Revista de Ingeniería Civil y Ambiental

Assessing Sustainability Index of Urban Water Supply Distribution Network, a Case of Jaldu Town, Ethiopia

Abstract

Dessalegn Geleta Ebsa, Wakjira Takala Dibaba and Derartu Bekele Balcha

Background: The sustainability indexes in water distribution systems were measured for pressure junction and pipeline velocity based upon performance criteria (reliability, resilience, and vulnerability

Methods: The values of pressure and water velocity are used to determine these criteria, which Performances Sustainability Index (PSI) for pipeline velocity and PSI for pressure. The estimated PSI value evaluates the overall sustainability score for the entire zone in the water distribution network.

Results: This PSI was based upon performance for both pressure and velocity in the distribution systems by estimating its reliability, resilience, and vulnerability indicators through the systems. Therefore, the simulated hydraulic performance in the extended state was 19.6% high, 34.7% low, and 45.7% normal pressure junction due to low elevation and large pipe size. Whereas 6.4% is the lowest velocity <0.56 m/s and 11.8% is the highest water velocity >2.5 m/s recorded. Hence, for both pressure and velocity, the average reliability is 0.28, which is unsatisfactory, resilience 0.424, vulnerability 0.47. The overall sustainability index was 0.399, which represents the aggregate sum of the performance of the water supply distribution network based on the values of technical performance indicators, especially pressure and velocity.

Conclusion: Hence, the existing water supply distribution network of Jaldu town was unsustainable.