Optimal disinfection of water distribution networks following a contamination event

Water distribution systems are prone to be contaminated. Following a contamination event, the contaminated section of the water distribution system should be identified, isolated and cleaned before it is returned to service. The regulatory agencies such as the ministry of health in Israel publishes procedures for the disinfection of water mains in which usually a short part of a single main is considered and no specific procedures are given for larger portions of the water system. This study presents an optimal operation plan for disinfection of water distribution systems taking into account the locations where the disinfectants should be injected into the network, their concentration, injection times, flow rate and drainage locations. The method is a GA-EPANET framework. It is demonstrated on a small real-world network section.