Municipal Water Supply Network Research Articles

Prediction of Daily Water Consumption in Residential Areas Based on Meteorologic Conditions—Applying Gradient Boosting Regression Tree Algorithm

A more accurate way of water consumption forecasting can be used to help people develop a scheduling plan of water workers more targeting; therefore, this paper aims to establish a forecast model of daily water consumption based on meteorological conditions. At present, most studies of daily water consumption forecasts focus on historical data or single water use influencing factors; moreover, daily water consumption could be influenced by meteorologic conditions. The influence of complex meteorology factors on water consumption is analyzed based on a gradient-boosted regression tree (GBRT) model. The correlation of 10 meteorologic factors has been discussed and divided into 5 categories, including temperature factor, pressure factor, precipitation factor, sunshine factor, and wind factor. Through the GBRT algorithm, the daily water consumption of residential area could be predicted with a maximum error of ±8%. The results show that the average ground temperature (the feature importance accounts for 81% of the total) has the greatest impact on the daily water consumption of the residential community, followed by the somatosensory temperature (the feature importance accounts for 7% of the total). The method can provide the daily water consumption of water consumption nodes with higher precision for municipal water supply network model accuracy. It also provides a reference for water utility operation schemes and urban development planning.

Frequency and seasonality of viable Helicobacter pylori in drinking water in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen.

Helicobacter pylori is an important and common bacterial pathogen in humans. The accumulated evidence of the existence of H. pylori in water from different environmental sources suggests a water-borne transmission route. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of H. pylori in different water sources used by human populations in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen. 250 samples were randomly collected from the municipal water supply network, wells, and springs. The samples were processed, plated onto modified campy-blood agar, and incubated under microaerobic conditions for 4-10 days. Bacterial identification was based on morphological properties and biochemical tests. Bacteriological analysis showed that 9.6% and 13.2% of tap and surface water samples were contaminated with H. pylori, respectively. Despite a higher frequency in samples from rural areas, these were not significantly (p=0.068) more contaminated than the samples from urban areas. Regarding the seasonal variations of H. pylori detection, 85.71% of positive samples were detected in the late winter and spring seasons (February to May). To conclude, H. pylori transmission through water is likely to occur in Dhamar Governorate. Further prospective studies are highly recommended to provide further evidence and a clearer picture of H. pylori transmission.

The Possibilities of Capturing Rainwater and Reducing the Impact of Floods: A Proposal for the City of Beira, Mozambique

Modern societies face various challenges, including climate change, rapid urbanization, and sometimes inadequate urban planning policies. In recent years, extreme weather events have received increasing attention for their impacts on cities, humans, and ecosystems worldwide, particularly on coastal towns in Mozambique, such as cyclones, floods, water pollution, and water scarcity, demonstrating their vulnerability to climate change. Cities must adapt to cope with the pressure on their water resources, and it is essential to ensure that communities have access to safe, reliable, and affordable water. A viable way to promote this resilience and simultaneously reduce costs in domestic budgets is to use rainwater to meet daily needs where water quality parameters are not required for consumption. According to the results of this study, it is possible to significantly reduce potable water use from the municipal water supply network by harvesting rainwater, up to 40% when the use does not require potable water at all, proactively protecting this vital resource. In addition to these direct benefits, the large-scale deployment of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in densely urbanized areas can also provide indirect benefits, such as reducing peak flow volumes in stormwater drainage systems and potentially reducing the frequency of urban floods. These benefits result from the reduction in the volume and duration of water sent to the drainage network, which can help to improve the overall resilience of communities in the face of climate change and other challenges.

Experimental Outdoor Public Lighting Installation Powered by a Hydraulic Turbine Installed in the Municipal Water Supply Network

Sustainability and energy prices make the use of energy obtained from renewable sources on an urban scale and for isolated local facilities necessary for municipal authorities. Moreover, when the demand of energy is at night, as for street lighting installations, the use of accumulative systems is necessary, which means a major drawback due to a short lifetime expectancy and high cost. The use of batteries can require more than 70% of the budget of these lighting systems and has a critical impact in the project. The problem to solve is finding different renewable energy sources that can produce energy throughout the day, especially during the night, at the same time at which it is consumed. As one of the competences of municipal authorities is water supply networks, this paper analyzes the use of energy recovery turbines within these installations as an alternative to photovoltaic generators. To study the viability and effectiveness of this alternative, the water flows available in the network of a medium-size municipality were monitored and analyzed in depth to assess the amount of recoverable energy. In addition, an energy recovery turbine (ERT) station was set up, installing a bypass around one of the pressure-reducing valves (PRV) of the installation where energy is dissipated without practical use. The results obtained imply that the system proposed has economical and technical viability, is reliable and guarantees full service in all the seasons’ conditions. Moreover, the needs of the energy storage capacity are much lower (~8%) than with solar panels.

Pump-as-turbine for energy recovery in municipal water supply networks. A review

Pump-as-turbine for energy recovery in municipal water supply networks. A review

Проблема надійності водопровідних мереж на прикладі міста Кропивницького

The article presents the analysis of statistical data of the causes of breakages and leaks in water pipes of the distribution network of Kropyvnytskyi. Breakage statistics for pipelines with a diameter of 25 to 1100 mm during the last five years were calculated. As a result of segmental analysis, it was found that the main types of damage to the pipes of water supply system are through fistulas of steel pipes – 54.4% and corrosion – 25.6%; loss of integrity of cast iron pipes on joints – 9.7%, fractures and cracks of cast iron pipes – 6.1%; fractures in joints of polyethylene pipes and other damages – 4.2%. To characterize the reliability of the municipal water supply networks, the pipeline failure flow parameter ω was used. It was defined as the ratio of the number of failures of the water supply network section to the observation period and the length of pipe network sections of the corresponding diameter. The calculation of interval estimates for the failure rate parameter ωо for steel and cast iron pipes of the water distribution network of Kropyvnytskyi was carried out. According to the operational organization 84% of the network was laid using these pipes and analytical expressions were obtained to determine average values of ω0ср depending on their diameter. Significantly higher values of ω0ср were noted in comparison with similar ones given in the literature for other cities, which can be explained by a significant excess of the standard service life of 85% of steel and 50% of cast iron pipes in the water supply network of Kropyvnytskyi. To increase the reliability of water supply networks, it is recommended to implement the experience of European countries and replace 2% of the network per year and use polyethylene pipes. To reduce the failure factor of water supply networks, particularly in those areas where overtime pipes are used, the expediency of partial installation of water-air dampers for pressure fluctuations directly in the pipeline, in which there is a gradual and complete damping of the shock wave. Approbation of a prototype of a hydraulic shock absorber of this design was carried out in the hydraulics laboratory at Central Ukrainian National Technical University and its efficiency and high efficiency at full shock wave damping was confirmed.

Detection and Localization of Water Leaks in Water Nets Supported by an ICT System with Artificial Intelligence Methods as a Way Forward for Smart Cities

The last decade has seen the development of complex IT systems to support city management, i.e., the creation of so-called intelligent cities. These systems include modules dedicated to particular branches of municipal economy, such as urban transport, heating systems, energy systems, telecommunications, and finally water and sewage management. In turn, with regard to the latter branch, IT systems supporting the management of water supply and sewage networks and sewage treatment plants are being developed. This paper deals with the system concerning the urban water supply network, and in particular, with the subsystem for detecting and locating leakages on the water supply network, including so-called hidden leakages. These leaks cause the greatest water losses in networks, especially in old ones, with a very diverse age and material structure. In the proposed concept of the subsystem consisting of a GIS (Geographical Information System), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system and hydraulic model of the water supply network, an algorithm of leak detection and location based on the neural networks’ MLP (multi-layer perceptron) and Kohonen was developed. The algorithm has been tested on the hydraulic models of several municipal water supply networks.

Occurrence and Spatial Distribution of Volatile Organic Compounds in Urban Drinking Water Distribution Systems

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the urban drinking water distribution systems for two coastal cities (S City and L City) in China were analyzed. Health risk assessments of VOCs detected in tap water were performed, and the distribution characteristics of VOCs in the tap water pipe network were also investigated. Among 47 target VOCs, 16 compounds were detected, of which 11 were detected in both S City and L City. Halogenated hydrocarbons were the most commonly detected VOCs, with trihalomethanes (including bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform) having the highest detection frequencies (92%-100%). With the exception of bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane, the maximum concentrations of detected VOCs in both cities complied with the relevant limits regulated by the standards for drinking water quality (GB 5749-2006). For bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane, not only did their concentrations exceed the standard limits of GB 5749-2006 (60 μg·L-1 for bromodichloromethane and 100 μg·L-1 for dibromochloromethane), but their lifetime cancer risks (LCR) were estimated at unacceptable levels (>10-4). Therefore, these two compounds should be given sufficient attention or be classified as priority control pollutants in municipal water supply networks. In addition, the spatial distribution of eight VOCs with high detection frequencies (>90%) in the tap water pipe network of S City was investigated. The concentrations of VOCs (excluding toluene) in this urban drinking water distribution system gradually decreased with increasing distance from the drinking water treatment plant.

Ecological condition of post-industrial towns of Ukraine based on the case study of Drohobych town

The current state of most of former powerful industrial cities and towns of Ukraine is characterized by industrial decline; therefore, their ecological condition was expected to improve. Drohobych is a striking example of such a town. The notion “post-industrial” used in the research work, on the one hand, designates the phase after the industrial phase (the one that lasted before the industrial crisis), and on the other hand, it is used to denote the phenomenon of industrial reduction, i.e. significant decrease of industrial potential.The aim and objectives of the research article were dedicated to the study of current ecological state of Drohobych urban environment based on certain research material, as well as detection of the most ecologically threatening season conditions.Based on the elaborated large-scale map of urban landscapes of Drohobych and with the help of the original author’s experimental material, there has been represented the current ecological state of natural components (surface and municipal, soils, atmosphere) within the territory of the town of Drohobych. It has been determined that each of the aforementioned components of the urban environment is associated with chemical compounds exceeding maximum allowable concentrations. Moreover, the most threatening values in terms of bacteriological quality are related to the quality of surface and municipal waters. The most hazardous situation occurs during spring period since due to worn-out condition of the pipelines, snowmelt waters leak in municipal water supply network. The same situation can be observed in water from open wells, which is used by the population for drinking. During the research process, there have been analysed disturbing ecological situations, some of which could be characterized as critical. The research works prove the popular idea that ecological condition of Ukrainian post-industrial cities and towns significantly improved after the cessation of many large enterprises to be wrong.

Robust bi-objective macroscopic municipal water supply network redesign and rehabilitation

Water companies traditionally deal with the problem of rehabilitation and redesign of municipal water supply system due to the either of aging the existed water supply network and housing development. However, such problems are hemmed in by uncertainty due to their long planning horizons and the fact that the exact prediction of future is impossible. Uncertain data and parameters which are likely to undermine the effectiveness of our decisions in this area, are exacerbated if they are be correlated. Unfortunately, correlated uncertain parameters are the things typically such problems are entangled with. Thus, along with considering all of decision objectives, it is incumbent upon water supply system redesign and rehabilitation decision model to develop methods able to appropriately confront with the correlated uncertainty. This paper introduces a bi-objective robust optimization model capable of handling correlated uncertain parameters in municipal water supply system redesign and rehabilitation problem. This robust optimization framework is able to adjust the level of conservatism, a factor which contributes to the reliability of the system. The proposed mathematical framework is applied for a water supply system inspired from Tehran potable water supply system and then various levels of conservatism and reliability are compared. Numerical results show neglecting uncertainty can lead to significant increase in the total cost and amount of unsatisfied demand.

A view of the legislative scenario for rainwater harvesting in Brazil

The use of rainwater as a complement to municipal water supply networks has gained importance in the efforts to mitigate the strain on fresh water resources around the world. Governments play a crucial role in these efforts by setting out policies that regulate and incentivize the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems. In Brazil these policies are scattered, making it difficult to visualize where the country stands in the regulation of the rainwater sector. This article attempts to create a legislative picture of the Brazilian regulation. Laws and other regulations at federal, state and municipal levels were analyzed and summarized in order to provide a clear view of the current situation. The research showed a fragmented approach from the different levels of governmental powers. Local policies make up most, albeit insufficient, of the legislative coverage in the Brazilian territory. The results obtained for this investigation may serve as a tool for the comparison of the policies implemented in other countries and determine were Brazil stands as an emerging power in implementation of low impact policies and technologies.

The Analysis of Variants of Water Supply Systems in Multi-Family Residential Building

Abstract Climate change, improper use of water resources, surface waters pollution as well as increase of water requirements are the results of growing population of people in the world. It causes water deficiency in majority of countries in the world, including Poland. Due to the water pollution advanced technologies for its treatment are in demand, what leads to increase of water price. In this connection, there are more often taken actions to reduce water consumption by using rainwater to flush toilets, wash cars, do laundry or water green areas. This publication presents results of Life Cycle Cost analysis of two variants of water supply systems designed for multi-family residential building situated in Rzeszow. In line with LCC methodology the calculations were made throughout the whole life-cycle of the building considering initial investment outlays intended for construction of water supply system as well as operation and maintenance costs. In the first of analyzed variants it was assumed that the system would be fed by municipal water supply network. In the second variant rainwater harvesting system for domestic use was additionally applied. Rainwater stored in the tank would be used in sanitary installation to flush toilets, what leads to lowering the costs of municipal water purchase, reducing fees for rainwater discharge to sewage system and consequently is beneficial for financial standing of the examined building.

DYNAMICS OF WATER CONSUMPTION CHANGES IN A TOURIST RESORT

This work presents problems related to the water consumption in the city of Olecko situated in the north-east part of Poland in the Warminsko-Mazurskie Province of the country, at the eastern border of the Mazurian Lake District along the trail connecting the land of the Large Mazurian Lakes with the Suwalsko-Augustowskie Lake District. Over 2011–2012 water extraction to the municipal water supply network was studied. The volume of water extracted every day was analyzed and the gathered volumes were analyzed statistically. The varying water extraction was also studied. The obtained results were presented in a graphic form. Basing on the descriptive stats and prepared diagrams certain general conclusions were drawn and the collected study figures and facts were summed up. This allowed to determine days of the highest and lowest water consumption. Also months of extreme water extraction and consumption were determined. The water extraction ranged from 1641 m 3 /24h to 2607 m 3 /24h, at an average value of 2077.4 m 3 /24h. Over the period under study the day of the largest water extraction and consumption was in July and the day of the lowest water extraction and consumption in December. During a week inhabitants used the highest water amount on Saturdays and the lowest on Sundays and other feast-days. Basing on the conducted measurements also the coefficient of water consumption per capita was determined. The fluctuation of this coefficient was identical as that for the water consumption. Within the period of study it ranged from 73.3 l/M 24h to 116.5 l/M 24h. The average value of the specific water consumption was 92.8 l/M 24h. For the sake of discussion the obtained results were compared with observations across the country.

The Research on Mineralization of Desalinated Water by Dissolving Ore for Entering into Municipal Water Supply Network

Desalination is the main method to solve the lack of freshwater resources in coastal areas. However, the desalinated water needs further treatment to have good chemical stability and meet the drinking water health standards before transporting by municipal pipe network. Considering desalinated seawater in Beijiang Power Plant and current situation of municipal pipe network, the desalinated water was mineralized by dissolving limestone with CO2 in this work. The process results in an enrichment of the water with calcium ions and carbonate. The effect of the limestone particle size, pH, the packed bed height and desalinated water flow rate on result water was investigated, which could offer a principle for the utilization of desalinated.

Probe into the Problem of Water-Saving and Energy-Saving in Building

With the fast development of economy in China, some questions have come out gradually, and more and more obviously. For instance the energy in short supply, the water resource exhausted. I have made a simple analysis on the issue that some extant energy is wasted and the water resource wasted in the water supply and sewerage engineering in China, and have put forward some corresponding measures, such as full use of available municipal water supply network head, reasonable control of the flow of overpressure and decompression cost saving measures, promotion of the technology of water reuse and rainwater reuse and other measures. These measures can effectively reduce the energy and water waste in the water supply and sewerage engineering.

Spatial and temporal hydrochemical changes in groundwater under the contaminating effects of fertilizers and wastewater

Contamination of well water in a rural area and of spring water in an urban area by effect of animal slurry management and storage practices, and the municipal water supply network were studied. For this purpose, a number of factors including electrical conductivity, dry residue, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, organic matter, turbidity, colour, iron, manganese, copper and zinc were examined. Data were subjected to multivariate principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The statistical interpretation of the results allowed two principal factors (F1and F2) to be assigned to saline and organometallic contamination, respectively, of the water. The axes of the plots of factor loadings represent the overall water concentration-dilution effect (F1) and oxidoreduction (F2), respectively. The spatial distribution of the samples is dictated by the prevailing type of contamination. In temporal terms, however, samples cluster by date in urban springs and by contamination type in rural wells.