Metropolitan Waterworks Authority Research Articles

Incorporating Future Climatic and Socioeconomic Variables in Water Demand Forecasting: A Case Study in Bangkok

With concerns relating to climate change, and its impacts on water supply, there is an increasing emphasis on water utilities to prepare for the anticipated changes so as to ensure sustainability in supply. Forecasting the water demand, which is done through a variety of techniques using diverse explanatory variables, is the primary requirement for any planning and management measure. However, hitherto, the use of future climatic variables in forecasting the water demand has largely been unexplored. To plug this knowledge gap, this study endeavored to forecast the water demand for the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) in Thailand using future climatic and socioeconomic data. Accordingly, downscaled climate data from HadCM3 and extrapolated data of socioeconomic variables was used in the model development, using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The water demand was forecasted at two scales: annual and monthly, up to the year 2030, with good prediction accuracy (AAREs: 4.76 and 4.82 % respectively). Sensitivity analysis of the explanatory variables revealed that climatic variables have very little effect on the annual water demand. However, the monthly demand is significantly affected by climatic variables, and subsequently climate change, confirming the notion that climate change is a major constraint in ensuring water security for the future. Because the monthly water demand is used in designing storage components of the supply system, and planning inter-basin transfers if required, the results of this study provide the MWA with a useful reference for designing the water supply plan for the years ahead.

Economic Analysis of Leakage in the Bangkok Water Distribution System

Loss of water caused by leakage is a common phenomenon observed in all water distribution systems (WDSs). The volume of leakage around the world is considerably high, and its control is crucial to meet the increasing water demand caused by rapid population growth and urbanization. The most important component of a leakage-control strategy is target setting in terms of economic level of leakage (ELL). The ELL is an economic indication depending on individual network conditions, operating system pressures, demands and their patterns, marginal cost of water, and operating practices. This paper discusses the economic aspects of leakage for a pilot district metered area (DMA) of the WDS of the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) in Bangkok, Thailand. The study developed two nomographs for the quick estimation of ELL and active leakage-control cost (ALC) with minimal data analysis. The first nomograph shows the relationship between cost of leakage control, average operating pressure, and level of leakage in the WDS. The second nomograph shows the relationship between ELL, operating-system pressure, and marginal cost of water. The nomographs have been developed based on leakage volume, cost of water, and hydraulic and operational conditions of the WDS. To model different hydraulic and leakage scenarios, the U.S. EPA’s EPANET simulation engine has been used. The research will help utility managers understand different aspects of leakage economics and will lead to better management of their WDSs.

Municipal Water Supply Management in Bangkok: Achievements and Lessons

Providing reliable and safe drinking water through a piped water system in Bangkok has enormous challenges owing to the city's physiographic and demographic characteristics. However, with its commitment to good corporate governance principles and practices, the implementation of required measures by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) has resulted in significant improvements in water supply services in Bangkok. At present, almost 100% of the population are provided with reliable and safe tap water through the state-run utility which has achieved a remarkable financial performance. The article presents and discusses the factors responsible for the achievements by the MWA to draw lessons for public policy and good practices which can be replicated in other urban areas, especially in developing countries. Moreover, areas for further improvement are suggested for better performance and quality of water services.