Optimisation of water networks

The paper seeks to establish useful and flexible techniques for optimising the operation of water networks and also to extend the range of systems which can be treated. As a preliminary, a detailed systems analysis is performed which allows formulation of simplified hydraulic and cost models covering all significant operational aspects. A problem at present under investigation concerns optimised pump scheduling of single reservoir sources, For this situation practical results are obtained by use of dynamic programming. The method is then extended to cover systems having multiple source supplies external to the network, together with variable closure valves which can be used to control the network operation. Under these conditions it is possible to partition the problem into that of a dynamic source optimisation task and a static network control task. Source optimisation takes account of the relative cost of supply to yield optimal pumping schedules, and network control involves adjustment of the valves to maintain the optimal operating conditions.