ABSTRACT
One of the most significant costs of operating a water supply system is that of the electrical power used for pumping. The primary object of pump scheduling is to minimise this cost by utilising offpeak electricity, reducing pumping during periods when maximum demand charges are levied and by making use of efficient pumps and cheaper water sources. In addition the scheduled supply system must continue to operate within a variety of constraints; these include meeting all consumer demands and maintaining reservoir levels and mains pressures within prescribed limits. In all but the simplest cases the complexity of the scheduling problem is such that it cannot be performed effectively without a computer.
