Testing the robustness of two water distribution system layouts under changing drinking water demand

Abstract

A drinking water distribution system (DWDS) is a critical and a costly asset with a long lifetime. Drinking water demand is likely to change in the coming decades. Quantifying these changes involves large uncertainties. This paper proposes a stress test on the robustness of existing DWDS under changing drinking water demands. The stress test investigates the effects of extreme but plausible demand scenarios on the network performance. Two layouts, one conventional looped designed for fire flows and one designed as a self-cleaning, were tested. For 12 demand scenarios, diurnal patterns were simulated with the end-use model SIMDEUM. The performance of the network was evaluated on three criteria: (1) network pressure, (2) water quality, and (3) continuity of supply. Although the self-cleaning layout had higher head losses, it performed better regarding water quality than the conventional layout. Both networks are robust to the extremities of drinking water demands. The stress test is useful to quantify the performance range of the DWDS. For non-Dutch locations, the criteria and scenarios can be adapted to local conditions