A multi-objective and multi-criteria approach for district metered area design: water operation and quality analysis

Water distribution network (WDN) operation may be improved by district metered area (DMA) design [1]. A first step to create DMAs uses graph theory and non-supervised learning, where physical features of the WDN, such as node coordinates, elevation and demand, are used for clustering purposes [2]. A second step is related to the necessary isolation of the clustered elements. For isolation purposes, it is important to determine the DMA entrances and, consequently, the needed cut-off valves. Closure of pipes and definition of DMA entrances can be set as an optimization problem with the costs associated to the valves, which are linked to pipe diameters, as a primary objective. However, placeme…