A measurement campaign of wastewater temperatures was carried out in a section of the Berlin wastewater network. These results were used to carry out a temperature simulation using the EPA SWMM-Fork SWMM-HEAT. It was shown that a good agreement between measurements and simulations is possible for predominantly residential areas, even if the network was only moderately thermally calibrated (MAE ≤ 1 °C).

Leaks and bursts in water supply networks can cause significant infrastructure damage and pose contamination risks. Even utilities with robust rehabilitation strategies are not immune to the costly consequences of major bursts. A key question is whether such events can be prevented by detecting and localizing them while they are still small (i.e., leakage flows below 3 L/s). The model-based algorithm Dual Model has demonstrated both simplicity and precision, securing first place among 18 algorithms in the Battle of the Leakage Detection and Isolations Methods. However, mismatches of around 10% between the hydraulic model and the real network can hinder its performance, particularly in detecting and locating small leaks. In this work, we enhance the Dual Model by incorporating source inflows, allowing discrepancies between the real and simulated networks to be expressed as residual virtual flows. These residuals are integrated into the model as demand patterns, enabling the detection of leaks as small as 2–3 L/s even under perturbations of roughness and base demand exceeding 35%. Additionally, this approach calibrates nodal pressures without requiring manual adjustments to roughness or demand values.

This paper investigates the robustness of one innovative model-based method for leak detection, namely the Dual Model. We evaluate the algorithm’s performance under various leakage scenarios in the L-Town network, despite uncertainties and model mismatches in (i) base demand, (ii) pipe roughness, (iii) the number of sensors, and (iv) network topology. Our investigation results indicate that the Dual Model is highly sensitive to discrepancies in the first three parameters. However, the impact can be mitigated through sensor-specific calibration, such as adjusting sensor elevations. Moreover, the Dual Model has demonstrated robustness to minor topology mismatches, like those introduced by closed valves.