Extending the application of connectivity metrics within the framework of the characterization of the dynamic behaviour of a WDS subjected to users' activity

Water distribution networks (WDNs) are complex combinations of nodes and links and for their analysis several approaches based on graph theory have recently been proposed, mainly considering steady-state flow conditions. However, in their real functioning, WDNs are continuously subjected to pressure transients generated by users’ activity and manoeuvres on regulation devices. This study investigates the application of some metrics from graph theory, already used in the context of network steady-state analyses, and proposes a new one for assessing the effects of changes in the topological structure of a network, due for example to sectorization or branching operations, on the dynamic response of the network itself subjected to users’ activity. The analyses show that connectivity metrics, and in particular the metric introduced here, can reflect the dynamic pressure behaviour of the network and thus provide useful indications for design and management operations, taking unsteady aspects into account.