Sink-based domain network for water transmission?

Question

Our water network is bulk water supply and I'm interested in hearing about source vs sink-based subnetwork controller types for this type of network. The Water System subnetwork controllers in the foundation package include treatment plants, wells and bulk system meters, and the foundation model is set up as a supply type network.

Our bulk meters are all located at the edges of our network and don't constitute the source of the water (this is actually our offtake locations). The source of our water network are large reservoirs/tanks that are fed by treatment plants which are mostly outside our network.

1. Is the source-based network model still appropriate for our UN?

2. Should I consider changing the domain to sink-based and use the bulk meters as subnetwork controllers? Though this feels like a lot of additional work...

3. Am I just making this hard and should I consider creating dummy treatment plants upstream from our tanks to act as the Water System subnetwork controllers?

Thanks for the read

LizAbbey · Answer

Thanks for the ideas, Mike. We have just over 150 bulk supply meters, and I was also worried about the effort to implement this sink solution. I'll consult the modellers and either promote the tanks or remove the system tier like you suggested. Much appreciated.

MikeMillerGIS · Answer

How many Bulk meters do you have?  You can definitely change to a sink, but if you have a lot of meters, it maybe more trouble than it is worth.  Are you going to maintain pressure zones?  If not, just promote your tanks to controllers of the system tier.  The other option, if you are going to maintain pressure zones, remove the system tier.