Modeling chlorine distribution in water supply system utilizing empirically determined chlorine decay rate

Abstract

Analysis of free chlorine propagation in water supply network has a significant meaning for the process of water distribution. Results of numerical studies allow the proper selection of disinfectant or suitable monitoring of pipelines endangered by stagnation of water. The first-order reaction of chlorine decay in pipe boundary layer and inside the waterbody is commonly successfully assumed in numerical modeling. The aim of this studies was to analyze transport of chlorine inside the rural water supply system. The calculations were performed with application of Epanet 2.0 with assumed the first-order re action of chlorine decay and empirically determined chlorine decay rate in the mass of waterbody. The periodical disinfection of water in the network with the constant chlorine concentration 0.3 mg·dm-3 introduced during the whole time duration of simulation was assumed to calculations. The obtained results of chlorine distribution showed that even after 4 days there were available pipelines in which concentration of free chlorine was lower than 0.2 mg·dm-3. Thus, the microbiological protection of water quality is unavailable in these pipelines.