Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-77).

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, May 2016. / This thesis presents work on four problems identi ed in the Zomba Water Distribution Network. The research was carried out on the existing network infrastructure with the aim of improving e ciency by reducing Unaccounted-For Water (UFW). The rst challenge was to develop a demand model for the city based on its in uencing factors: daily and seasonal uctuations as well as population dynamics. The model was to capture demand patterns for short-term, medium-term to long-term time periods, thereby becoming an important input factor into decision making. The developed model may be employed to generate demand which can be input into the city's 10 year infrastructure expansion plan. The second problem was to explain why houses built too close to tanks are at risk of inconsistent water supply. It was found that the requirement of observing the tank elevations, helv, had been violated. As a result, the discontinued supplies occurred. Once the required tank elevation helv had been established, an extra increase in the elevation so as to accommodate a larger population was determined to be on the order of one centimeter. Third problem was to explain the continued mains pipe failures observed in the network. It was established that the main cause was the hammering e ects started through the process of manually closing ow control valves (FCVs) tted next to tanks. A possible remedy was to rather t the FCVs at joint nodes and not at the tanks. This was estimated to greatly reduce the hammering e ects, eventually turning them into minor head losses due to elbow bends. Finally, a structural approach to designing tanks that optimize the use of gravity is presented. This is an input into the infrastructure expansion planning of the city. Regardless of any design shapes they may take, tanks with height-radius, h=r, ratio of less than 1 exhibit diminished, as opposed to increased, height changes with demand changes. Such a property would ensure consistency in the pressure at the tank, allowing for delivery of the demanded load. / GR2016

M.Ing. / Stochastic analysis of water distribution systems allow the performance of systems to be evaluated under more realistic conditions that involve both deterministic and probabilistic factors. A software package called Mocasim II has been developed to perform stochastic analysis on water supply systems. This allows the relationship between the reliability of the supply system and the capacity of its service reservoir(s) to be quantified using Monte Carlo analysis. In a Monte Carlo analysis the factors which influence the reliability of the system such as water demand, fires, and pipe failures are simulated stochastically over a long period of time. A reliability-capacity relationship is quantified by analysing the failure behaviour of different service reservoir sizes. A previous version of Mocasim used a simple mass balance model for calculating the flows in simple, linear distribution networks. Mocasim II extends the functionality of its predecessor by enabling the probabilistic modelling of more complex water distribution models. This was achieved by integrating the stochastic modelling technique into the Epanet hydraulic analysis software package. Mocasim II was designed using an object-oriented model which has various advantages such as ease of programme testing, upgrading and maintaining as well as minimum repetitive code and a logical structure. Additional capabilities of Mocasim II include the determination of probability distributions for network properties such as flow rate, pressure and water quality at any node in the network. This will assist in estimating the levels of service of a water supply system. This project focussed on developing sections of Mocasim II to be integrated with existing software such as Mocasim I, the Epanet hydraulic engine, OOTEN, and a random number generator. The software was tested thoroughly. This involved testing each class separately as well as applying it to a test case which is a simple network consisting of a source, reservoir and demand node. The theoretical background of the stochastic model has been investigated and various aspects discussed. Various case studies in Windhoek-Namibia, Mabeskraal-South Africa and an Epanet design example demonstrate the capabilities of the software and benefits of a stochastic analysis. A workbook to be used in addition to the software's help facility has been developed.