Modelling of the water distribution system and determination of losses: the case of Halaba Kulito town, Central Ethiopia

As urbanization trends and aging infrastructure take hold worldwide, water utilities face mounting challenges meeting the growing demand for water. This study outlines an innovative approach to assess water supply and demand, physicochemical water quality analysis, improving leakage management using data analytics and hydraulic simulation in Halaba Kulito town of Central Ethiopia Regional State. The Water Geospatial Engineering Modeling System (WaterGEMS v8i) model was used for the hydraulic analysis of the distribution network by means of the data on the water distribution network and the master plan map of the Town. Water losses were determined by indicators including Non-Revenue Water (NRW), Losses per Service Connection (LSC), Losses per Main Pipe Length (LMPL), Current and Unavoidable Annual real Losses, CARL and UARL respectively and infrastructure leakage index (ILI). To achieve this, data was collected from the field, including geographical coordinates, altitude, water level in tanks and physical parameters of the water sampled. Besides, water production, consumption, distribution network, and population data were also collected. The nodal area, city contour and study area were drawn using ArcGIS. Google Earth Pro helped locate points in the water distribution system. Hydraulic simulations of an existing network system were carried out to ensure reliable parameters, such as pressure, head loss and water flow. The analysis showed that the current maximum daily demand of the town is 5,030 m3/day, the water supply coverage is 52% and the average water consumption per capital is 22 l/c/day. The town's NRW was identified as 27% of the total water production. The town's overall hydraulic performance was poor, reflected in low water connection, high losses and low coverage. The model simulation results showed that 70% of the pipes were in either sedimentation or stagnation, causing peak and off-peak velocities respectively and 25% of the nodes also had pressures below recommended standards at peak hours. Furthermore, the physicochemical quality of the water showed that out of 19 parameters, 16 were within the acceptable limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), but the remaining parameters failed to meet the WHO standard. This requires improving the capacity and quality of water distribution networks and reducing water losses, drilling additional wells and increasing coverage. To ensure safe drinking water supplies, proper maintenance, monitoring and management are essential.