RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS USING MINIMUM CUT SET APPROACH

Abstract

Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) estimated the cost to replace 112,000 km of water mains in Canada to be 34 billion Canadian Dollars. Reliability analysis of water distribution networks (WDNs) is an important aspect in planning and operation of a WDN and hence plays an important role in the efficient use of allocated budget. In general, reliability analysis is classified into mechanical reliability and hydraulic reliability. Mechanical reliability is defined as the ability to function even when some components are out of service or there is any mechanical break. Hydraulic reliability is concerned with delivery of the specified quantity of water to a specific location at the required time under the desired pressure. This paper introduces a methodology for evaluating mechanical reliability of WDNs using the minimum cut set approach. The methodology involves the computation of mechanical reliability at the component (pipe, hydrant etc.), segment (collection of pipes and components) and network levels. An illustrative example is worked out to demonstrate the use of the developed methodology.