Data-Driven Approaches for Vibroacoustic Localization of Leaks in Water Distribution Networks

This study aims to propose Micro-electromechanical System (MEMS) accelerometers for leak localization in the water distribution network and assess the performance of machine learning models in accurately estimating leak locations. Intensive field experimentation was conducted to collect data for model development. Machine learning algorithms were employed to develop leak localization models, specifically artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM). Seventeen time-domain and frequency-domain features were extracted, and feature selection was performed using the backward elimination method. The results indicate that the ANN and SVM models are suitable classifiers for localizing leak distance. Both models achieved leak location predictions with over 80% accuracy, and the mean absolute errors were measured at 0.858 and 0.95 for the ANN and SVM models, respectively. The validation results demonstrated that the models maintained accuracies close to 80% when the distance between sensors and the leak was less than 15 m. However, the performance of the model deteriorates when leaks occur at distances greater than 15 m. This study demonstrates the applicability of MEMS accelerometers for leak localization in water distribution networks. The findings highlight the promising potential of employing MEMS accelerometers-based ANN and SVM models for accurate leak localization in urban networks, even under real-world, uncontrolled conditions. However, the current model exhibits limited performance in long-distance leak localization, requiring further research to address and resolve this issue.