Pressure Management in Water Distribution Networks using Geographic Information System and Spatial Open Source Database (Case Study: Golestan Town of Shiraz)

One of the existing problems in water and wastewater companies is the management of pressure in the water distribution networks. Due to the direct relationship between the network pressure and the rate of users’ consumptions, modeling the spatial distribution of pressure in a hydraulic software is possible. However, because of the Spatial Reference of the water network database, GIS is the preferred approach. Also, all the hydraulic behaviors and its changes can be modeled with a high location accuracy with this software. In this research, database reference modeling for a water distribution network has been carried out, as well as implementing its physical model in the PostgreSQL and PostGIS open source spatial database network, where the cost of its production, development, and support is less than a similar commercial software. Considering that topographical factors, pressure, and consumers demand have the greatest impact on the optimal distribution of water at the network, solutions such as determining the correct installation location for the suggested pressure reducing valves instead of the existing ones in order to optimize the pressure in high pressure areas have been suggested.