Digitalization of Water Distribution Systems in Small Cities, a Tool for Verification and Hydraulic Analysis: A Case Study of Pamplona, Colombia

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 21; p. 3824
• Main Authors: Bonilla, Carlos, Brentan, Bruno, Montalvo, Idel, Ayala-Cabrera, David, Izquierdo, Joaquín
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2023
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Big Data; Case studies; Cities; Cities and towns; Climate change; Colombia; Data analysis; Decision making; digital elevation model; digital hydraulic model; Digital technology; digitalization; Digitization; Drinking water; Drones; Economic development; Hydraulics; Internet of Things; Optimization algorithms; Optimization techniques; Population growth; Sanitation; Sustainability; water distribution network; water management; Water quality; Water utilities; Colombia; Italy; Spain; India
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w15213824

Digitalization in water networks is essential for the future planning of urban development processes in cities and is one of the great challenges faced by small cities regarding water management and the advancement of their infrastructures towards sustainable systems. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology that allows water utilities with limited budgets to start the path toward the digitalization and construction of the hydraulic model of their water distribution networks. The small city of Pamplona in Colombia was used as a case study. The work explains in detail the challenges faced and the solutions proposed during the digitalization process. The methodology is developed in six phases: an analysis of the cadastre and existing information, the creation and conceptualization of the base hydraulic model, the development of the topography using drones with a limited budget, an analysis of water demand, the development of a digital hydraulic model, and a hydraulic analysis of the system. The product generated is a tool to assess the overall performance of the network and contributes to the advancement of SDG-6, SDG-9, and SDG-11. Finally, this document can be replicated by other cities and companies with similar characteristics (e.g., limited size and budget) and offers an intermediate position on the road to digitalization and the first steps towards the implementation of a digital twin.