IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jomega/v138y2026ics0305048325001045.html

A novel hybrid optimization approach for cost-efficient pump scheduling in water supply systems

Author

Listed:
  • Brás, Marlene
  • Moura, Ana
  • Andrade-Campos, António

Abstract

Optimizing pump scheduling in water supply systems (WSS) is crucial for reducing energy costs and improving operational efficiency. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the duty-cycles formulation, a mathematical model of the Pump Scheduling Problem (PSP) that enables a flexible pump operation over the total time horizon. Combined with the Sequential Least Squares Quadratic Programming (SLSQP) gradient-based method, this approach has shown superior computational efficiency and cost savings in previous studies. However, problems, such as a multiplicity of optimal solutions, local minima, and size scalability, were encountered. In addition, this paper introduces a new hybrid method, the Smart Dynamic Local Search (Smart-DLS), designed to overcome the identified challenges. This new approach integrates a deterministic local search with an intelligent shaking process to explore the solution space and avoid local optima efficiently. The framework’s performance is demonstrated through three case studies, including a real-world WSS, achieving significant cost reductions and showing strong generalizability across diverse scenarios. For the AnyTown network, it reaches more than 5%, and for the real network, 3% of cost reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Brás, Marlene & Moura, Ana & Andrade-Campos, António, 2026. "A novel hybrid optimization approach for cost-efficient pump scheduling in water supply systems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:138:y:2026:i:c:s0305048325001045
    DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2025.103378
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305048325001045
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.omega.2025.103378?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ruben Menke & Edo Abraham & Panos Parpas & Ivan Stoianov, 2016. "Exploring Optimal Pump Scheduling in Water Distribution Networks with Branch and Bound Methods," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(14), pages 5333-5349, November.
    2. Sluijk, Natasja & Florio, Alexandre M. & Kinable, Joris & Dellaert, Nico & Van Woensel, Tom, 2023. "Two-echelon vehicle routing problems: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 304(3), pages 865-886.
    3. Burrow, Andy & Newman, Alexandra, 2020. "Optimal design and operation of River Basin Storage," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Vieira, Bruno S. & Mayerle, Sérgio F. & Campos, Lucila M.S. & Coelho, Leandro C., 2020. "Optimizing drinking water distribution system operations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 280(3), pages 1035-1050.
    5. Pierre Hansen & Nenad Mladenović & José Moreno Pérez, 2010. "Variable neighbourhood search: methods and applications," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 175(1), pages 367-407, March.
    6. Shintaro Negishi & Takashi Ikegami, 2021. "Robust Scheduling for Pumping in a Water Distribution System under the Uncertainty of Activating Regulation Reserves," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-18, January.
    7. Ioannis Kougias & Nicolaos Theodossiou, 2013. "Multiobjective Pump Scheduling Optimization Using Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) and Polyphonic HSA," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(5), pages 1249-1261, March.
    8. Hong, Sung-Pil & Kim, Taegyoon & Lee, Subin, 2019. "A precision pump schedule optimization for the water supply networks with small buffers," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 24-37.
    9. Yasaman Makaremi & Ali Haghighi & Hamid Reza Ghafouri, 2017. "Optimization of Pump Scheduling Program in Water Supply Systems Using a Self-Adaptive NSGA-II; a Review of Theory to Real Application," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(4), pages 1283-1304, March.
    10. Pierre Hansen & Nenad Mladenović & Jack Brimberg & José A. Moreno Pérez, 2019. "Variable Neighborhood Search," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Michel Gendreau & Jean-Yves Potvin (ed.), Handbook of Metaheuristics, edition 3, chapter 0, pages 57-97, Springer.
    11. Claudia Quintiliani & Enrico Creaco, 2019. "Using Additional Time Slots for Improving Pump Control Optimization Based on Trigger Levels," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(9), pages 3175-3186, July.
    12. Castillo, Enrique & Mínguez, Roberto & Castillo, Carmen, 2008. "Sensitivity analysis in optimization and reliability problems," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 93(12), pages 1788-1800.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reis, Ana Luísa & Andrade-Campos, A. & Matos, Pedro & Henggeler Antunes, Carlos & Lopes, Marta A.R., 2025. "An energy and cost efficiency Model Predictive Control framework to optimize Water Supply Systems operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 384(C).
    2. Nevena Čolić & Pavle Milošević & Ivana Dragović & Miljan S. Ćeranić, 2024. "IBA-VNS: A Logic-Based Machine Learning Algorithm and Its Application in Surgery," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Yang, Yuhang & Zhao, Ruijie & Zhang, Desheng & Wang, Xikun, 2025. "Comparative analyses of intelligent scheduling optimization algorithms for the control schemes of water injection pumps on offshore crude oil production platform," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    4. Shao, Yu & Zhou, Xinhong & Yu, Tingchao & Zhang, Tuqiao & Chu, Shipeng, 2024. "Pump scheduling optimization in water distribution system based on mixed integer linear programming," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 313(3), pages 1140-1151.
    5. Sheng-Wen Zhou & Shun-Sheng Guo & Wen-Xiang Xu & Bai-Gang Du & Jun-Yong Liang & Lei Wang & Yi-Bing Li, 2024. "Digital Twin-Based Pump Station Dynamic Scheduling for Energy-Saving Optimization in Water Supply System," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 38(8), pages 2773-2789, June.
    6. Brás, Marlene & Moura, Ana & Andrade-Campos, António, 2025. "Cost efficiency in water supply systems: An applied review on optimization models for the pump scheduling problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 323(1), pages 1-19.
    7. Débora P. Ronconi & João L. V. Manguino, 2025. "GRASP and VNS approaches for a vehicle routing problem with step cost functions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 350(1), pages 37-62, July.
    8. Leloup, Emeline & Paquay, Célia & Pironet, Thierry & Oliveira, José Fernando, 2025. "A three-phase algorithm for the three-dimensional loading vehicle routing problem with split pickups and time windows," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 323(1), pages 45-61.
    9. Md. Limonur Rahman Lingkon & Md. Asadujjaman & Adri Dash, 2025. "An Integrated Model for Freshness, Cost Reduction, and Carbon Footprint Minimization of an Efficient Supply Chain Management for Perishable Goods," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-37, June.
    10. Isabel Kaufmann Almeida & Aleska Kaufmann Almeida & Jorge Luiz Steffen & Teodorico Alves Sobrinho, 2016. "Model for Estimating the Time of Concentration in Watersheds," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(12), pages 4083-4096, September.
    11. Gilberto F. Sousa Filho & Teobaldo L. Bulhões Júnior & Lucidio A. F. Cabral & Luiz Satoru Ochi & Fábio Protti, 2017. "New heuristics for the Bicluster Editing Problem," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 258(2), pages 781-814, November.
    12. Bohong Wang & Yongtu Liang & Wei Zhao & Yun Shen & Meng Yuan & Zhimin Li & Jian Guo, 2021. "A Continuous Pump Location Optimization Method for Water Pipe Network Design," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(2), pages 447-464, January.
    13. Eder, Peter J. & Ramoser, Simon & Braun, Sarah & Weltge, Stefan, 2025. "Efficient active–passive vehicle coordination in multimodal transportation networks," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    14. Vincent F. Yu & Panca Jodiawan & Shih-Wei Lin & Winy Fara Nadira & Anna Maria Sri Asih & Le Nguyen Hoang Vinh, 2024. "Using Simulated Annealing to Solve the Multi-Depot Waste Collection Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window and Self-Delivery Option," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, February.
    15. Alemtsehay G. Seyoum & Tiku T. Tanyimboh, 2016. "Investigation into the Pressure-Driven Extension of the EPANET Hydraulic Simulation Model for Water Distribution Systems," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(14), pages 5351-5367, November.
    16. Filipe, Jorge & Bessa, Ricardo J. & Reis, Marisa & Alves, Rita & Póvoa, Pedro, 2019. "Data-driven predictive energy optimization in a wastewater pumping station," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Tao Bai & Lianzhou Wu & Jian-xia Chang & Qiang Huang, 2015. "Multi-Objective Optimal Operation Model of Cascade Reservoirs and Its Application on Water and Sediment Regulation," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(8), pages 2751-2770, June.
    18. Seon Woo Kim & Soon Ho Kwon & Donghwi Jung, 2022. "Development of a Multiobjective Automatic Parameter-Calibration Framework for Urban Drainage Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    19. Yuxin Liu & Zihang Qin & Jin Liu, 2023. "An Improved Genetic Algorithm for the Granularity-Based Split Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Delivery and Pickup," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Michael K. McWilliam & Antariksh C. Dicholkar & Frederik Zahle & Taeseong Kim, 2022. "Post-Optimum Sensitivity Analysis with Automatically Tuned Numerical Gradients Applied to Swept Wind Turbine Blades," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:138:y:2026:i:c:s0305048325001045. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/375/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.