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Pressure reducing valves (PRV) are widely used to enhance the performance of water distribution networks. Recently, PRVs have tended towards more sophisticated devices to realize complex control strategies. The present work compares network performances achieved with different PRV control methodologies considering variable demand conditions. A widely analyzed water distribution network is modeled using EPANET and used to simulate the PRV operation. The results show the effectiveness of the different control strategies, highlighting the amount of saved water, the pressure deficit occurring in critical nodes, and the power dissipated by the valve that can be potentially recovered using pumps as turbines or other emerging energy recovery technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While pressure reducing valves (PRVs) have been widely used in water distribution networks (WDNs) to reduce water leakage, research in recent years has focused on the use of turbines instead of PRVs as the means for enabling both pressure reduction and energy production. However, in WDNs daily continuous variability of flow discharge and upstream head make PAT selection a challenging issue. The present paper describes an innovative approach for optimal PAT selection in systems with hydraulic and/or electrical regulation. The methodology was also applied to a district of the Benevento, Italy, WDN, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The findings showed the optimal pumps lie in the vicinity of the maximum of the produced energy. Furthermore, considering weekday pattern instead of long-period pattern gives reliable results only if the PAT system operated with hydraulic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]