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Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 4445

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Valentina Marsili

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Guest Editor

Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: water supply systems; hydraulic modelling; water hammer; pressure transients; field monitoring

Dr. Filippo Mazzoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: water distribution networks; water consumption; end uses of water; residential and non-residential users; water-use anomalies

Prof. Dr. Michal Zielina

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Cracow University of Technology, 24 Warszawska St., 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Interests: water supply; sewage disposal; water quality; water treatment; pipe renovation; rainwater management; water pollution
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water distribution systems (WDSs) are complex systems whose layout and management emerge as a response to the challenges posed by climate change and population growth in urban areas. In this context, strategies for efficient planning and effective management of WDSs are essential to ensure adequate water supply to the current population and future generations. The design and the management of WDSs are typically guided by rules aimed at meeting multiple objectives, such as the minimization of operational cost and energy use and the maximization of water supply service quality and network reliability. Determining the optimal design and management for WDSs is challenging due to the need to find trade-offs between objectives, to which is added the uncertainty around future demand and the heterogeneity of water networks. The goal of this Special Issue is to provide insights into innovative approaches and solutions aimed at defining strategies for the optimal design and management of WDSs in the context of the ongoing digital transition. Both novel contributions and review papers providing insights into the state of the art are welcome.

Dr. Valentina Marsili
Dr. Filippo Mazzoni
Prof. Dr. Michal Zielina
Guest Editors

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Keywords

effective design
efficient management
optimization algorithm
real-world applications
water distribution systems
urban water systems
digital transition

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 450 KB

Open AccessArticle

From Hazard Prioritization to Object-Level Risk Management in Drinking Water Systems: A Class-Based FPOR Framework for Priority Premises

by Izabela Piegdoń, Barbara Tchórzewska-Cieślak and Jakub Raček

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 3176; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16073176 - 25 Mar 2026

Viewed by 344

Abstract

Risk-based management of water quality in drinking water supply systems requires decision-support tools that extend beyond parameter-level hazard assessment and enable prioritization at the level of physical system objects. In this context, hazard assessment refers specifically to drinking water quality parameters and their possible operational and health-related implications, particularly in facilities serving sensitive user groups. This study proposes a class-based extension of the FPOR (Fuzzy Priority of Objects at Risk) framework to support object-level operational prioritization under conditions of limited data availability. Hazard importance is adopted from prior hazard prioritization using the Fuzzy Priority Index (FPI), while priority premises (PP) are represented as object classes reflecting typical functional and operational characteristics. Class-based profiles of local hazard relevance and object vulnerability are defined using expert-informed fuzzy representations and aggregated into FPOR scores to produce a relative ranking of priority premises classes. The results demonstrate how hazard prioritization can be systematically propagated to object-level decision units without reliance on site-specific monitoring data. The proposed framework provides a transparent and scalable basis for early-stage risk-based planning and supports the operational implementation of object-oriented management strategies in drinking water systems, while maintaining a clear conceptual separation from health risk assessment addressed in subsequent studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era)

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17 pages, 10223 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hydraulic Performance and Capillary Irrigation Feasibility of a Novel Drainage System for Green Roofs

by Behrouz Pirouz, Hana Javadi Nejad and Patrizia Piro

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 2292; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16052292 - 27 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 478

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NBSs), such as green roofs, are among the most effective ways to manage urban stormwater, improve building energy efficiency, and adapt to climate change. However, conventional green roofs confront several restrictions related to stormwater drainage, retention capacity, irrigation demand, and pressure on urban water networks during dry periods. This study proposes and experimentally validates a novel system applicable to green roofs and other NBS, including streetside planting systems and vegetated sports grounds. The novelty of the proposed system lies in a double-layer design, the integration of filters within soil substrate to enhance short-term stormwater retention and controlled drainage, and passive subsurface capillary irrigation with cords to improve irrigation efficiency. Infiltration tests showed that filter hydraulic conductivity strongly depends on pore size, with measured infiltration rates ranging from 0.01 mm/min (ceramic, 0.1 μm) to 20 mm/min (polypropylene, 50 μm). The results showed that filter material and pore size significantly influence infiltration behaviour and short-term storage capacity. When integrated with the soil substrate, the combined system exhibited infiltration rates of 0.8–2.0 mm/min, decreasing as hydraulic head declined. Capillary rise experiments demonstrated a maximum vertical rise of 32 cm and horizontal rise of 39 cm for polyester cords (6 mm width), confirming the feasibility of passive subsurface irrigation through stored runoff reuse without external energy. The experiments were conducted at a laboratory scale (25 × 25 cm) as a proof-of-concept validation. Finally, the study results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system as a multifunctional NBS solution that enhances stormwater retention while enabling passive irrigation using retained runoff. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era)

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30 pages, 4333 KB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Queuing Theory in the Reliability and Risk Assessment of the Water Supply System: Case Study of the Jabal Hasouna Well-Field

by Al-Sifao A. Al-Sifao, Nikola V. Petrović, Radiša Ž. Jovanović and Uglješa S. Bugarić

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1608; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031608 - 5 Feb 2026

Viewed by 479

Abstract

To address water shortages, Libya has undertaken one of the most significant global civil infrastructure projects, the Great Man-Made River Project, aimed at transporting groundwater from southern well-fields to densely populated northern cities. The second phase of the project consisted of installing the water supply system, which comprises 479 well pumps, united to deliver around 2 million cubic meters of water to the north. Historical performance data for the water supply system were analyzed, and a model for the system’s reliability calculation was developed: a finite-source, multi-server queuing system with spares (M/M/c//N/Y). The model enabled the analytical calculation of the system’s reliability in different configurations. Each configuration was assessed using a unique risk score, defined as the product of reliability-based parameters and the consequences associated with water-shortage events resulting from system failures. The analysis identified two alternative configurations that satisfy all predefined performance and risk criteria. Both configurations require fewer resources than the original system design, with up to seven fewer spare pumps, allowing for decision-makers to select the most appropriate option based on additional operational and contextual considerations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era)

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17 pages, 941 KB

Open AccessArticle

Interpolation-Based Evaluation and Prediction of Vortex Efficiency in Torque-Flow Pumps

by Vladyslav Kondus, Ivan Pavlenko, Marek Ochowiak, Andżelika Krupińska, Magdalena Matuszak and Sylwia Włodarczak

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(23), 12395; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152312395 - 21 Nov 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 872

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study on the energy efficiency of torque-flow pumps with a particular focus on isolating the efficiency of the vortex operating process. The relevance of the topic is determined by the complexity of describing the combined operating process, which includes both blade and vortex components, the latter of which has remained insufficiently studied until now. The research aimed to improve the accuracy of predicting the efficiency of torque-flow pumps by analytically determining the effectiveness of the vortex operating process over the full range of specific speed coefficients. The study employed empirical data from bench tests of prototype pumps, supplemented by well-known empirical methodologies. To construct analytical dependencies, a Lagrange interpolation polynomial with equally spaced nodes in the range n_s = 10–220 was applied. This made it possible to obtain generalized functions for the efficiency of torque-flow pumps, centrifugal (blade) pumps, and, for the first time, to determine the complete characteristic of the vortex operating process efficiency. The proposed interpolation method reproduces the empirical efficiency characteristics with an accuracy better than 1.1–1.2%, enabling reliable prediction of the intrinsic vortex process efficiency across the entire range of specific speeds. It was established that the maximum value of the vortex operating process efficiency is 66.6% at n_s, while the optimal operating range of the pumps corresponds to n_s = 70–140. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in their applicability for pump design and optimization for the transportation of liquids containing inclusions, as well as in ensuring higher accuracy of engineering calculations without the need for extensive experimental testing. The importance of the study is further emphasized by its contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency, industrial innovation, and resilient infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era)

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17 pages, 2427 KB

Open AccessArticle

Is It Possible to Improve Energy Efficiency in Water Purification Plants? The Case of Drinking Water in La Presa DWPP in Valencia, (Spain)

by Harold de León Fabián, Pura Almenar Llorens, P. Amparo López-Jiménez and Modesto Pérez-Sánchez

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(21), 11340; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152111340 - 22 Oct 2025

Viewed by 1653

Abstract

This research analyzes the energy balance of the purification water pumping system at the La Presa drinking water purification plant (DWPP) in Manises (Valencia) and evaluates alternatives to improve its energy efficiency. These alternatives include the construction of a storage tank at an elevation of 75 m between La Presa Plant and Valencia city, allowing the lower area of the city to be supplied independently from the upper zone. This configuration will adapt to the pressure levels of the whole city and control the residence time in the tanks, thereby improving both energy and quality parameters in the whole network. Hydraulic simulations were conducted in EPANET using models representing the system from the La Presa gallery to the delivery points under various demand scenarios and operational criteria. Three alternatives for feeding the new tank are studied: using additional pumps; using turbines; and a combination of both. From the data obtained in the simulations (flows and heads), the net energy consumed was calculated, and the average water residence time in the tanks was simulated as an indicator of water quality, using certain theoretical criteria. The results indicate that all alternatives represent a significant energy saving and maintain water quality at any moment. The best solution is proposed, which involves combining pumps and turbines and minimizing residence time in the tanks. In this case, a saving of 42.26% of energy is achieved when compared with the actual situation, with an average residence time in the tanks of less than 50 h. The combination of both restrictions of quality and energy savings represents a novelty in the management of future decisions for purification plants supplying real networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Water Distribution Networks: Optimal Design and Management in the Digital Transition Era)

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