Assessing Water Losses in Drinking Water Distribution Systems Using the SCADA System: The Erzincan Case

Abstract

Reasons such as rapid population growth, urbanization, unconscious water use, environmental pollution, and changes in climate conditions increase water consumption, and water is consumed before completing its cycle in nature. This situation has directed the water producers to search for new resources in the face of increasing water demand and decreasing resources, but due to the high cost of the resource search, the water producers have turned to the understanding of reducing the high amounts of lost water and using water resources in a more planned and efficient manner.  Minimizing water losses in drinking water distribution networks is among these objectives. In this study, drinking water data between January 2014 and January 2020 in Erzincan was examined, and the SCADA (Supervising Control and Data Acquisition) system placed in the drinking water distribution network in March 2018 was evaluated by considering the pre and post-drinking water data in the system. First of all, the terms between January 2014 and March 2018 which means before the installation of the SCADA system were examined, the data of the amount of water produced and the data of water consumed by the subscribers was collected from the Municipal Waterworks Unit, these data were transferred to the Water Balance Table, the results was analyzed and the actual water loss rates in the system were estimated. As a result of this estimation, before the SCADA system was established, the total physical and administrative water loss rate was seen as 64%, while the physical water loss rate was 28%. After the establishment of the SCADA automation system after March 2018, the date of the amount of water produced received from the SCADA system and the amount of water consumed was transferred to the Water Balance Table and the total physical and administrative loss was seen as 37% while the physical water loss rate was 14%. According to these results, it was observed that the water loss rate approached the minimum level within a short period with the SCADA automation system.