Design and simulation of hydro informatics tool for predicting failures in water distribution networks : case study : Bukasa Mains-Kampala

Abstract

The need to more intelligently and efficiently manage water distribution systems is increasingly more important to agencies such as NWSC managing such networks and seeking a way to increase the reliability of their systems, the uninterrupted quality service to their customers and the cost-efficient operations and maintenance of the aging distribution networks. Repair and/or replacement of aging water mains, especially in urban environments, impose major expenditures on already financially strained municipalities and state governments, and the need to more actively engage in the monitoring and management of such networks is progressively increasing as existing distribution networks continue to age and therefore deteriorate. Current planning and maintenance strategy is further more challenged by insufficient knowledge and data about the prevailing water infrastructure condition and future rehabilitation demand this ignores future dynamics and planning uncertainties. A water distribution system is an important part of the social infrastructure, facilitating water transport, distribution and supply. It is a highly complicated network that combines pipelines, nodes, pumps and valves hence the components in such a system should be continuously improved and updated on the basis of complete and scientific information to maintain the stability, reliability and safety of the network since they keep on deteriorating causing abrupt and recurrent failures (leakages and bursts). The work presented in this report predicts pipe failures prior to their occurrence and gives the scientific reasons why a pipe is likely to fail and the type of failure it is undergoing. The state of a pipe at any given time is then issued to the network operators and managers through the system being developed and computer pop-ups. The condition of pipes with in the network is assessed by mathematical models that were developed to check the different scenarios a pipe along the network can experience during its operation state. The pipe network was modelled and simulated in Epanet hydraulic too land using the mathematical models, an algorithm was developed in MatlabR2013 where the inputs are read from the Epanet network