Project or ProjectArea Title

1
Project or Project-Area Title
Advanced Water Supply Management for Rural
Distribution Systems

• November 24, 2005
• Kananaskis Researcher Retreat

2
Overall Goal

• For Rural Water Distribution Systems
• Reduce Energy costs in Pumping Operations
• Analyze Cross User Subsidies Develop Pricing
  Strategies
• Implement a Fault and Leakage Detection System
• Monitor Water Quality and Transient Effects
  Consider their Relation to SCADA
• Consider the Role of IT in Facilitating the
  Implementation of Emerging Regulations

3
Research TeamModule Leads - Alphabetical

• Barry Adams (Univ. Toronto)
• Role of IT in Facilitating Implementation of
  Emerging Regulations
• Richard Burton ( Univ. Saskatchewan)
• Fault and Leakage Detection
• Mohammed Dore (Brock Univ.)
• Pricing Strategy and Economic Analysis of Cross
  User Subsidies
• Saeid Habibi ( Univ. Saskatchewan)
• Energy Optimization in Pumping Operations
• Bryan Karney (Univ. Toronto)
• SCADA Systems and Monitoring of Water Quality and
  Transient Effects

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Key Challenges/Goals

• Key Challenge(s) Being Addressed by Our Team
• Holistic control of distribution systems for
  improved energy efficiency, including
  consideration of pump efficiency curves,
  reservoir levels, and demand profiles
• Connection between water quality and transient
  effects in both treated raw water networks
• Real-time detection of dynamically significant
  leakage and its location underground
• Quantification and significance of hidden cross
  user subsidies and consideration of pricing
  strategies
• Use of IT for resolving manpower and resource
  shortages associated with the implementation of
  new regulations

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Relevant State-of-The-Research

• Pump Optimization uses multi-objective
  evolutionary algorithm, note
• Research publications by Deb, Fleming, Coello
• Leakage detection based on a new theory proposed
  by team members on state parameter estimation
  referred to as the Variable Structure Filter
  (VSF), note
• Recent alternative methods Unscented Kalman
  Filter and Particle Filters
• Inverse transient analysis connection to water
  quality, note
• CWN team lead by Michele Prevost

6
Approach

• SaskWater is supporting the research by providing
  3 rural distribution systems as case study for
  implementation
• Pump optimization uses a novel method using
  operating modes combined with a novel
  optimization algorithm based on the concept of
  multi-objective evolutionary algorithms

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Approach

• Leak detection and location will use
• a new theory developed by the team referred to
  as the Variable Structure Filter
• As well as the application of the Extended Kalman
  Filter
• Leak detection implementation will use real-time
  data from SCADA system and involve simulated leak
  conditions
• Modeling and transient analysis will use the
  method of characteristics

8
Stage of Research

• A complete report documenting the SaskWater
  Distribution Networks has been prepared and
  distributed to researchers
• Pump Optimization algorithm has been formulated
  and is being modified for implementation testing
• Leak detection strategy has been developed and is
  being formulated for real-time implementation on
  a 50km SaskWater pipeline located near the town
  of Melford
• Efforts are on the way for establishing a
  real-time data link with the SaskWater SCADA
  system

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Key Findings/Observations

• A significant level of saving is achieved by
  changing fixed displacement pumps to the variable
  frequency version
• A consequence of this change is a significant
  increase in pump wear and breakdown
• This considerably complicates implementation of
  pump optimization as pump characteristics change
  considerably with time
• Effective strategy for pump optimization requires
  on going pump condition monitoring

10
Key Findings/Observations

• Major industrial consumers with low reservoir
  capacity, high volumetric demand, and high demand
  fluctuations increase supply costs considerably
• There is considerable cross-user subsidies that
  are hidden
• New regulations are forcing rural water
  authorities to assume responsibility for
  treatment as well as supply
• Expanding responsibilities and new regulations
  are resulting in considerable manpower shortages

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Key Findings/Observations

• There is considerable variation in terms of
  leakage from one network to another in a rural
  context
• Rural systems contain stretches of pipelines that
  are particularly suitable for model-based leak
  detection
• Important requirement for the above is for the
  numerical algorithm to deal with modeling
  uncertainties
• SCADA systems are increasingly applied in rural
  systems in Saskatchewan making real-time
  monitoring a realistic feasibility

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Insights on Knowledge Transfer

• 2 Day Workshop at SaskWater Headquarters on 21
  and 22 November, with 22 participants and
  involving
• 5 presentations on the 5 research modules
• brain storming session with the participation of
  senior executives from SaskWAter
• tour of 2 SaskWater distribution networks

13
Opportunities

• Condition monitoring and fault detection of
  variable frequency pumps is a real operational
  problem for water authorities
• Automated remote detection of water contaminants
• Holistic control of water distribution systems

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Collaborative Interests

• Collaborative interests of SaskWater
• Condition monitoring of pumps
• Broad pricing strategy involving consumer
  elasticity
• Implementation of a SCADA system for holistic
  control of rural water distribution systems
• Remote monitoring of water quality