The Characterization of Milan WDS by Pumping Switching off: Field Test Assesment

In this paper, the reliability of transients as a powerful tool in the management of real water distribution system (WDS) is tested. The examined steel pipe system is the Novara WDS in the Northwest part of Milan, Italy and is managed by Metropolitana Mi- lanese S.p.A. The pressure signal acquired during the first phase of a test has been analyzed on the basis of the extensive research activity performed in the previous years in the field of transient test-based techniques for the diagnosis of pipe systems. The wavelet transform (WT), which allows the automatic detection of singularities in noisy pressure signals, and a Lagrangian model (LM), which evaluates the causes of discontinuities, are coupled for analyzing the pressure signal acquired in Novara WDS. The results of such an analysis are shown and the limitation of this methodology is checked; a more reliable test procedure is assessed.