About This Course
Water distribution systems are the backbone of modern urban and rural infrastructure, and the ability to accurately model their behaviour is a critical competency for engineers and planners tasked with ensuring reliable, safe water supply. WaterGEMS, developed by Bentley Systems, is the industry-leading hydraulic modelling platform used by utilities, consultancies, and government agencies worldwide to design new networks, rehabilitate ageing infrastructure, and optimise system operations under varying demand and pressure scenarios.
This 10-day training programme by TrainingComplex offers a rigorous, hands-on journey through the full WaterGEMS workflow — from importing and building network models, to calibrating them against field data, to running advanced simulations including fire flow analysis, water quality modelling, and energy optimisation. Participants work with realistic datasets and case studies drawn from African and Middle Eastern water utilities, ensuring the skills acquired are directly applicable to the infrastructure challenges they face in their home organisations.
The course is structured to progressively build competency. Early modules establish a solid foundation in hydraulic theory and software navigation, while later modules address complex scenarios such as pump optimisation, pressure zone management, and capital improvement planning. By the end of the programme, delegates will be confident independent users of WaterGEMS, capable of producing defensible, decision-quality hydraulic models that support both engineering design and strategic investment planning.
TrainingComplex's expert facilitators bring extensive field experience in water infrastructure projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, East Africa, and the Gulf region, ensuring that technical instruction is grounded in real-world context. Delegates will leave with completed model files, analysis reports, and a personal reference toolkit they can deploy immediately upon return to their organisations.
Who Should Attend
- Civil and water resources engineers working in water supply and distribution
- Water utility engineers and operations managers responsible for network performance
- Municipal infrastructure planners involved in capital improvement programmes
- Consulting engineers engaged in feasibility studies and detailed design of water networks
- Hydraulic modellers transitioning from other platforms such as EPANET or WaterCAD
- GIS and asset management specialists supporting water network documentation
- Public works and government technical officers overseeing water infrastructure projects
- Project managers supervising water supply engineering contracts
Learning Objectives
- Understand the fundamental principles of pressure-pipe hydraulics and their application in network modelling
- Navigate the WaterGEMS interface confidently, including its GIS-integrated and standalone environments
- Build water distribution network models from scratch using CAD, GIS, and field survey data
- Define and apply demand allocations, loading conditions, and diurnal demand patterns
- Run steady-state and extended-period simulations and critically interpret the results
- Perform fire flow analysis and pressure zone delineation to meet design standards
- Model pump systems, including variable-speed pumps, pump curves, and energy cost analysis
- Conduct water quality simulations including chlorine decay and age tracking
- Calibrate hydraulic models against field-measured pressure and flow data
- Apply skeletonisation and model simplification techniques for large network models
- Design and evaluate capital improvement scenarios using WaterGEMS scenario management tools
- Generate professional reports, maps, and output tables for engineering and stakeholder audiences
- Interpret model results to inform infrastructure rehabilitation, expansion, and operational decisions
Course Modules
Module 1: Fundamentals of Pressure-Pipe Hydraulics
- Continuity equation and energy conservation in closed conduits
- Hazen-Williams and Darcy-Weisbach friction loss equations
- Minor losses: fittings, valves, and bends
- Pressure and hydraulic grade line concepts
- Network analysis principles: nodal and loop methods
- Common hydraulic design standards and regulatory requirements
Module 2: Introduction to WaterGEMS: Interface and Environment
- WaterGEMS deployment environments: standalone, AutoCAD, and MicroStation integration
- Navigating the main interface: drawing, properties, and results panels
- Project setup: units, head loss method, and global options
- Element types: pipes, junctions, reservoirs, tanks, pumps, and valves
- Using the Element Symbology and Layout editors
- File management, backups, and project organisation best practices
Module 3: Building a Network Model from Source Data
- Importing network data from GIS shapefiles and geodatabases
- Importing from AutoCAD DWG and DXF drawings
- Using ModelBuilder for automated data import and synchronisation
- Defining pipe properties: diameter, material, roughness, and age
- Connecting network topology and resolving connectivity errors
- Creating junction elevations using digital terrain model integration
Module 4: Demand Allocation and Loading Conditions
- Understanding demand categories: domestic, commercial, industrial, and fire
- Allocating demands to junctions using population and land-use data
- Applying diurnal demand patterns and seasonal multipliers
- Using demand control centre for bulk demand management
- Loading conditions: average day, maximum day, peak hour, and fire flow
- Validating demand totals against bulk meter records
Module 5: Steady-State Simulation and Results Interpretation
- Running a steady-state simulation and reviewing convergence
- Analysing nodal pressures against minimum and maximum design thresholds
- Reviewing pipe velocities and head loss gradients
- Identifying under-pressure and over-pressure zones
- Using colour-coded contour mapping and thematic rendering
- Exporting steady-state results to spreadsheet and report formats
Module 6: Extended-Period Simulation and Tank Behaviour
- Configuring simulation time steps and total simulation duration
- Defining tank geometry: cylindrical, variable area, and custom profiles
- Monitoring tank fill-and-drain cycles over a 24-hour period
- Analysing time-series graphs for pressure, flow, and tank level
- Identifying demand-driven pressure fluctuations across the network
- Troubleshooting non-convergence and oscillating solutions in EPS
Module 7: Pump Modelling and Energy Optimisation
- Entering pump characteristic curves and defining operating points
- Modelling fixed-speed and variable-speed drive pumps
- Configuring pump controls: level-based, time-based, and pressure-based
- Running pump energy analysis and calculating operating costs
- Identifying inefficient pump duty points and recommending adjustments
- Modelling pump stations with multiple parallel and series configurations
Module 8: Valve Modelling and Pressure Zone Management
- Modelling gate valves, check valves, and isolation valves
- Configuring pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) and pressure-sustaining valves (PSVs)
- Delineating pressure zones and district metered areas (DMAs)
- Analysing pressure differentials across zone boundaries
- Using flow-control valves to manage inter-zone transfers
- Scenario testing for valve failure and isolation contingencies
Module 9: Fire Flow Analysis and System Reliability
- Configuring fire flow constraints: residual pressure and minimum flow targets
- Running automated fire flow simulations at all network nodes
- Identifying fire flow deficient nodes and pipe segments
- Using fire flow results to prioritise pipe upsizing and looping
- Reliability analysis: simulating pipe-out-of-service scenarios
- Documenting fire flow compliance for regulatory submission
Module 10: Water Quality Modelling
- Configuring WaterGEMS for constituent tracking and water age analysis
- Defining chlorine decay parameters: bulk and wall reaction coefficients
- Running chlorine residual simulations across the network
- Identifying zones of low residual and elevated water age risk
- Tracking source contributions and blending fractions at demand nodes
- Interpreting water quality results to inform operational flushing programmes
Module 11: Model Calibration and Validation
- Understanding the calibration process: objectives, data requirements, and workflow
- Importing pressure logger and flow meter field data into WaterGEMS
- Using Darwin Calibrator for automated roughness and demand calibration
- Manual calibration techniques: adjusting roughness, demands, and minor losses
- Statistical validation metrics: RMSE, mean error, and goodness-of-fit criteria
- Documenting calibration records for model audit and quality assurance
Module 12: Skeletonisation, Scenario Management, and Capital Planning
- Skeletonisation principles: branch trimming, series pipe merging, and parallel pipe consolidation
- Using the Skelebrator tool for semi-automated network simplification
- Creating and managing scenarios for alternative planning options
- Comparing infrastructure improvement alternatives using scenario differencing
- Using Darwin Designer for automated pipe sizing and rehabilitation selection
- Preparing a capital improvement plan supported by hydraulic model evidence
Module 13: Reporting, Presentation, and Professional Deliverables
- Generating network maps with customised symbology for engineering reports
- Creating element-level and system-level tabular output reports
- Exporting results to Excel, PDF, and GIS formats for stakeholder use
- Structuring a professional hydraulic modelling report: scope, methodology, results, and recommendations
- Presenting model findings to non-technical audiences including utility managers and regulators
- Building a personal modelling toolkit: templates, checklists, and standard operating procedures
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a foundational understanding of civil or water engineering principles, including basic concepts of fluid mechanics and pipe flow. Prior experience working in a water utility, engineering consultancy, or infrastructure planning role is recommended. Familiarity with GIS or CAD software is helpful, and participants with prior exposure to EPANET or WaterCAD will find the transition particularly straightforward, though this is not a strict prerequisite.
Training Methodology
- Guided software walkthroughs in which the facilitator demonstrates each WaterGEMS function step-by-step before participants replicate the workflow on their own workstations
- Hands-on model-building exercises using realistic African and Middle Eastern water network datasets, progressively increasing in complexity across the ten days
- Case study analysis of real utility projects, including network rehabilitation studies and new town water supply designs, used to contextualise each modelling technique
- Group troubleshooting sessions where participants diagnose common model errors and convergence failures, building practical problem-solving skills
- Scenario comparison workshops in which small teams evaluate competing capital improvement options and present their hydraulic justification to the group
- Field data integration exercises using sample pressure logger and flow meter datasets to practise model calibration and validation
- Peer review of model outputs and engineering reports, fostering critical thinking and quality assurance habits
- Personal reference toolkit development — participants compile a structured folder of model templates, calibration checklists, and reporting formats for use after the course
Organisational Benefits
- Strengthened in-house hydraulic modelling capability reduces reliance on external consultants for routine network analysis
- More accurate infrastructure planning and design decisions supported by defensible, data-driven hydraulic models
- Improved ability to identify pressure deficiencies, leakage hotspots, and under-performing network segments
- Better preparedness for emergency scenarios such as pipe bursts and fire demand events through pre-run simulations
- Enhanced capital investment decisions by evaluating multiple improvement scenarios before committing resources
- Reduced energy costs through pump scheduling optimisation informed by extended-period simulation
- Stronger regulatory and compliance reporting supported by documented, auditable model outputs
- Upskilled technical staff who can mentor colleagues and build an internal centre of modelling excellence
Where Is WaterGEMS: Hydraulics Modeling Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Abuja, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Johannesburg, Nakuru, Cape Town, Mombasa, Kigali, Riyadh, Lagos, Naivasha, Accra, Kisumu, Dubai, Arusha, Zanzibar, Addis Ababa, Pretoria, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,600 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,600 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,000 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 9,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
+236 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience with WaterGEMS to attend this course?
No prior WaterGEMS experience is required. The course begins with interface orientation and foundational hydraulic concepts before progressing to advanced modelling techniques. Participants with experience in similar tools such as EPANET or WaterCAD will adapt quickly, but complete beginners are also well-supported through the structured, step-by-step approach.
Will participants need to bring their own laptops with WaterGEMS installed?
Participants are required to bring their own laptops. TrainingComplex will provide guidance on obtaining a trial or full licence of WaterGEMS from Bentley Systems prior to the course start date. Bentley offers a SELECT trial licence that is sufficient for all course exercises, and detailed installation instructions will be shared in the pre-course joining information.
What certification will I receive upon completing the course?
Participants who attend the full 10-day programme and complete the practical assessments will receive a Certificate of Completion from TrainingComplex. This certificate documents the competencies covered and is recognised by engineering employers and water utilities across the region as evidence of professional development in hydraulic modelling.
Is this course suitable for engineers who primarily work on rural water supply systems rather than urban networks?
Yes. While the course uses urban network datasets for several exercises, the hydraulic principles, modelling techniques, and WaterGEMS tools covered are equally applicable to rural gravity-fed schemes, borehole-fed systems, and small-town water supplies. Facilitators will draw on rural system examples where relevant to participants' backgrounds.
Can my organisation send a team of engineers to receive group training tailored to our own network data?
Absolutely. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this course for organisations that wish to train a team of four or more engineers. In-house delivery can be structured around your organisation's actual network model files and data, making the learning directly applicable to your operational environment. Contact TrainingComplex to discuss scheduling and pricing for group bookings.
