Selection of rehabilitation alternatives in condition of data scarcity by concise performance indices

An efficient management of water distribution networks should be based on the monitoring of both networks conditions and operation hydraulic parameters, as well as on records of past maintenance and rehabilitation works, but unfortunately utilities often do not have such a detailed and up-to-date knowledge of the systems. The decision-making process on investments to undertake cannot however leave aside a minimal level of knowledge which must be acquired in any case, the main problem being the availability of enough economic resources and time. Thence the need of investments planning tools which may cope with data scarcity and uncertainty, leading to robust solutions. The paper shows a possible approach to networks rehabilitation decision making process in condition of data scarcity, resorting to head-driven hydraulic simulation and a multi-objectives optimization tool, pragmatically aimed at determining the best intervention options on the base of concise performance indices