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Karan Nagrale
Independent Researcher
India
ABSTRACT
This manuscript presents an in-depth exploration of water distribution network optimization using EPANET simulations, focusing exclusively on technologies and studies available up to 2013. EPANET’s hydraulic and water quality modeling capabilities enable the evaluation and enhancement of network performance parameters such as head loss, pressure uniformity, and energy consumption. We review three representative case studies—an urban network in the United States, a municipal system in Europe, and a developing-country application in Asia—to illustrate practical optimization workflows. The methodology combines system calibration, multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithms, and sensitivity analysis within EPANET’s toolkit. Results demonstrate up to 20 % reduction in pumping costs, significant improvements in pressure residuals, and insights into pipe sizing trade-offs. The findings underscore EPANET’s suitability for engineering practice, highlight challenges in data quality and computational demands, and provide guidelines for practitioners seeking to implement network optimization within the constraints of pre-2016 technologies. Ten key references from foundational and application-oriented studies up to 2013 support the analysis.
KEYWORDS
Water distribution network optimization, EPANET, genetic algorithm, hydraulic modeling, pressure management, energy efficiency
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