Calibration and analysis of the potable water network in the Al-Yarmouk region employing WaterGEMS and GIS

Abstract

Water supply and distribution networks play an important role in our daily activities. They make a substantial contribution to public health by providing potable water for public consumption and non-potable applications such as firefighters and other purposes such as irrigation. This study used ArcMap 10.8 and WaterGEMS CONNECT Edition update 1 version to create a hydraulic network model to simulate the pipes' network. Detailed network information, including pipe lengths, layouts, and diameters, was given by the Baghdad Water Department. The TUF-2000H Handheld digital ultrasonic flow meter has been used to measure the water flows in the network's source nodes. In eight junctions, the model was calibrated by measuring the pressures using the Bourdon gauge at selected junctions. The analysis was based on the steady-state time at the average demand. The analysis results showed that the pressures in the network ranged from 8 to 21 m H2O with a correlation coefficient of 0.988, with a noticeable decrease in pressures in the distant pipes from the sources supplying water to the network. The velocity of the main pipes was within acceptable limits 0.5-2 m/s. While for the internal distribution network, it was noticed that there is an increase in velocity for the main pipes due to low consumption in the lateral pipes.