Abstract
The concentration of any disinfectant is a major parameter which is used to evaluate the quality of water. Chlorine is the most common disinfecting agent used during water treatment and its distribution through networks. In this study, the hydraulic simulation of chlorine decay is performed for an existing and operational mild steel (MS) pipe network as well as a new pipe material ultra-high-molecular-weight poly-ethylene (UHMWPE) as an alternate for the purpose of comparing the water quality performance of both materials. The results show that the initial chlorine concentration required to be added to the water tank to sustain a minimum allowable concentration in the network is found to be almost double for MS pipe system as compared to UHMWPE. However, the decay pattern for MS pipes is found to be irregular and varying whereas it is smooth and almost linear in nature for UHMWPE pipe system. The research proves to be useful for selection of an economical and efficient pipe material.