Locating Leaks in Water Distribution Networks Using Multi-Criteria Analysis

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a model for locating leaks in small-scale water distribution networks, based on the integration of a hydraulic simulator with multicriteria analysis. Theoretical Framework: The water supply system for human consumption is defined as an installation consisting of a set of civil works, materials and equipment, from the collection to the building connections, intended for the production and collective supply of drinking water, through the distribution network. However, real losses, also known as physical losses, denote the entire volume of water made available in the distribution that does not reach the end consumer, requiring a tool to assist professionals in locating these leaks. Method: The methodology adopted for this research consisted of a literature review and the development of the Leak Location Model (LLM) that was built for the hypothetical network and for the discretized hypothetical network. The PSO algorithm was adopted for optimization. Later, in the model validation stage, for all simulated cases containing one, two or three leaks, the observed sections were compared with the three best alternatives indicated by the LLM to calculate the functions f1 and f2, and subsequently the objective function (fo). Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that the application of the multicriteria method as a tool for locating leaks in small water distribution networks. It was found that the evaluation of the model satisfactorily described the decision-making problem (average error less than 30%) when it comes to the occurrence of a leak in the network. Research Implications: The leak location model (LLM) is promising for the sector, encompassing the detection of possible leaks in the distribution network that reflect environmental effects. LLM is especially relevant given the lack of resources to assist both regulatory bodies and companies responsible for water distribution. Originality/Value: The study contributes to the area, mainly due to the lack of archived data as a previous history for comparing leak location models for small networks.