Understanding flushing simulations

Video quiz

Which of the following is NOT a reason to perform regularly scheduled flushing on water distribution networks to improve water quality?

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Step-by-step Guide

In InfoWorks WS Pro, Flushing Simulations model the effects of a flush or sequence of flushes to clean a network. Certain criteria are used to evaluate the effectiveness of flushing actions.

In the Flushing Scheduler, the Criteria & Hydrants tab, with Criteria fields, such as Minimum required velocity and maximum velocity fluctuation.The hydraulic carrying capacity of a pipe deteriorates with age, due to deposits on pipe walls. Flushing restores hydraulic capacity and improves water quality by:

  • Restoring the disinfectant residual
  • Reducing bacterial regrowth
  • Dislodging biofilms
  • Removing sediments and deposits
  • Controlling corrosion
  • Eliminating taste and odor problems
  • Reducing disinfectant demand throughout the system

Flushing is also performed to restore the flow of water and pressures for firefighting capability.

The flushing process requires a great deal of water pressure and velocity. Therefore, it is most effective to divide the pipe network into smaller sections that are flushed individually.

The Flushing Schedule object is used to develop flushing schedules and to carry out a flushing simulation. The flushing schedule actions are viewed and adjusted in the Flushing Scheduler.

In the Flushing Scheduler, the Schedule tab, with a table of Actions, Details for each action, and a results grid.Basic assumptions about Flushing Actions:

  • Actions do not overlap in time
  • Normal procedure is to isolate a line of pipes to be flushed with water from an already-flushed part of the system
  • More than one flushing point is allowed
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