Tabu search optimization algorithm applied to the sectorization of water distribution networks

<p dir="ltr">Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) are complex graphs for which the sectorization can represent an opportunity to re-define the water management. The proposed methodology enables structuring WDNs into isolated sectors supplied by means a primary network responsible for transporting water from sources to the sector supply points. The sectorizing process evolves by a Tabu Search algorithm to optimize objective functions tailored to the specificities of each WDN. Solutions are evaluated by the hydraulic model, the constraint of a maximum number of supply points per sector and the constraint on the minimum pressure in all network nodes are imposed. A comprehensive evaluation of sectorized configurations, generated using different objective functions, enables the selection of the most suitable design. The methodology is applied to BWSN-2 and the new case study of Rapallo WDN.</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>