Sectorization of Water Distribution Network through a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm

<p dir="ltr">This paper proposes and illustrates a novel algorithm for network sectorization. This algorithm relies solely on the network’s topological layout, measured average water inflow and the spatial distribution of water consumption. An evolutionary algorithm (EA) solves the inherent optimisation problem. The objective function (OF) minimises the differences between reservoir outflows before and after sectorization. This OF includes a penalty component associated with the number of boundary pipes that require the installation of shut-off valves. The algorithm incorporates novel crossover and mutation operators. The developed algorithm is applied to the Modena network, and the results are compared with those obtained by Santonastaso et al. [5]. Despite the proposed algorithm requiring more computational time, better solutions are obtained regarding the resilience index.</p><p dir="ltr">This paper was presented at the 21st Computing and Control in the Water Industry Conference (CCWI 2025) at the University of Sheffield (1st - 3rd September 2025).</p>