SCADA-Based Calibration of Positional Control Valve Characteristics in Smart Water Distribution Systems

Smart-city water management increasingly depends on converting routine sensing data into reliable, actionable models of network assets. Positional control valves are central to pressure regulation, flow allocation, and operational response, yet their actual hydraulic characteristics may differ from manufacturer curves because of aging, maintenance, actuator adjustment, installation conditions, and long-term wear. Inaccurate valve representations can therefore limit the fidelity of hydraulic models, digital twins, and automated control applications. This study proposes in-situ valve characterization using measurements already collected by water utilities. The proposed method estimates the valve characteristic from routine SCADA records of opening, flow, and pressure rather than requiring a dedicated field test. This reduces operational disruption and makes repeated calibration feasible as valve behavior changes over time. It also provides a practical mechanism for transforming existing SCADA archives into updated asset information for model maintenance and condition assessment. The proposed method is robust to common measurement noise and outliers in utility data and is solved efficiently using a least-absolute-residuals formulation implemented via linear programming. The resulting workflow is demonstrated on a real-world case study showcasing a practical path to keep valve curves up to date and improve the fidelity of hydraulic models used for smart-city water network operation and management.