This paper presents a method of economic optimization aiming the rehabilitation of pressurized branched networks of water distribution for irrigation projects, which have flow and pressure deficiency at the consumption points. The method can be applied to looped networks of urban water supply, on condition that they are changed into branched ones, through the fictitious sectioning method. The methodology used is based on the Granados method of economic optimization of pressurized networks, which is an iterative process that selects step by step the possibilities of changes of the network pipe diameters, so as to optimize the investment cost of the rehabilitation system. The method was tested for a distribution network that supplies a fictitious irrigation project, in which there is pressure deficiency in almost all the consumption points. The network rehabilitation cost was 41% of the original cost.
optimization; pressurized irrigation; supply network
