Abstract
The problem of water supply pipe’s failures is one of the most onerous for water distribution network’s (WDN) operators. Multiple actions undertaken to detect, minimise and eliminate the phenomenon of water losses are mainly focused on financial aspect of lost water. However, at some point, the further minimisation of water losses is unprofitable due to reaching the economic level of water leakages. In WDNs failures analysis the biggest emphasis is put on damages of main pipes and distribution pipes, while failures of household water connections are often neglected. That is because the most typical water losses in household connections are hard-to-detect background leakages with relatively small water outflow. Still, in a long-time perspective, such leakages can cause significant water losses. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the parameters of water lost through damaged household water connection (volume, velocity, suffosion conditions). The basis for the analysis were laboratory investigations and a numerical simulation of a pipe failure using the FEFLOW v. 5.3 software. The results of the simulation, compared with laboratory tests results, enabled to state that, contrary to the widespread practice, leakages from household connections cannot be ignored.
Highlights
Among all components of water supply networks, water supply household connections are mostly threatened with damages
According to Polish organisation Izba Gospodarcza “Wodociągi Polskie”, [6] – water supply connection is a part of a conduit placed at the area of water supply customer
The simulation of the leakage from household connection was proceeded in FEFLOW until the moment of full saturation of the soil profile, at the reference point 1
Summary
Among all components of water supply networks, water supply household connections are mostly threatened with damages. Other factors that may lead to water supply connection damages are the following [5]: pipeline diameter decrease at junction, frequent pressure variations, flow intensity that may be highly variable in relatively short intervals and susceptibility to freezing during winter period. There exists an administrative factor that may run to the increase in damage ratio of the water supply household connections. According to Polish organisation Izba Gospodarcza “Wodociągi Polskie”, [6] – water supply connection is a part of a conduit placed at the area of water supply customer. This definition does not show who is the administrator of the connection – a water supply enterprise or an owner of an estate
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