Geospatial and Hydraulic Simulation to Design District Metered Areas for Large Water Distribution Networks

Water distribution systems can be divided into district metered areas (DMAs) to improve their management. DMAs are individual service regions within a distribution system that have a defined set of supply sources, and hydraulic and quality parameters can be controlled at their entrances. Designing DMA configurations to meet management goals, such as pressure or demand uniformity, is challenging because of the unique topological conditions of each water system, the variability in water demand required by each geographic zone, and the high interconnection of pipes within water systems. This research couples geospatial analysis with a hydraulic simulator to design DMAs for a highly constrained large water network. Solutions specify modifications of valve settings and tank operations and the addition of new pipes to the network. The performance of the DMA design is evaluated based on objectives to minimize implementation cost, demand similarity, pressure uniformity, and water age and constraints related to pressure and number of entrances per district. The methodology is applied to design DMAs for E-Town, a large water system that was presented at the Battle of Water Networks District Metered Areas. The coupled approach identifies DMA designs that satisfy constraints with satisfactory performance for multiple objectives.