Advanced Pressure Management for Sustainable Leakage Reduction and Service Optimization: A Case Study in Central Chile

Andrés Ortega-Ballesteros, Francisco Iturriaga-Bustos, Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno () and David Muñoz-Rodríguez
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Andrés Ortega-Ballesteros: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Francisco Iturriaga-Bustos: Water Operational Intelligence, ESVAL, Viña del Mar 2520296, Chile
Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
David Muñoz-Rodríguez: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Radiología y Medicina Física, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: The central part of Chile has been in severe unprecedented drought for more than ten years, becoming a water-stressed area. ESVAL, one of the main water utilities in the Chilean water sector, is responsible for delivering potable water to the population and securing long-term supply in the vast majority of this area. In order to achieve this goal, ESVAL is implementing different measures, with pressure management being one of them. This paper aims to describe the works executed in La Calera city to implement a new advanced pressure management scheme on an existing pressure-reducing valve with two main targets: reducing leakage and improving the level of service to the customers. The results show that advance pressure management generates a 10.12% reduction in the minimum night flow while, at the same time, helping to improve the level of service to the customers reducing the number of times pressure falls below the minimum target set by ESVAL by 52%. It is concluded that pressure management facilitates quick water savings by optimizing the performance of existing pressure-reducing valves.

Keywords: pressure management; water losses; pressure-reducing valve; customer service level; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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