Hydraulic State Estimation: pilot implementation in a water distribution system

Abstract

[EN] Hydraulic State Estimation (HSE) is an effective tool for water supply systems monitoring. This technique provides the most likely hydraulic state of the network by making use of the available measurements through the system and the associated hydraulic model, enabling to track uncertainty through the process. HSE has been applied to water transport networks before, but extending its application to distribution systems currently constitutes a challenge. The deployment of smart meters offers a unique opportunity to gain distributed information within the distribution level, but it also poses questions regarding the temporal resolution that is available/achievable and how to combine different sources of information. This work presents a real HSE implementation in a Spanish water distribution pilot area (approximately 1,000 inhabitants). Implementation is possible thanks to the systematic measurement of water consumption at each dwelling (with 1 minute and 1 L resolution) and flow and pressure at the inlet to the pilot area. This application is conceived to provide a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities for HSE implementation in water distribution systems.