PRESSURE MANAGEMENT IN

AUSTRALIA WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Pankaj Mistry, Manager Water Demand Management,

Wide Bay Water Corporation
INTRODUCTION

Population Growth
Climate Change
INTRODUCTION

Distribution of Earths Water

Source - URL: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

Since 2002 SEQ has been experiencing

a series of droughts
crisis point

raining in the
wrong places
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT

In response to the situation State

Government introduced a aggressive
program of infrastructure and water
demand activities

Waterwise

Leak Detection
 BOLDLY GO!!!

NOT INTO SPACE!!! BUT INTO WATER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

As part of sustainable water management activities
Australian Water Utilities are implementing

Water loss management

Leakage control
District metering
Pressure management
OBJECTIVES

Minimise the leakage water loss component by

systematically detecting and repairing leaks in the water
network
Reduce excessive water pressure to minimise leakage
and pipe burst
BENEFITS

More efficient use of existing supplies

Increased knowledge of the distribution system
Reduced water losses
Reduction in burst frequency (through pressure control)
Reduction in operating costs
Service improvements (stable supply)
Improved public relations
Environmental improvements
SYSTEM CHANGES UNKNOWNS & BARRIERS
SYSTEM CHANGES, UNKNOWNS & BARRIERS

From open system to smaller

micro systems
You cant
Increased number of closed close valves
valves What? Reduce
in a
network!!!
pressure?
Customer reaction
Making the shift from reactive
operations to proactive operations
Have management and other
stakeholders bought in
Pressure changes does this
impact on fire fighting
capabilities?
ADDRESSING THE ISSUES

Water Utilities have embarked on a mission to

address these issues and headed towards a shift that
requires:
Good strategic planning
Modelling
Proactive work
Planning for outcomes that are:
Beneficial to the utility
Customer
THE CONFLICT

Projects need to implement pressure management

Water Utilities obligation to provide fire flow capacity

One to bring water pressure down

The other reliant on high level of pressure

WHAT TO DO?
 fire fighting at high pressure
leak example at high pressure

fire fighting at lower pressures?

same leak at lower pressures
 Network modelling
Hydraulic performance
Performing various demand scenarios
Careful boundary selection
 Hydraulic models verified by:
Comparing actual flow and
pressure to real world data

Illeweena 600 Res 1 Flow

Line Site Name Measurand Units Min Max

Illeweena 600 Res 1 Flow Flow 1 l/s 0.00 61.80
l/s
95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
16:00 20:00 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00
Wed 12 Mar 2008 16:00 (hour:min)
 Simulating fire flow at critical
hydrants
Investigating and identifying
customers with possible impact
Discussions with QFRS
 Using models
planning engineers
are able to identify

Boundary configurations
Cost effective upgrades
Ensure hydraulic
performance of the
network
DESIGN FOR SMART CONTROL

Consider every operating scenario

Minimise impact of pressure management through selection of
appropriate technology
experiment with different hardware configurations and operating
philosophies
Redundancy, backup and failsafe mechanisms
EAGLEBY FIRE - 2005

Photos Courtesy of Firecall.com.au

Eagleby Pressure Control Area
BTQ7 & NEWS 6:00pm 10.04.05
Controller in operation Eagleby Fire Incident
controller senses increase in flow
rate and increase pressure using
set flow profile in controller

Eagleby PMA - Pressure Controller in Operation

60

100.0

Pressure continues to 55
downstream increase, as flow rate
pressure increases
80.0
50
Flow (litres/second)

Pressure (m)
60.0
45

40.0
40

20.0 flow 35

0.0 30
4:10:00 AM

8:20:00 AM

1:00:00 AM

5:10:00 AM

9:20:00 AM

2:00:00 AM

6:10:00 AM
12:00:00 AM

4:40:00 PM

8:50:00 PM

1:30:00 PM

5:40:00 PM

9:50:00 PM
12:30:00 PM

Photos Courtesy of Firecall.com.au

4:00am fire crews
begin fire fighting
Controller in operation Eagleby Fire Incident

pressure
Max Flow Rate - 342 m3/hr (95 litres/sec)

Max Pressure reached - 56m

Flow Against Pressure

60 400.00 Max Pressure available - 60m

350.00
50
300.00
04:00 flow 28m3/hr pressure - 39m
40
Pressure (m)

250.00

Flow (m3/hr)
04:05 flow 82m3/hr pressure - 43m
30 200.00

150.00
20 04:10 flow 150m3/hr pressure - 49m
100.00
10
50.00 04:45 flow 203m3/hr pressure - 53m
0 0.00
pressure - 55m +
05:30 flow 299m3/hr
4:00

4:05

4:10

4:45

5:30

7:20

demand
Time
pressure - 56m +
07:20 flow 342m3/hr
demand

flow
Proving the operation of flow
modulation with the QFRS
 0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0

00:00:00
01:35:00
03:10:00
04:45:00
06:20:00
07:55:00
09:30:00
flow

11:05:00

12:40:00
14:15:00

15:50:00
17:25:00
19:00:00
20:35:00
QFRS - Test

22:10:00
23:45:00
pressure

01:20:00
02:55:00
04:30:00
06:05:00
07:40:00
09:15:00
10:50:00
12:25:00

14:00:00
 Flow (l/sec)

10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0

0.0
08:00:00
08:10:00
08:20:00
08:30:00
08:40:00
08:50:00
09:00:00

Normal Flow Profile

09:10:00
Normal Pressure Profile 41-45m

09:20:00
09:30:00
09:40:00
09:50:00
10:00:00
QFRS - Test

10:10:00
10:20:00
10:30:00
QFRS 30l/sec

10:40:00
10:50:00
11:00:00
11:10:00
11:20:00
11:30:00
11:40:00
Pressure Increase to 55m with Increased Flow

11:50:00
Communications
KEEPING THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED
KEEPING THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED

Keep the Customer Informed

Minimise Impact
KEEPING THE CUSTOMER INFORMED

Public Notices
Newspaper advertising
Newspaper articles
Web site
Newsletters
Written works notifications
MINIMISE IMPACT
PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING!!!

P
P
P
P
P
P
PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING!!!

Prior
Preparation and
Planning
Prevents
Poor
Performance
PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING!!!

WELL ALMOST!!!
Whos Who of Utilities with
Pressure Management
THANK YOU