Adaptation of multiple regression analysis to identify effective factors of water losses in water distribution systems

Abstract

It is important to manage leaks in water distribution systems by smart water technologies. In order to reduce the water loss, researches on the main factors of water pipe network affecting non-revenue water (NRW) are being actively carried out. In recent years, research has been conducted to estimate NRW using statistical analysis techniques such as Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Principle Component Analysis (PCA). Research on identifying factors that affect NRW in the target area is actively underway. In this study, Principle components selected through Multiple Regression Analysis are reclassified and applied to NRW estimation using PCA-ANN. The results show that the principal components estimated through PCA are connected to the NRW estimation using ANN. The detailed NRW estimation methodology presented through the study, as a result of simulating PCA-ANN after selecting statistically significant factors by MRA, forward method showed higher NRW estimation accuracy than other MRA methods.