Risk analysis based optimization of water distribution system under uncertainty

Mathematical modeling of water distribution systems is a crucial planning, design and operational activity. The vast majority of mathematical models in engineering use deterministic approaches to describe the behavior of water system. However, all real life problems incorporate reliability, risk and uncertainty in one way or another. There could be uncertainty in measurement, in parameter estimation, in which processes one should include in the model etc. Such contradiction between mathematical determinism and natural uncertainty can seriously affect the reliability of the results of modeling and optimization. New methods were developed for including risk and uncertainty into the water distribution system optimization process, with both single and multiple objectives. The methods were applied to a number of case studies for optimal design of real life water distribution systems.