Simulation of Chlorine Decay in Drinking Water Distribution Systems: Case Study of Santa Sofia Network (Southern Italy)

Drinking water treatment is needed for providing water that is safe from disease-causing pathogenic microorganisms. Chlorine is widely used as a disinfectant in drinking water systems, although the main disadvantages are the decay of its concentration along the pipes and the formation of undesirable by-products (DBPs). In this research work, the chlorine decay process has been investigated along a real water distribution system, the Santa Sofia aqueduct (Campania, Southern Italy), by an innovative modeling approach. The adopted hydraulic and water quality models have been calibrated on live data (the physical/chemical characteristics of the drinking water) and gathered continuously by a wireless network of multi-parametric probes distributed along the Santa Sofia aqueduct. The residual chlorine concentrations throughout the Santa Sofia network, predicted by hydraulic and water quality models calibrated on the same aqueduct, may be considered reliable.