DISTRICTUALIZATION FOR REDUCING WATER LOSSES IN WDNS

In Italy, in the framework of the PNRR plan of investment, a huge campaign of works has been initiated in order to obtain the target of digitalization of Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) and to reduce the water losses. Distrectualization of complex WDNs is the most used approach in order to obtain such target. The resulting sectors, called district metering areas (DMAs), are expected to meet some requirements and performance criteria such as minimum number of intervention, pressure uniformity, similarity of demands, water quality and number of districts. DMAs can help in understanding the behaviour of the network, and to program efficient water losses reduction campaigns. In the present study about 14 DMAs on different WDNs in the Province of Naples (Italy) have been considered. The trade-off between measured flow and pressures have been analyzed highlightening the effect of the Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) on the night leakages value estimation. Furthermore a methodology based on the minimum residential night flow consumption for leakages estimation is proposed.