The Sensitivity of a Water Distribution System to Regional State Parameter Variations

The sensitivity of a pressurised water distribution system (WDS) to state parameter variations is studied. A novel local regional sensitivity analysis (LRSA) approach is introduced which applies the same change to a collection of parameters, called a region . For example, sensitivity to suburbs can be studied. General analytical (using algebraic methods) results are derived. They show how sensible conclusions arise from LRSA and state this dependence of the WDS on regions for the first time. For most cases, the WDS is 1.852–2 times more sensitive to pipe roughness coefficients than to pipe lengths. In most cases, when certain pipes do not have minor losses, the WDS is 4.871–5.333 times more sensitive to pipe diameters than to pipe lengths. Hence, the WDS is the most sensitive to pipe diameters, medium sensitive to pipe roughness coefficients, and least sensitive to pipe lengths. For most cases, when all reservoir and tank elevations (and heads) remain the same, changes of other elevations do not change flow rates and change the pressures in a simple additive way. In most cases, when all the reservoir water surface elevations are changed together, the flow rates remain unchanged, and the pressures change in a simple additive way.