Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Economic and Technical Analysis of Leakage Reduction in Birjand Urban Water Distribution Network

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Navid Gholampoor 1
Pooya Mohammadi 2
Fereshteh Modaresi 2
Hossein Ansari 3
1 PhD Student of Irrigation and Drainage, Department of Water Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Water Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Water Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
10.22112/jwwse.2025.508184.1446
Abstract
Water leakage in distribution networks is one of the main challenges in urban water resource management, which leads to financial loss, water waste, and reduced system efficiency. This study aims to analyze the economic and technical leakage in the water distribution network of Zone D of Birjand city and provide practical solutions for leakage management. In this study, hydraulic modeling with WaterGEMS software was used to simulate the network and analyze hydraulic parameters; flow rate, pressure, and geographical map data were collected and the network model was calibrated. The assessment showed an ILI index of 12, which reflects the serious leakage situation in the existing network, and for this reason, five different pressure management scenarios were examined to reduce leakage. The results showed that excessive pressure was the main cause of leakage in Zone D, and targeted pressure reduction in the S4 scenario resulted in a reduction of 14.90 lit/sec of leakage, equivalent to a daily volume reduction of 1287.360 m3 and economic savings of 1.241 billion rials per year. The findings indicate that investing in smart pressure management and renovation of worn-out infrastructure, in addition to improving economic efficiency, also reduces environmental damage caused by water waste.
Keywords
Water Waste
Modeling
Pressure Management
WaterGEMS
ILI
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Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering
Volume 10, Issue 4
Winter 2026
Pages 63-73

  • Receive Date 03 March 2025
  • Revise Date 19 May 2025
  • Accept Date 17 August 2025