CASE STUDY / WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS

From field measurements to modelled leakage-reduction interventions.

A monitored water-distribution case in Italy combining field measurements, hydraulic model calibration and operational scenario testing to identify interventions for leakage reduction and pressure management.

24 L/s Modelled water-loss reduction
~700,000 m³/year Modelled annual saving
Field + Model Integrated calibration workflow
DMA / PRV Operational intervention analysis

01 / CONTEXT

The model had to reproduce the network as it actually behaved.

The engineering objective

The objective was not simply to run hydraulic simulations, but to develop a calibrated representation capable of reproducing observed pressure and flow behaviour closely enough to support operational decisions.

Why field data mattered

Pressure, flow, GIS and operational information were combined to understand how the network was actually behaving and where model assumptions needed adjustment.

02 / CHALLENGE

Closing the gap between the digital model and measured reality.

Demand patterns, operating conditions, valve configuration, pressure regimes and leakage can all create differences between a theoretical model and observed field behaviour.

Calibration therefore focused on identifying and reducing discrepancies between simulated and monitored pressure and flow values before using the model for intervention analysis.

03 / FIELD MONITORING

Pressure and flow observations became calibration evidence.

Pressure & flow campaigns

Monitoring campaigns established representative operating conditions and provided measured values against which hydraulic simulations could be checked.

DMA & leakage indicators

District-level flow behaviour, minimum night flow information, pressure observations and separation tests helped identify abnormal consumption and leakage patterns.

GIS & operational data

Network geometry, asset information and operating configuration were reviewed together with field measurements to improve model reliability.

04 / MODEL CALIBRATION

Calibration was iterative, not a single model run.

Simulated pressure and flow results were repeatedly compared with field measurements. Demand assumptions, network configuration and model parameters were reviewed until the simulation provided an acceptable representation of observed conditions.

Demand-driven and pressure-driven approaches were used according to network conditions and the engineering question being investigated.

Model Calibration Demand Driven Pressure Driven Scenario Testing

05 / ENGINEERING INTERVENTIONS

The calibrated model became a decision-support tool.

DMA restructuring

Network partitioning and flow paths were assessed to improve hydraulic control and leakage monitoring.

Valve & PRV strategy

Valve configurations and pressure-reducing strategies were tested to evaluate operational changes while maintaining service conditions.

Pressure management

Scenario analysis was used to identify pressure-management options capable of reducing background leakage and improving network operation.

06 / RESULTS

From calibrated modelling to interventions now being implemented.

24 L/s

Modelled water-loss reduction

The proposed interventions are modelled to reduce network losses by approximately 24 litres per second and are now being implemented by the utility.

~700,000

m³/year modelled saving

The modelled reduction corresponds to approximately 700,000 cubic metres of potential annual water savings.

07 / MY ROLE

My contribution covered the modelling-to-decision workflow.

My work included hydraulic model setup and refinement, calibration against field measurements, interpretation of pressure and flow data, scenario testing and assessment of operational interventions.

I also integrated GIS, monitoring and network information to support technical reporting and translate model results into practical engineering recommendations.

08 / PORTFOLIO CONTEXT

One monitored case within a much larger body of network work.

The modelled 24 L/s reduction and approximately 700,000 m³/year potential annual saving described above refer specifically to the proposed interventions for this Desenzano del Garda project.

My broader professional portfolio in Italy spans approximately 7,600 km across 96 municipalities. This includes a 5,442.6 km asset-data reconstruction and hydraulic-model-readiness project in Veneto, plus approximately 2,150 km of hydraulic modelling, calibration and network-optimization work. The Desenzano project highlighted on this page represents approximately 250 km of that hydraulic-modelling portfolio, alongside approximately 1,900 km of other projects.

The Desenzano figures above refer specifically to modelled outcomes for the proposed interventions in this approximately 250 km network; the wider figures describe the scale of my broader professional portfolio.

09 / TOOLS

Engineering stack

MIKE+ InfoWorks WS Pro WaterGEMS EPANET QGIS ArcGIS Python Excel

10 / EXPLORE THE METHOD

Explore the technical capability behind the case study.

Hydraulic Modelling

Explore the calibration methods, pressure-driven analysis, scenario testing and network-modelling capabilities used across my engineering work.

Explore hydraulic modelling