Defining the Most Appropriate Water Network Management Plan with Different Optimization Algorithms for Sustainable Water Management

Abstract Leakages, operational difficulties, operating and investment costs are the main problems faced by utilities. The aim of this study is to define the most appropriate network management plan with Ant Lion Optimizer (ALO), Mountaineering Team-Based Optimization (MTBO), and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) optimization algorithms. A novel optimization model is developed and tested with field data by considering the current status, economic and technical capacity of the utilities. This model can determine the optimal values ​​of key components in water loss management (WLM) based on current status. The economic level of losses for System I were calculated as 17.10% (ALO), 19.17% (MTBO), and 19.26% (GWO). The ideal level of losses for System II was defined as 17.23% (ALO), 19.50% (MTBO), and 16.83% (GWO). The economic level of losses for System III were determined as 20.89% (ALO), 23.91% (MTBO), and 24.27% (GWO). The most appropriate management plans and methods are generated to achieve the ideal loss levels for each system by the optimization model. It is thought that this model will make a significant contribution to decision makers in terms of WLM.