Minimizing Network Disruption for Planned and Emergency Repairs of Water Supply Systems

Abstract

Urban water supply systems are typically large, complex, and expensive to build and maintain. Disruptions of service can have serious implications on the economy, health, and convenience of those served by the system. Consequently, improved system performance and customer service are important goals of water supply system managers. However, even in the most advanced systems, water supply must be disrupted to some customers due to emergency situations or planned maintenance. In this paper, we present an optimal algorithm to minimize the network impacted when such a disruption occurs. The algorithm can be readily incorporated into sophisticated decision support systems for water supply network planning and management.