Hydraulic Transients used for Leakage Detection in Water Distribution Systems

The current paper focuses on leakage detection and location in pipe networks based on a recent and novel approach, known as inverse transient analysis. The main idea behind this methodology is the identification of leaks location in pipe networks using observed pressure data, collected during the occurrence of transient events, and the minimisation of the difference between observed and calculated parameters. This approach is presented conceptually and implemented in a software tool. The methodology is tested and verified with laboratory data collected in an experimental facility at Instituto Superior Tecnico (Technical University of Lisbon). Based on this preliminary data analysis, the main practical difficulties of the implementation of this methodology in field network systems are outlined.