Automatic Multi-Objective Sectorization of A Water Distribution Network

This paper deals with optimization of Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) by establishing District Metered Areas (DMAs) to monitor system flow and pressure in order to minimize leakage. A methodological approach for the automatic partitioning of a WDN into DMAs is presented and discussed. Several design criteria are taken into account for the definition of the problem objectives and constraints. The optimization methodology applies adjustable weights to various objectives to allow flexible decisions to be made. In order to improve the design of DMAs, the proposed approach combines graph theory and an evolutionary multi-objective algorithm, whose parameters were calibrated through extensive tests. The results of the application to a real case study are presented to show the computational performance and sensitivity with respect to the input parameters.