Frequently Asked Questions in InfoWater Pro

This section addresses some of the common questions that you might have related to InfoWater Pro model creation, data elements, result analysis, and project maintenance.

How do I start an InfoWater Pro session?

Click on the InfoWater Pro  icon on your desktop to start InfoWater Pro or alternatively launch InfoWater Pro from your Start →  Programs →  ArcGIS Pro →  Open Another Project. Choose from one of the three options specified. Choose  to open a new project, to launch your template project, or the command to open an existing map. If you choose this option, then choose the project that you want to open.

Finally, initialize your InfoWater Pro project by clicking on the InfoWater Pro initialize   icon on your Edit Network group in InfoWater Pro ribbon.

How do I specify a coordinate system for an InfoWater Pro project?

Refer to the section Create New InfoWater Pro Project to learn how to specify a coordinate system for an InfoWater Pro project.

What does an InfoWater Pro project consist of?

An InfoWater Pro project consists of a drawing file and a database folder. For instance, a project named Model will contain a Model.aprx (ArcMap drawing file) and a Model.IWDB (InfoWater Pro Database). The .aprx file contains your network map while the IWDB folder contains all the data associated with your model.

After a successful model simulation another folder called Model.Out is created. This folder contains all the output data related to the InfoWater Pro project Model. It is important to note that the Database folder (Model.IWDB), the drawing file (Model.aprx) and the Out folder (Model.Out) need to reside within the same parent folder such as say C:\Data.

How do I select a sub set of my model to display results, modify data etc.?

Use the Domain feature of InfoWater Pro to select a subset of your model for display and data edit purposes.

How do I activate a sub set of my model for analysis?

Facility sets may be used to activate a portion of your mode for your network analysis.

How are facility sets different from domains?

Facility vs Domain section of the help file highlights the difference between facility sets and domains.

How do I edit data related to a selected group of elements?

Use the Group Edit option to modify data related to a group of elements in InfoWater Pro. Refer to the section on Group Editing Methodology to learn more about the process and how it can be used in InfoWater Pro.

Can I save a domain in InfoWater Pro?

Use Selection Sets to save domains for later retrieval.

How do I compare data in InfoWater Pro?

The How to Compare Output Data section contains the different methods and tools available in InfoWater Pro to compare data.

How do I set initial controls on my model elements?

See the Initial Status section to learn more about setting initial status on your different InfoWater Pro data elements.

Can I run a pressure-dependent demand analysis in InfoWater Pro?

The Pressure Dependent Demand Methodology section of the InfoWater Pro help file will walk you through the different steps necessary to run a Pressure Dependent Demand analysis.

How do I run all my scenarios together?

The Batch Simulation Manager can be used to run all your scenarios at the same time.

How do I conduct a SCADA analysis?

Refer to the section on SCADA Integration to learn more.

Can I create a model from my Polylines?

See the Append Nodes section to learn the procedure for creating pipes and nodes from your AutoCAD polylines.

What are Generate Files and how do I bring them in to my InfoWater Pro project?

The Generate File Methodology  section contains step by step instructions for you to Export or import to or From a Generate file.

How do I use the InfoWater Pro ODBC command?

See the ODBC to understand how to use the Open Database Connection tool of InfoWater Pro to import or export to a third-party data source.

How do I color code my model elements in InfoWater Pro?

Use Map Themes to color code your elements.

How do I work with Geodatabases?

Refer to the section on Working with ESRI Geodatabases to learn more.

How do I model a groundwater pumping well?

Represent the well as a reservoir whose head equals the piezometric head of the groundwater aquifer. Then connect your pump from the reservoir to the rest of the network. You can add piping ahead of the pump to represent local losses around the pump. If you know the rate at which the well is pumping then an alternate approach is to replace the well - pump combination with a junction assigned a negative demand equal to the pumping rate. A time pattern can also be assigned to the demand if the pumping rate varies over time.

How do I size a pump to meet a specific flow?

Set the status of the pump to CLOSED. At the suction (inlet) node of the pump add a demand equal to the required pump flow and place a negative demand of the same magnitude at the discharge node. After analyzing the network, the difference in heads between the two nodes is what the pump needs to deliver.

How do I size a pump to meet a specific head?

Replace the pump with a Pressure Breaker Valve oriented in the opposite direction. Convert the design head to an equivalent pressure and use this as the setting for the valve. After running the analysis the flow through the valve becomes the pump's design flow.

How can I enforce a specific schedule of source flows into the network from my reservoirs?

Replace the reservoirs with junctions that have negative demands equal to the schedule of source flows. (Make sure there is at least one tank or remaining reservoir in the network, otherwise InfoWater Pro will issue an error message.)

How do I model a reduced pressure backflow prevention valve?

Use a General Purpose Valve (GPV) with a headloss curve that shows increasing head loss with decreasing flow. Information from the valve manufacturer should provide help in constructing the curve. Place a check valve (i.e., a short length of pipe whose status is set to CV) in series with the valve to restrict the direction of flow.

How do I model a pressurized pneumatic tank?

If the pressure variation in the tank is negligible, use a very short, very wide cylindrical tank whose elevation is set close to the pressure head rating of the tank. Select the tank dimensions so that changes in volume produce only very small changes in water surface elevation.

If the pressure head developed in the tank ranges between H1 and H2, with corresponding volumes V1 and V2, then use a cylindrical tank whose cross-sectional area equals (V2-V1)/(H2-H1).

How do I model a tank inlet that discharges above the water surface?

Use the configuration shown below:

The tank's inlet consists of a Pressure Sustaining Valve followed by a short length of large diameter pipe. The pressure setting of the PSV should be 0, and the elevation of its end nodes should equal the elevation at which the true pipe connects to the tank. Use a Check Valve on the tank's outlet line to prevent reverse flow through it. There should be another small length of pipe (a dummy pipe) separating the tank and check valve.

How do I determine initial conditions for a water quality analysis?

If simulating existing conditions monitored as part of a calibration study, assign measured values to the nodes where measurements were made and interpolate (by eye) to assign values to other locations. It is highly recommended that storage tanks and source locations be included in the set of locations where measurements are made.

To simulate future conditions start with arbitrary initial values (except at the tanks) and run the analysis for a number of repeating demand pattern cycles so that the water quality results begin to repeat in a periodic fashion as well. The number of such cycles can be reduced if good initial estimates are made for the water quality in the tanks. For example, if modeling water age the initial value could be set to the tank's average residence time, which is approximately equal to the fraction of its volume it exchanges each day.

How do I estimate values of the bulk and wall reaction coefficients?

Bulk reaction coefficients can be estimated by performing a bottle test in the laboratory. Wall reaction rates cannot be measured directly. They must be back-fitted against calibration data collected from field studies (e.g., using trial and error to determine coefficient values that produce simulation results that best match field observations). Plastic pipe and relatively new lined iron pipe are not expected to exert any significant wall demand for disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramines.

How can I model a chlorine booster station?

Place the booster station at a junction node with zero or positive demand or at a tank. For the selected node in the Source Concentration Data dialog box, set Source Type to SETPOINT BOOSTER and set Baseline Source Strength to the chlorine concentration that water leaving the node will be boosted to. Alternatively, if the booster station will use flow-paced addition of chlorine then set Source Type to FLOW PACED BOOSTER and Baseline Source Strength to the concentration that will be added to the concentration leaving the node. Specify a time pattern ID in the Time Pattern field if you wish to vary the boosting level with time.

How would I model THM growth in a network?

THM growth can be modeled using first-order saturation kinetics. Select Options - Reactions from the Data Browser. Set the bulk reaction order to 1 and the limiting concentration to the maximum THM level that the water can produce, given a long enough holding time. Set the bulk reaction coefficient to a positive number reflective of the rate of THM production (e.g., 0.7 divided by the THM doubling time). Estimates of the reaction coefficient and the limiting concentration can be obtained from laboratory testing. The reaction coefficient will increase with increasing water temperature. Initial concentrations at all network nodes should at least equal the THM concentration entering the network from its source node.