Identification of Contaminant Sources in Water Distribution Systems Using Simulation–Optimization Method: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 132, Issue 4
Abstract
In this paper, the authors propose a new approach, the simulation–optimization method, to solve a nonlinear contaminant-source and release-history identification problem for a complex water distribution system. This approach is based on optimization analysis, using the EPANET water distribution system model as a simulator. In this approach, EPANET is used to generate concentrations at arbitrarily selected monitoring locations by specifying release histories of potential contaminant sources that are arbitrarily located within the water distribution system. This information is used in a continuous optimal predictor–corrector algorithm to identify the sources and their release histories. Throughout the simulation sequence, the water distribution system being studied is assumed to operate under known hydraulic operational patterns. The optimization model that is used as a corrector to estimate the release histories of the contaminant sources is designed to identify the similarity between the simulation response and measured data at monitoring locations. This information exchange is developed as a closed-loop system resulting in a convergent algorithm. Three scenarios, derived from the publicly documented Dover Township (Toms River), N.J., water-distribution system are tested using the proposed approach. Results show that the approach is effective, efficient, and robust in identifying locations and release histories of contaminant sources.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The research described in this paper was support by Cooperative Agreement Award Number U50/ATU499828-06 for the Research Program for Exposure-Dose Reconstruction between the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Multimedia Environmental Simulations Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology. The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers for providing thought-provoking comments and suggestions that helped improve the manuscript and discussion of results. The findings and conclusions in this journal article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
References
Aral, M. M., et al. (2004a). “Optimal reconstruction of historical water supply to a distribution system: A Methodology.” J. Water Health, 2(3), 123–136.
Aral, M. M., et al. (2004b). “Optimal reconstruction of historical water supply to a distribution system: B Applications.” J. Water Health, 2(3), 137–156.
Aral, M. M., Guan, J., and Maslia, M. L. (2001). “Identification of contaminant source locations and release history in aquifers.” J. Hydrologic Eng., 6(3), 225–234.
Boccelli, D. L., Tryby, M. E., Uber, J. G., Rossman, L. A., Zierolf, M. L., and Polycarpou, M. M. (1998). “Optimal schedule of booster disinfection in water distribution systems.” J. Water Resour. Plan. Manage., 124(2), 99–111.
Datta, B., Beegle, J., Kavvas, M. L., and Orlob, G. T. (1989). “Development of an expert system embedding pattern recognition techniques for pollution source identification.” Res. Rep., Univ. of California-Davis, Davis, Calif.
Gorelick, S. M., Evans, B., and Remson, I. (1983). “Identifying sources of groundwater pollution: An optimization approach.” Water Resour. Res., 19(3), 779–790.
Guan, J., and Aral, M. M. (1999). “Optimal remediation with well locations and pumping rates selected as continuous decision variables.” J. Hydrol., 221, 20–42.
Kessler, A., Ostfeld, A., and Sinai, G. (1998). “Detecting accidental contaminations in municipal water networks.” J. Water Resour. Plan. Manage., 124(4), 192–198.
Lee, B. H., and Deininger, R. A. (1992). “Optimal location of monitoring stations in water distribution systems.” J. Environ. Eng., 118(1), 4–16.
Maslia, M. L, Sautner, J. B., Aral, M. M., Reyes, J. J., Abraham, J. E., and Williams, R. E. (2000). “Using water-distribution system modeling to assist epidemiologic investigations.” J. Water Resour. Plan. Manage., 126(4), 180–198.
Maslia, M. L., Sautner, J. B., Aral, M. M., Gilling, R. E., Reyes, J. J., and Williams, R. C. (2001). “Historical reconstruction of the water-distribution system serving the Dover Township area, New Jersey: January 1962—December 1996.” Rep., Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta.
Miller, R. E. (2000). Optimization: Foundations and Applications, Wiley, New York.
Rossman, L. A., (2000). EPANET 2 users manual, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 132 • Issue 4 • July 2006
Pages: 252 - 262
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 23, 2005
Accepted: Dec 30, 2005
Published online: Jul 1, 2006
Published in print: Jul 2006
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.