Naming conventions and documentation for distribution system modeling

Water distribution system computer models are increasingly used as a critical part of designing and operating water systems. Although many water utilities have such models, their usefulness is often greatly reduced by poor naming conventions used during model development. In many cases, once a model leaves the model developer, it cannot be determined when it was last updated nor what its purpose was without extensive and costly rework. Despite the benefits of a systematic naming convention, including improving communication between developers and users, very little literature exists on model‐naming conventions, model management, and documentation. This article explores systematic naming conventions in hydraulic modeling on the basis of a review of more than 1,000 models. A framework for naming model files, scenarios, data sets, network elements, and model development process documentation is provided.