Computer Applications in Urban Water Distribution System Control

The objective of water distribution system control is to provide an adequate level of service at all points in the system economically under varying conditions of loading. With the increase in size and complexity of water systems, the need for reliable and economic operation has resulted in the use of digital computers for data acquisition and supervisory control. In this paper, the functional aspects of computer control of water systems are discussed with respect to (i) alternative system configurations for reliability and cost, and (ii) the application of mathematical models for simulation and optimization of the distribution system operation. Both on-line and off-line software requirements for computer control are discussed. Finally, examples of applications of recent developments in computer control are given together with directions for future research effort.