A Graph Theoretical Sectorization Approach for Energy Reduction in Water Distribution Networks

Most water supply utilities in the world need to deal with daily operations of their systems while at the same time they are required to increase their efficiency. One way to increase the efficiency of the system is to divide the water distribution network into smaller subsystems called sectors. This article presents a new sectorization approach, which has been developed as part of the European FP7 research project ICeWater, focused on increasing energy efficiency. The approach is based on the combination of graph theory and multi-objective optimization applied to the system of Milan (Italy). Most existing approaches for sectorization deal with gravity sources. The methodology presented here has been applied to a system with 26 pump stations, which is an innovation and a step forward for other utilities facing similar challenges. The application of sectorization to the network of Milan has the advantage of allowing to fix the number of sectors and enabling the exploration of multiple scenarios of system operation.