction. Hence, the consequences of placing the water network in a wrong performance category are bad and will conduct to unreasonably costs or considerable water loss volumes. Therefore, the evaluation of the water network performance level based on both Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) indicators is to be recommended. This paper deals with the performance evaluation of water distribution systems based on the calculated performance indicators NRW and ILI. For this purpose, collected data for a period of one year from 12 Romanian small water distribution systems and two simplified average pressure determination methods were used.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bambos Charalambous

Water shortage and the future threat posed by changing climatic conditions has intensified the need for the development of appropriate water management approaches, which aim at keeping a balance between water supply and demand. Losses from water distribution systems must be of concern to every water utility, especially in areas of our planet where water is found in very limited quantities. It is therefore imperative that water utilities apply simple and effective methodologies in accounting for water losses from their transmission and distribution systems. The Water Loss Task Force (WLTF) of the International Water Association (IWA) has established a water audit method, which traces water from its source right through the system and derives at the end the revenue and non-revenue component, in other words is a methodology for water accountability and an integrated approach to water loss control. The Water Board of Lemesos, Cyprus recognised at a very early stage the importance and significance of establishing a proper water audit system and has over the years developed its infrastructure in such a way in order to be able to account efficiently and accurately for all water produced. Reduction and control of water loss was achieved through the application of a holistic strategy based on the approach developed by the WLTF of the IWA. Integral part of this approach is the establishment and operation of DMAs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 347-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miran Mastaller ◽  
Philipp Klingel

Abstract Establishing the water balance developed by the International Water Association (IWA) is a worldwide applied approach to determine and analyse water losses in water distribution systems (WDS). The water balance covers those parts of a WDS within the responsibility of the water utility. Water losses occurring ‘before’ a customer meter are at the expense of the utility, while water lost or wasted ‘after’ the meter is paid for by the customer. This applies to systems where customer metering is in place and/or consumption is charged according to the consumed volumes. However, many WDS in the world lack customer meters, are operated intermittently and apply flat-rate tariffs. In intermittent supplies, a considerable amount of water is lost or wasted within the private properties. The flat-rate tariff might not cover this amount or part of the amount. Thus, actual consumption and wastage should be separately quantified with respect to the utility's water reduction measures. Accepting the described conditions, the authors have developed an adaption of the IWA water balance and the methods to establish the balance. In this paper the application of the developed approach in an initially unmetered WDS with intermittent water supply in the city of Tiruvannamalai, India, is presented.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 618-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Loureiro ◽  
H. Alegre ◽  
S. T. Coelho ◽  
A. Martins ◽  
A. Mamade

The control of water losses is a major concern in the sustainability of urban water utilities and in promoting the efficient use of this natural resource. Recent advances in telemetry technology provide high-resolution consumption data at the consumer level, allowing for a remarkable knowledge improvement on the different water balance components. However, few studies focus on systematic approaches for improving system operation and maintenance by processing and analysing large amounts of consumption data. This paper presents a new methodology to calculate real losses and apparent losses in distribution networks using data collected from telemetry systems. The methodology proposes a set of algorithms that are simple to implement. These algorithms were tested on different district metered areas (DMA) to improve understanding about water loss components and have already been included in commercial software. The results showed that these algorithms are robust and allow for accurately estimating the background leakage level (and unreported leaks and bursts), detecting earlier the occurrence of bursts and providing important insights into the type of illegal water uses. The use of these approaches reduced non-revenue water by more than 10% in the majority of the DMA tested. These findings are promising and demonstrate the strong potential of telemetry systems to reduce water losses and to improve the understanding of water uses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-117
Author(s):  
Alan S. Wyatt

Abstract The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has developed and disseminated advanced methods and performance indicators for assessing and reducing water losses in North America, based in large part on the methods and indicators developed by the International Water Association (IWA). However, many utilities and regulators still use the old, inaccurate, %NRW indicator. A robust, quantitative assessment of the technical rigor of water loss indicators was needed but could not be found in the literature. So, an innovative approach was developed, using Frontier Analysis which provided such a score of ‘technical rigor’. This paper presents this method, applied to three datasets from North America, assessing 15 candidate indicators for total water losses, apparent losses and real losses. The results provide quantitative ‘scores’ of the technical rigor of the candidate indicators. Indicators with relatively high scores align with indicators used in the IWA best practices. Other indicators, such as the %NRW indicator, were found to have low technical rigor. The conclusion of the paper summarizes the rigorous indicators, and suggests areas for further application of this method, and for further research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-103
Author(s):  
Erizaldy Azwar ◽  
Diki Surya Irawan ◽  
Muhammad Naufal

Water distribution networks that are unoptimally operated can cause various problems so that water flows are not evenly distributed to consumers. One of the causes is the high water loss level due to leaks in the distribution pipeline system, as one of the water operators in Jakarta, Indonesia, PT. XYZ has tremendous efforts to improve the water supply system. One of them is to reduce physical water losses. The estimated percentage of physical water losses of water distribution networks in Green Garden District, West Jakarta, in April 2018 has amounted to 30%. It is still above the tolerance standard for the national water loss rate in Indonesia's Water Utilities, around 20%. It is necessary to reduce water loss to overcome this problem. After performing a step test program in the Green Garden District, it was found that there was a water loss of 84 lps in July 2018, which increased to 103.16 l/sin in May 2019 or showed an increase of 23%. Then, a pressure calibration was undertaken by placing six pressure monitoring points on the district in May 2019 using hydraulic simulation from WaterGEMS V.10. This calibration obtained the highest pressure Gap at pressure monitoring point #5 of 2.5 mH2O and the lowest pressure monitoring point #1 of 1.03 mH2O. Subsequently, leak detection measures were conducted to reduce physical water loss from January to May 2019,  PT. XYZ water distribution network uses two leak detection methods, visible and invisible leak detections, which had successfully reduced its net night flows (NNFs). The leak repairs obtained 77 leak points, which consisted of 32 visible leaks and 45 invisible leaks. Total estimated leakage flows of 5.33 lps were obtained from the decrease in the net night flow, which indicates a decrease in physical water loss by 16% from January to March 2019.


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