Automatic multiscale approach for water networks partitioning into dynamic district metered areas

This paper presents a novel methodology to automatically split a water distribution system (WDS) into self-adapting district metered areas (DMAs) of
different size. The proposal benefit of embedding a visual analytics approach at the same time it is suitable to control inlets / outlets for each proposed partition
which leads to an optimal operation and management of WDSs. Complex networks theory proposes the essentials of a novel multiscale network layout made by landmark and key nodes for the water supply plus hyper-links representing the connection between them. The proposed multiscale layout partitioning has been tested for a real medium-size water distribution network. This is shown to naturally support further DMA aggregation / disaggregation operations with the direct benefit of providing a better dynamic system control and superior efficient water management than static DMA configurations, particularly in case of abnormal functioning conditions, not taken into account during the first partitioning design. The proposed tool gives the possibility to automatically define a dynamic partitioning of WDSs according to spatial and temporal (hourly, daily, seasonally) water demand variability, ensuring an efficient and low-cost management of the system and simultaneously preserving the hydraulic performance of the WDS.