Detection of leaks in water distribution system using routine water quality measurements

Water distributions systems are primary means of safe drinking water supply to the public. Water produced and delivered to the distribution system is intended for the customer. However, a significant amount of the water is lost in the distribution system before even reaching the customers. Water customers are metered for the usage at end connection but a significant portion of water produced by the utilities never passes through the meters. This leads to wastage of valuable water and loss of revenues for the utilities. The occurrence of leaks depends on the factors like material, composition, age and joining methods of the distribution systems components. Due to the complex nature and vast spatial extent of a water distribution system it may be difficult for the utility personnel to identify and fix the leaks. Traditionally, the method of inverse transient analysis (ITA) has been used by the researchers for identifying the leaks in a distribution system. While transient analysis is an efficient method for leak detection, it often requires that a series of hydraulic transients (or pressure pulses) be injected into the system in order to detect the leaks (e.g., controlled opening/closing of a fire hydrant). In contrast to ITA, this work attempts to use routinely measured water quality and pressure measurements for the detection of leaks. Distribution systems are routinely monitored for several water quality parameters such as Chlorine, pH, and turbidity. Water loss due to any leaks present in the system would impact the flow characteristics of the system and would have an impact on the water quality. In this study a methodology has been developed to use the water quality data along with available pressure measurements for the improved detection of leaks in a water distribution system. Leak detection is formulated as an inverse problem and solved using a simulation-optimization approach.