Requirements and Roadmap of Smart Water Distribution Network

Abstract

Water Distribution Networks (WDN) are amongst the six pillars of smart urban infrastructures which can be managed without or in connection with other smart grids. This research uses an adaptive study to review and compare the approaches and international experiences of smart WDNs. The comparative results initially verify that smart WDN can relatively reduce bursts, leakage, and the reaction time required for operation in comparison with SCADA. In addition, it improves asset management, social awareness about water consumption, the satisfaction of users, water quality, and the revenues of water companies. This study also outlines that smart WDN is a multidisciplinary issue and requires consecutive steps for implementation as described in the Spiral model. This conceptual model is more like a roadmap. It introduces a methodology for upgrading SCADA to smart WDNs and illuminates practical steps, in addition to the short and long term scopes, toward integrated supply and demand management of urban water. Here, the proposed methodology emphasizes pilot studies in different scales and conditions for the validation of integrated software-hardware system prior to any practice.

Keywords

• adaptive study
• scada
• smart infrastructure
• spiral model
• water distribution network (wdn)