Modeling and Simulation of Water Distribution System: A Case Study

Abstract

Al-Khobar city is located in the Eastern Coast of Saudi Arabia. The city is served with a water distribution network that covers all urban areas. The total length of the network is approximately 472.6 km. The network consists of pipes with different materials and diameters ranging from 50 mm to 1 m. In this study, a hydraulic simulation model for Al-Khobar water distribution system was constructed and calibrated using field data. Results show agreement between simulated results and field data. The results indicate that the desalinated water, supplied by Al-Aziziah plant, can be pumped directly to the network through a bypass line at the central pumping station and there is no need to store the desalinated water in the central storage tank prior to pumping it to the network. According to the bypass option, the pressure of the network was reasonable and water level variations at the major tanks in the system were similar to the existing trend. The results also indicate that all parts of Al-Khobar network can be connected and operated together as a single system, which can be operated efficiently.