Optimal Utilization of a Multi-Reservoir Water Distribution System

A water supply distribution system planning model (DSPM) has been developed using a linear programming approach. Unlike the conventional formulation, the water demand requirements are expressed as a component of the multi-objective function and not part of the constraint set. The model allows the use of preferential weights for the various components. The model has been successfully applied to the water distribution system of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It has been used to determine the system's conveyance and storage capacities before and after the proposed facilities; to identify the bottlenecks of the system; to evaluate the timing and amount of additional transfer water to be brought in to meet demands; and to estimate system's reliability by simulating system's disruptions.