Optimization of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton's water supply system operations. I. Model development

Abstract

The principal objective of this study was to optimize pump scheduling and reservoir releases in the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton's (RMOC) water supply system with a view to reducing electricity-related operating costs. Pump schedules and reservoir releases for enhanced operation were obtained using a linear programming optimization model that incorporated Ottawa Hydro's electricity tariff structure for "large" users. A second objective was to investigate the impact on system operating costs of increasing (i) reservoir storage capacity, (ii) treatment plant capacity, and (iii) water demand by consumers. This paper (part I) describes the RMOC distribution system and reviews the model development. The next paper (part II) presents the analyses performed for the two study objectives, and important results. Key words: water supply system, pump scheduling, pumping costs, optimization, modelling.