Real-Time Optimal Valve Operation and Booster Disinfection for Water Quality in Water Distribution Systems

Abstract

Historically, a water distribution system’s (WDS) hydraulic performance has been the primary operational concern. Over the past two decades, however, more attention has been paid to water quality behavior in WDS and today, water quality level is an equally important issue for many water utilities. In most cases, maintaining disinfectant levels is usually of interest to avoid the bacteria regrowth and to protect against the potential cross-contamination events. However, disinfectants, such as chlorine, decay over time and produce potentially harmful disinfectant by-products when they react with organic material in the water. Therefore, maintaining a minimum chlorine residual requirement throughout the WDS is a complex but important task. When online booster disinfection is combined with source disinfection, it has been shown that the total chlorine dosage can be reduced while maintaining minimum chlorine residuals across the system. Here, optimal valve operation has been combined with booster disinfection ...