Local authorities enable sustainable water management for residential, industrial and commercial consumers with advanced hydraulic modelling

Montpellier, a dynamic metropolis in southern France, is continuously modernising its water distribution network to meet growing population demands. In some areas, existing systems, designed for a different era and needs, must be adapted to address urban development and certain impacts of climate change, such as increasing pressure on water resources. Faced with rising demand, issues of water losses within the network and the challenge of optimising distribution in areas with varied topography, the city decided to adopt a sustainable water management approach. Through advanced hydraulic modelling with DHI’s MIKE+, the Régie des Eaux de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (RE3M) aims to pursue several key objectives: evaluating the capacity of water networks to accommodate urban growth, ensuring reliable, high-quality water services while controlling costs for users, and promoting environmental sustainability through indicators that enable optimised resource management. This approach ensures a more resilient and sustainable future for the region.

Challenge

The Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Water Authority (RE3M) aims to enhance its operations through several initiatives, including improving efficiency during peak demand periods, particularly in the summer, and continuously optimising the performance of its water networks while maintaining sufficient water pressure at all points to ensure fire safety. Additionally, RE3M is focused on reducing leaks and conserving water to minimise energy consumption and reduce operational costs.

Solution

The RE3M and DHI teams collaborated closely to develop a detailed hydraulic model of the water distribution network using MIKE+. This model enables the simulation of various scenarios and identification of system vulnerabilities. The collaboration resulted in a comprehensive hydraulic model covering approximately 900 km of network, representing five of the 14 municipalities managed by RE3M, with a daily water consumption of nearly 100,000 m³ for residential, commercial and industrial consumers. The model achieved high accuracy, with over 90% of the 162 calibration points (flow, pressure and levels) delivering excellent precision, demonstrating its reliability.

In the long term, this ‘digital twin’ of the network will provide detailed real-time information, easily accessible through the  MIKE WaterNet Advisor application, which will be used daily by the RE3M teams. This will enable proactive, collaborative and efficient system management, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.

Results

By enhancing its hydraulic modelling with MIKE+, RE3M can now anticipate and manage its water network more effectively, reducing water losses and ensuring reliable supply while optimising costs and lowering environmental impact. This approach not only boosts network efficiency and service reliability but also achieves significant cost savings, paving the way for a more resilient water future.