Hydraulic optimization of the physical parameters of a drinking water distribution system

Drinking-water distribution systems are generally designed with methodologies based on trial-and-error tests, which generate feasible results. However, these trials are not the most economical and reliable solution since they do not consider the optimization of the network. For the present work, the hydraulic model of the drinking water distribution network of San José de Cúcuta, Colombia, was optimized by applying the concept of resilience rate and minimum cost. The development of the work consisted of the hydraulic modeling of the physical components of the network in EPANET software, as well as the application of calculations of the connectivity coefficient and the unitary power of each section. With the data obtained from the modeling and calculations, the physical parameters were optimized, and the cost-benefit ratio was estimated. It was found that the current drinking water distribution system does not have a power surplus to overcome a system failure. The optimization increased the total energy surplus of the network (261%) and the resilience rate (585%). Also, the connectivity coefficient was improved with an average value of 0.95. The hydraulic optimization methodology applied resulted in a network resilient to system failures.

Failure assessment for drinking water distribution system in the case of Bahir Dar institute of technology, Ethiopia

In this paper, the issue of failure assessment in the drinking water distribution system was presented. This specific study was conducted on the water distribution system on the campus of Bahir Dar Institute of Technology. The current problem in Bahir Dar institute of technology is that the water infrastructure is aging and has not been spending adequate to repair, replace, or rehabilitate drinking water distribution systems. This develops higher stresses on the water distribution network causing pipes to crack, or rupture permanently while in service. Due to this problem, the whole water supply components in the distribution network led to increased water loss and quality reduction. The general objective of this study is to assess the risk of the water distribution system in the Bahir Dar Institute of technology water supply distribution system. In this study, a structural risk assessment was developed by using ARC GIS 10.5 and Water Cad V8i to get prioritize maps of the water distribution system and hydraulic analysis of the drinking water distribution system of the institute. In developing this assessment, the score was established based on the preset criteria to evaluate customer point risk and structural point risks such as water quality, water availability, pressure head adequacy, the flow rate of water, pipe, storage facility, and pump. Based on the result obtained from an equal weight approach, the score of the drinking water distribution system risk index is a medium level (2.56) with a low level of structural risk (2.5) and a medium level of consumer point risk (2.62). The results evaluated by the AHP method, structural risk has had the highest weight score (76%) which means it needs more priority than consumption point risk (24%), and the result of drinking water distribution system risk index laid at the medium level (2.7), it indicates the institution drinking water distribution system put at the satisfactory condition with the sum up the effect of medium structural risk index (2.65) and medium consumption point risk (2.82). Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, the components of the campus water supply distribution system, particularly parts of the pipe and the majority of the pump, should be replaced before they become obsolete, and suitable preventive measures should be taken.

Microbial Biofilm Diversity and Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Drinking Water Distribution System of Peshawar, Pakistan

The occurrence of microbial communities harboring antibiotic resistance bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the drinking water distribution system pose a significant threat to the aquatic ecosystem and to public health, especially in developing countries. In this study, we have used next-generation sequencing technology to explore bacterial community diversity and the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in biofilms collected from the drinking water distribution system of Peshawar, the capital city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The results showed that Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla (89.79%) in all biofilm samples, followed by Bacteroidetes (3.48%) and Actinobacteria (2.79%). At genus level, Pseudomonas was the most common (22.45%) in all biofilm samples. Overall, bacterial diversity and richness was higher in biofilm samples collected from the consumer end than the source site. Bacterial diversity was also dependent on the piping material (GI vs. PVC) and water supply (direct vs. indirect). Functional annotation reveals a differential abundance of common metabolic pathways at source and consumer end. Resistome analysis revealed a prevalence of resistance genes against 12 classes of antibiotics in all samples with macrolides resistance being the commonest at the consumer end (42.1%) and fluoroquinolone resistance at the source end (24%). To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides new insight and evidence into the microbial community diversity and antibiotic resistance in the drinking water supply system of Peshawar. These findings may ultimately help the authorities to design and implement effective strategies for controlling biofilms and ensuring a continuous supply of safe drinking water to the community.