Planning and Implementation of Active Leakage Control in the Management of Unreported Leakages

A significant part of the leaks in distribution systems consist of the unreported failures. In this study, active leak control methodology is proposed in the management and reduction of non-surface failures and the results are discussed by applying it in the field. In this context, a pilot application was carried out in the central distribution system of Malatya province. Various databases have been developed and roadmaps have been proposed for the implementation of this methodology in an administration. During the field studies, minimum night flow rates were monitored in 3 pilot isolated areas, potential recoverable leaks were calculated and their location was determined by acoustic methods. As a result of these studies, a total of 38 unreported leak points were identified and repaired in 3 pilot regions, and as a result, a total of 35 l/s flow rate was saved to the system in 3 regions. By reducing this flow, 3023 m3/day, 90720 m3/month and 1088640 m3/year volumes were added to the system, respectively. The implementation of active leakage control has resulted in significant water efficiency. By preventing these volumes, especially in pumped systems, energy consumption will be reduced. As a result, it is thought that the outputs obtained from this study will constitute an important reference especially for practitioners.