Leak management in district metered areas with internal-pressure reducing valves

Pressure management is one of the most efficient ways to reduce leaks in water networks. Conventional pressure management techniques in water networks deals with the control of a single boundary Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV). The real-world water network under study in this work has multiple internal PRVs within the DMA, which makes direct application of the existing pressure management techniques difficult. In this study, we have formulated a simulation-optimization framework that involves network sectorization and PRV control. Initially, the DMA was divided into multiple Pressure Management Areas (PMAs), based on the location and control area of each PRV. The control strategy was then formulated for each PRV based on remote node modulation. The results of this study showed that the use of multiple internal PRVs within a DMA helped in better pressure management than a single boundary PRV. This control strategy helped in reducing the NRW to 18% from 24%.