Use of network theory and reliability indexes for the validation of synthetic water distribution systems case studies

The algorithm for the generation of synthetic WDSs is based on the work, methods and software presented by Mair et al. (2014). For the validation procedure, five metrics or indexes that account for the network's connectivity (link density, average node degree, meshedness coefficient) and the system's reliability (Resilience Index, Network Resilience) are evaluated; the ranges in each of the metrics are then compared. The generation of synthetic WDS required an enhancement of the connectivity of the networks and a pipe sizing that accounted for practical system design. An acceptable degree of similarity between the synthetic and the real-life sets of WDSs was achieved, although some modifications to the networks may be required in the future.