Renewable Energy Sources as Backup for a Water Treatment Plant

Abstract

The article is focused on the issue of blackouts in a water industry and the selection of a renewable energy source for a water treatment plant. In the case of power outage, it is necessary to constantly ensure the supply of a drinking water, if this requirement would not be met, it could cause of deterioration of hygiene and health of the population. To be able to convey drinking water during a blackout, it is mandatory to have a backup power supply. The state of the current water treatment plants in the Czech Republic is that they are using diesel generators as backup power supply, which causes air pollution. There are other options of power supply that can be used, such as renewable energy sources. By using a multi-criteria analysis method, renewable energy sources were analyzed for a water treatment plant in the selected region. Based on the results, it seems that the most suitable choice is a small hydro power plant at the entry points of water treatment plant. Other possibilities of renewable energy sources that may be suitable for a water treatment plant and the usage of a multi-criteria analysis method for a water treatment plant in other countries are also discussed.