Core-periphery structure for district metered area partitioning in urban water distribution systems

Abstract

As urban areas expand and water demand intensifies, the need for efficient and reliable water distribution systems becomes increasingly critical. A widely used infrastructure management approach involves partitioning water distribution networks (WDNs) into district metered areas (DMAs). However, suboptimal designs of DMA partitioning can lead to inefficiencies and increased costs. This study presents a core-periphery-informed approach for DMA design that explicitly utilises the natural division between a densely connected core and a sparsely connected periphery. Incorporating this structural framework enhances network resilience, improves water pressure stability, and optimises boundary device placement. The proposed core-periphery-informed DMA design integrates hydraulic and topological analyses to identify central and peripheral network areas, applies a community structure detection algorithm conditioned by these areas, and uses an optimisation model to determine the optimal placement of boundary devices, enhancing network resilience and reducing costs. When applied to the Modena WDN in Italy, this approach demonstrates improved pressure stability and significant cost reductions compared to traditional methods. Overall, the findings highlight the practical benefits of the core-periphery-based DMA design, offering a scalable and data-driven solution for urban water distribution systems.