Demand Allocation Manager - Allocation Tab

The Demand Allocation Manager is the primary vehicle for allocating demands from a GIS intersection to the desired InfoWater Pro database. Not all of the options shown will be available at any given time. Options will be activated and deactivated depending on the allocation method selected. Inactive options will be grayed out and will not be accessible if no change is required.

Allocation Tab

Apply to Pipes in Domain - If checked, the demand allocation only applies to pipes in the active domain.

Assign Demand to Junctions in Domain - If checked, the demand allocation only applies to junctions in the current domain.

Meter Assign Options - When using the Closest Pipe and the Meter-Pipe allocation methods, you have the ability to determine how meter demands will be divided and applied.

• Evenly Divided - The total demands determined from all meters assigned to a particular pipe will be divided by 2 and assigned equally to both the upstream and downstream junctions of the pipe.

• Distance Weighted - A geometric analysis is conducted for each meter assigned. Demands are then divided between two junction nodes according to their weighting.  For example, if a meter has 10 gpm and is 3/4 way down a pipe, 1/4 of 10 gpm will go to one junction while 3/4 of 10 gpm will go to the other.

• Closest Junction - Meters closest to one end of pipe will be allocated to the junction closest to them.

• Furthest Junction - Opposite of closest junction, closest meters will be assigned to the furthest junction node.

Allocation Scaling Factor - Use this box to normalize demand data. The default value is set to unity (1.0) and may be changed to reflect the actual demand multiplier. It will be necessary to apply scaling factors when water duty factors are expressed in gpm/acre and acreages calculated from a polygon intersection are expressed in sq. ft.  In this instance, use an allocation scaling factor of 1/43560.

Save - Saves and starts the allocation process using the method and options selected.

Options - See Demand Allocation Options.

Close - Close the Demand Allocation Manager.

Allocation Method

• Polygon Intersection - This method uses spatial intersection of a demand class/classification categorization polygon with demand area polygon coverage to determine the nodal demand allocation. This method requires both a primary as well as a secondary layer representing the demand (service) area polygon and a demand categorization polygons respectively.  

• Polygon Extraction - This method is used when an intersected polygon coverage has already been established and has been imported into InfoWater Pro and registered as InfoWater Pro Allocator layer. 

• Meter Summation - This method is used when customer billing data is available. The primary layer represents the demand (service) area polygon coverage while the secondary layer represents the meter data.  When using consumer/meter data to estimate nodal demands, the meter must first be configured. This is done under the Meter Configuration section of the Demand Allocator dialog box see below.

• Closest Junction - This method is used when customer/meter-billing data is available. The meter layer needs to be configured. The Demand Field and Usage Type Field contain demand and water duty data at each of the meters.

• Closest Pipe - This method also works with customer billing data and requires meter configuration. The Demand Field and Usage Type Field contain demand and water duty data at each of the meters. A Spatial Join or Local Search option is available. The local search will speed up the allocation operation when allocating demands to a small area of a large model.

• Meter-Junction Allocation - This method is similar to the closest junction method, except the user is able to assign which meters will be allocated to which junction nodes.  In other words, it is a user-defined version of the closest junction method (which generates meter demands automatically).  In order for the meter-junction method to be employed, you must specify which fields possess (or will possess) the junction ID's.  Specify which field contains (or will contain) the junction ID in the Junction ID Field drop-down box for each meter in the system. Use the Assign Junction button to designate a meter(s) to a junction and the Select Meter(s) and Select Junction buttons to see which meters are assigned to which junctions and vice-versa.

• Meter-Pipe Allocation - This method is similar to the closest pipe method, except the user is able to assign which meters will be allocated to which pipes.  In other words, it is a user-defined version of the closest pipe method (which generates meter demands automatically).  In order for the meter-pipe method to be employed, the user must specify which fields possess (or will possess) the pipe ID's. Specify which field contains (or will contain) the pipe ID using the Pipe ID Field drop-down box for each meter in the system. Use the Assign Pipe button to designate a meter(s) to a junction and the Select Meter(s) and Select Pipe buttons to see which meters are assigned to which pipes and vice-versa.

Polygon Layer(s)

• 0:Primary Layer - InfoWater Allocator considers the demand area polygons as the Primary polygon coverage.

• 1:Secondary Layer - The demand classes/classifications layer is represented as a Secondary polygon.

• 2:Intersected Layer - Intersected Layers refer to prior intersected demand area polygon with a land base or other demand class/classification polygon boundary. This means that consumption data is already integrated with demographic information.

• Build Out Ratio - Field containing the build out ratio demographic data.

• Population - Field containing the population demographic data.

Meter Configuration

When using consumer/customer meter data to estimate nodal demands, you will need to specify which fields contain the meter record data.

• Demand Field - Represents the field that contains the demand at each of the consumer meters.

• Usage Type Field  - Designates the field that contains the water duty type data.

• Junction ID Field - Select the existing field that stores the associated junction ID.   New Field - Specify a new field name to store the junction id associated with this meter. Purge IDs - Removes all existing junction IDs from the Junction ID field.

• Pipe ID Field - Select the existing field that stores the associated pipe ID. New Field - Specify a new field name to store the pipe ID associated with this meter. - Purge IDs - Removes all existing Pipe IDs from the Pipe ID field.

• Meter Layer - Used to specify which existing InfoWater Pro layer contains the desired consumer/meter data.

• Assign Pipe Based On Lateral Line - Used to assign a pipe based on lateral line. This feature is only available when the Closest Pipe allocation method is selected, as shown above in the screenshot.

Pipe-Meter Assignment Method

• Spatial Join - Joins the meter to the closest pipe.

• Local Join - Joins the meter to the closest pipe within the searching distance limits specified. Searching Distance - Select searching distance or use the Browse button to graphically select the distance on the map screen. By using this option, large models will run faster when allocating demands to a small area.