Development and Implementation of a Novel Assessment System for Water Utilities in Strategic Water Loss Management
Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 14, Issue 1
Abstract
Numerous methods and tools have been proposed to manage water losses in water distribution systems. These methods generally involve time-consuming and costly processes. Since the dynamic structure of each system is different, the applicability of the methods should be analyzed before applying the methods. In this study, a novel system is developed to analyze the current condition of utility and to assess the data quality and current implementation level of water loss management (WLM) practices. This system consists of a total of 144 WLM components under eight main categories. Pilot utilities are selected to test the feasibility of the developed model and analyze its behavior in the field. Weaknesses and strengths within the scope of WLM are defined separately for each utility. It was understood that the model developed takes into account the dynamic structure of each utility, is applicable in the field, and presents the current condition in a realistic way. It is thought that the developed model will create a reference, especially for practitioners and decision makers in the field, and will provide important benefits in the scope of WLM.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This study was produced from the Ph.D. thesis conducted by Cansu Bozkurt. The authors thank Inonu University, Scientific Research Project Funding for their financial support (FDK-2020/2262). This research was supported by TUBITAK (Turkish National Science Foundation) under Project No. 220M091.
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History
Received: Jan 21, 2022
Accepted: Sep 9, 2022
Published online: Nov 14, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 14, 2023
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