Our Work
The Pesantez Research Group (PRG), led by Dr. Jorge E. Pesantez at California State University, Fresno, specializes in advancing the management and resilience of urban water infrastructure. Our research integrates civil engineering principles with computational modeling, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to address challenges in water distribution systems.
Groundwater Nitrate Contamination Modeling
Funding Agency: F3 Farms Food Future Innovate
PI: Dr. Jorge E. Pesantez
The F3 Innovate project will allow us to develop predictive models for Nitrate contamination in groundwater across the California Central Valley.
Products:
Development of an Intelligent Framework for Leak Detection and Localization in Water Distribution Systems
Funding Agency: US Bureau of Reclamation
PI: Dr. Jorge E. Pesantez
Co-PI: Dr. Shahab Tayeb
Co-PI: Dr. Fayzul Pasha
This federally funded project focuses on the development of data-driven and model-based methods to identify and localize leaks in water distribution systems
Products:
Managing Peak Water Demand in Water Distribution Systems
Funding Agency: California Institute for Water Resources (CIWR)
PI: Dr. Jorge E. Pesantez
This early-career research grant studies new modeling methods for water demand forecasting, a highly relevant topic for water utilities in California and beyond.
Products:
Modeling a game to shift peak water demands: WaterTime leaderboard
JE Pesantez, B Vizanko, EZ Berglund
Journal of Cleaner Production 470, 143241
Water Demand Analysis
This project will apply machine and deep learning methods to forecast water demand using multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Products:
JE Pesantez, L González, B Li
Journal of Hydrology, 133317
Battle of water demand forecasting
S Alvisi, M Franchini, V Marsili, F Mazzoni, E Salomons, M Housh, ...
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 151 (10), 04025049
AM Alfaro, JE Pesantez
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2025, 589-597
Predictive model for short-term water demand forecasting and feature analysis in urban networks
JE Pesantez, M DiCarlo, F Pasha, EZ Berglund
Engineering Proceedings 69 (1), 155
JE Pesantez, A Maldonado Alfaro, S Ramesh, AS Stillwell
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2024, 1075-1086
Water Distribution System Analysis
In this project, we will develop clustering models to partition large water networks into hydraulically similar subnetworks, enhancing the management and operation of water distribution systems. Additionally, we are creating a comprehensive pipe replacement strategy to be implemented and tested across multiple water distribution networks, which will improve our understanding of the effects of pipe replacement on hydraulic performance within the network.
Products:
B Vizanko, C Karrenberg, JE Pesantez, EZ Berglund
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 151 (9), 04025040
Clustering and Forecasting Model for Water Distribution Systems Analysis
AT Salazar, G Perelman, A Ostfeld, JE Pesantez
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2025, 824-831
Clustering Analysis in Water Distribution Systems for Enhanced Metering Infrastructure Retrofitting
JE Pesantez, A Toledo Salazar, F Pasha, A Ostfeld
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2024, 1285-1294