Determining the size of isolation segments in drinking water distribution systems

“This paper introduces a method how to come to a best practise for segment size of a distribution system to be isolated during an outage based on calculation of the customer minutes lost (CML) including the effect of valve failure. It shows that smaller distribution segments (and hence more valves) are needed when the value of water service is high, the pipe failure rate is high, the time to repair breaks is high, and the reliability of isolation valves is low. Using the values in this study, which is oriented toward practices in the Netherlands, the desired number of household customers per segment is on the order of 50 to
80.”

(Citation: Moerman, A., Blokker, E.J.M., Diemel, R. – Determining the size of isolation segments in drinking water distribution systems – CCWI Amsterdam, 7-9 november 2016)