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Staged energy and water quality optimization for large water distribution systems
Muhammad Nadeem Sharif1,2, Ezzeddin Bakhtavar3,4, Husnain Haider5
1School of Engineering, University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), 1137 Alumni Avenue, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada. hmn929394@gmail.com.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|March 1, 2022
Summary
This study presents a staged approach for optimizing water quality and energy use in large water distribution systems. The method successfully improved water quality by 40% and reduced energy costs by 20% in a real-world network.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Resource Management
- Operations Research
Background:
- Optimizing energy and water quality simultaneously in large water distribution systems is complex.
- Existing methods often focus on smaller networks or compromise water quality.
- Real-time systems face challenges with numerous pipes, pumps, and tank level adjustments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a staged approach for simultaneous optimization of energy consumption and water quality in large-scale water distribution systems.
- To address the limitations of previous optimization methods by considering real-world network complexities.
- To improve the efficiency and reliability of water supply operations.
Main Methods:
- A three-stage approach was proposed: Stage 1 involved risk-based chlorine booster placement.
- Stage 2 utilized mixed integer goal programming with EPANET and CPLEX for optimizing pump scheduling.
- Stage 3 evaluated integrated hydraulic and water quality performance.
Main Results:
- The approach was successfully implemented on the Al-Khobar City water distribution network.
- A 40% improvement in water quality performance was achieved.
- An average 20% reduction in energy costs was observed, alongside desired hydraulic performance.
Conclusions:
- The proposed staged approach is practical and effective for optimizing large water distribution systems.
- Simultaneous optimization of energy and water quality is achievable without compromising system performance.
- The framework offers significant improvements in both operational efficiency and service delivery.
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