Validation of drinking water distribution monitoring schemes including water demand variability and minimum detectable concentrations

Abstract

The selection of monitoring locations within drinking water distribution networks (DWDNs) is of primary importance to guarantee consumers safety. In order to estimate the monitoring performances of different potential layouts (i.e., configurations of monitoring locations) and select the best option, a simulation-based validation is required. While few methodologies to guide events’ selection for this validation have been developed, most of them fail to properly capture the most impactful events and the heterogeneity in DWDNs operating conditions, not considering the inherent uncertainty in water demands within the DWDNs. In this study we extend a previously developed methodology to target the monitoring layout validation towards the most impactful events, and including water demand uncertainty. The developed methodology was tested on a literature benchmark DWDN, highlighting how optimal performances against generic events do not guarantee consumers’ protection against the most impactful ones. Furthermore, using two real-world DWDNs, it was shown how neglecting water demand uncertainty leads to an overestimation of the detection likelihood of monitoring layouts. Finally, the effect of increasing minimum detection concentration of a generic harmful compound was assessed. Higher minimum detection concentrations resulted in lower detection probabilities, especially in case of larger DWDNs, while their effect on the average minimum detection time depended on the DWDN characteristics.