Abstract

GOMEZ-MARTINEZ, Patricia; CUBILLO-GONZALEZ, Francisco  and  MARTIN-CARRASCO, Francisco Javier. Methodology for efficiency assessment in sectorized water distribution networks. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.4, pp.57-77. ISSN 2007-2422.  https://doi.org/10.24850/j-tyca-2017-04-04.

Improving water distribution network efficiency, while ensuring a predefined level of service, is one of the main goals for water suppliers. In order to improve existing networks management and control, network sectorization is gaining importance. It is based on network division into isolated zones, delimited by boundary valves, which are hydraulically monitored. Given the diversity of criteria for sectors’ design, a methodology for sectorized networks assessment is proposed for selecting the most efficient sector’s configuration in terms of every alternative’s service vulnerability and involved costs. Vulnerability is assessed through a multi-objective function based on three of the main service related goals to achieve with a sectorization project: service continuity, water quality and appropriate pressure range. This way, performance indicators for quantifying these goals are proposed, normalized and weighted to be combined according to the reference of studied network. In order to assess sectors efficiency every alternative costs, including sector’s establishment and instrumentation cost, energetic, operational and maintenance costs, are considered for solutions’ comparison. Such process is carried out through a Pareto analysis. Vulnerability analysis allows the identification of sectors for prioritizing investments in existing networks while the efficiency analysis allows the selection of the best options from different alternatives, also for new sectors’ design. The methodology has been applied to 494 sectors of Canal de Isabel II distribution network in Madrid (Spain).

Keywords : Sectorized distribution network; performance indicators; efficiency; vulnerability; DMA; service level.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )