Simulation and assessment of water supply network for specified districts at Najaf Governorate

Abstract This study aims to simulate and assess the hydraulic characteristics and residual chlorine in the water supply network of a selected area in Al-Najaf City using WaterGEMS software. Field and laboratory work were conducted to measure the pressure heads and velocities, and water was sampled from different sites in the network and then tested to estimate chlorine residual. Records and field measurements were utilized to validate WaterGEMS software. Good agreement was obtained between the observed and predicted values of pressure with RMSE range between 0.09–0.17 and 0.08–0.09 for chlorine residual. The results of the analysis of water distribution systems (WDS) during maximum demand hours showed that the pumps unit capability cannot cover the high water demand during that time and resulted in a loss of pressure values, which were ranged between 0.2 and 2.1 bar. Moreover, the simulated results of the residual chlorine levels were within the permissible limits of 0.4–0.7 ppm, in different locations in the network. Providing good quality and adequate water supply is an important component for human life development. Modeling WDS is an efficient method of gaining a true understanding of the functioning of the network and determining the factors and conditions affecting the performance of the network.