최근 완성된 새 누수 분석 툴에 대한 연구 개발을 통해 물연구협회(WRF)가 수도시설이 비용 효율적인 방법으로 누수를 이해하고 통제할 수 있도록 돕고 있다. ‘물 감사와 실제 유출 컴포넌트 분석’이라는 프로젝트는 물 분배 시스템에서의 누수로 인한 그들의 손실에 대한 원인을 더 잘 이해할 수 있도록 수도 시설에 정보를 제공하고, 궁극적으로 다양한 조정 전략의 경제적 영향을 분석할 수 있도록 돕는 툴로써 역할을 한다.

한편, 북아메리카의 대부분의 수도시설은 누수가 보고되면 설비를 보수하는 형식으로 반응적인 누수관리 전략을 채택하고 있다.

 

 

 

Through recently completed research and development of a new leakage analysis tool, the Water Research Foundation (WRF) is helping water utilities better understand and control leakage in a cost-effective manner. Called "Water Audits and Real Loss Component Analysis" (#4372), the project provides water utilities information to better understand the sources of their losses from leakage in the water distribution system and ultimately serves as a tool to help analyze the economic impact of various intervention strategies.

 

The vast majority of water utilities in North America employ reactive leakage management strategies, through which failures are repaired when they are reported to the utility. Because of this, utilities are continuing to experience increases in leakage losses throughout the distribution system due to a rising backlog of unreported distribution system failures. These losses continue to mount in spite of the fact that significant industry research has demonstrated the economic and efficiency gains that can be achieved through proactive leakage management.

 

In order to develop an effective and proactive leakage loss reduction strategy, utilities must undertake three major steps: a "top-down" water audit; component analysis of real losses; and evaluation of least-cost, real-loss reduction strategies. The water audit estimates revenue and non-revenue water, as well as real losses as a sub-category of non-revenue water. The leakage component analysis further determines the known real losses and categorizes them into three types of leakage: reported, unreported or background. This step includes water audit results, utility data on specific leak occurrences and a calculation of background losses.

 

By combining the component analysis with an evaluation of least-cost, real-loss reduction strategies, it is possible to calculate how much of each type of leakage can be economically reduced through the right combination of intervention tools. Very few water utilities have the necessary expertise in leakage loss management to efficiently undertake a leakage component analysis and design the correct leakage control program. Water Research Foundation project #4372 was designed to fill this gap.

 

WRF and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored this research project that involved 10 utilities of various sizes from throughout North America. The full report and Component Analysis Model can be accessed through the WRF Website. A recently conducted webcast on the project is also available on demand. Lastly, this project is featured in the latest edition of WRF's magazine, Advances in Water Research.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 11월 28일]