Innovative water distribution

Create a future-proof water distribution system through improvement, replacement or renewal

Water distribution systems ensure the transport of drinking water and other water to users. A distribution system with room for water storage and a smart allocation of the water, can absorb fluctuations in water demand and supply over space and time. A well-designed distribution system ensures that the water quality barely decreases during transport. In the installation of water distribution systems, greater attention needs to be paid to the increasing level of activity in the subsurface, where heating and fibre-optic networks are also installed and can affect the water distribution systems.

To achieve robust distribution systems of and for all water users, KWR connects parties and sectors by bringing together and inputting knowledge about smart distribution network design, monitoring and collaboration between users of the shallow subsurface.  

Methods, tools and products

For water distribution networks three research fields are of primary importance: asset management of the network, maintenance of the water quality, and a good insight into the required water volumes (water use).

Asset management of the network

Asset management is important for the prioritisation of maintenance and replacement work in water distribution networks. In the design of optimal networks, it is for instance important that the contextual factors and the choice of materials be taken into account. To gain insight into the probability of pipe failure, and to make the distribution networks more future-proof, among the tools we use are GIS techniques, assessments of the remaining life-span of network assets, and failure data analysis.  

 

Water quality in the drinking water network 

The quality of the water must not deteriorate during its distribution. This quality is influenced by the composition of the drinking water, the (self-cleaning) design of the distribution network, and available cleaning techniques. Models are often applied to predict quality loss, or to determine the optimal placement of sensors. A few examples of projects in this area include: 

 

Insight into water demand    

KWR models describe and predict drinking water use, and provide insight into the flows through the pipe network. This is important information in the design and maintenance of the network, the tracing of failures, and the explanation of water loss.