WCW26

Rural water networks present a unique modelling challenge: long transmission distances, low system pressures, variable usage patterns, and the use of private cisterns create demand behaviors that differ significantly from conventional municipal systems. Traditional hydraulic modelling approaches—built around predictable diurnal curves and instantaneous customer demand—often fail to capture the intermittent, batch‑draw patterns of cistern‑supplied users. As a result, model results, pressure prediction, and operational capacity can be unreliable.
 
This presentation explores the development and refinement of a hydraulic model for a low‑pressure rural distribution system owned by Intervalley Water Inc. and supplied by the Saskatoon Water Treatment Plant and SaskWater. The system, operating with pressures as low as 20 psi, relies on customer storage rather than direct supply, creating hydraulically stable but operationally complex conditions. Model results are further skewed by several high-demand livestock agriculture operations. Through a series of targeted innovations— including pressure logging campaigns (both short and long term), improved zone-specific peaking factors based on actual water use, and handheld GPS surveyed coordinates to support GIS records— the model’s accuracy has improved enough to avoid lengthy approval processes for the addition of new users.
 
Attendees will learn how these innovative modelling strategies help better capture real‑world behavior in low‑pressure networks, leading to more reliable system optimization, capital planning, and operational decision‑making. The session will provide practical guidance, lessons learned, and a replicable workflow for water professionals working with unconventional or rural distribution systems.