Skat review of modeling software for piped distribution networks

The following information was taken from the Skat Foundation web page:

The Skat Foundation aims to contribute to the reduction of the gap between rich and poor through knowledge sharing and providing advice to partners in developing countries and countries in transition. It promotes sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the disadvantaged, particularly the poor, women and children.

In early 1998, the Swiss Centre for Development Cooperation in Technology and Management (SKAT) published a first edition of an ג€œOverview of computer programs on drinking water distributionג€. A selection of 10 widely used commercial software packages for designing and analysing piped water distribution systems was presented in a uniform and rapidly accessible format, based on information provided by the respective developers and distributors. The document responded successfully to an expressed demand from practitioners in developing countries who regularly addressed inquiries through SKAT, asking about currently available software for drinking water distribution systems design and analysis.

Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of software applications that have been released in this field ג€“- both in the commercial and in the public domains. As this process continues, it is again becoming difficult for systems managers and designers to select a software package most adapted to local needs and circumstances; some would go further and claim that selection is once again turning into a process based on the principles of a lucky dip.

In this document, Skat Consulting has therefore tried to present an updated selection of appropriate and commonly encountered computer programs for the design and upkeep of drinking water distribution networks in developing countries. The document provides comprehensive but concise facts, presented in a homogeneous format. The investigation has been extended towards non-commercial software and the information, covering a revised listing of 15 programs, is categorized according to the sophistication of the applications under review. The facts haven been compiled from information given by the respective software developers and/or distributors as well as by its users.

The aim of this overview is to provide general information only. It allows the reader to rapidly gain an overall insight of the available software and make an informed choice according to actual requirements. The document therefore does not go into elaborate details of software design. For further information on a specific program, the reader is invited to contact the respective interlocutors or to check the relevant websites, details of which can be found on the corresponding fact sheet for each application reviewed.

The full review in pdf format. (to save the file, right-click on the link and select “Save Target As…”)