Leakage reduction by optimised control of valves in water networks

The problem of minimisation of leakages due to overpressure in a water distribution network is considered, and an algorithm for computation of the optimal valve controls based on the sparse revised Simplex method is presented. Computational experience indicates that the method has low memory and processor time requirements and is suitable for online implementation on minicomputer systems. The economy of the optimal valve control policy is shown by comparison of the volume of leakages for uncontrolled, manually controlled and optimally controlled networks.