Distribution networks performance improvement by sectorisation and operating pressures reduction – case study: babadag town

The cumulated effects of climate changes and accelerated urban development, amplified by insufficient funding and/or capacity to implement proactive methods and strategies for monitoring and optimization of water supply systems negatively impact the operation and overall efficiency of these systems, generating considerable problems regarding public comfort and safety and also service costs. Out of all problems, the most tangible issues for the final user are the ones related to the distribution network – the closest system component. In order to address these problems, an integrated analysis of the conditions of each urban area is required, accounting for actual water demand, pressure requirements, network configuration, power consumption and development forecasts. This article presents the set of measures proposed for optimisation of the distribution network of Babadag Town from Romania, consisting of changes intended to improve the hydraulic capacity of the network and also on reducing the water loss based on water balance evaluation and hydraulic modelling of existing and proposed network configurations.