Optimal allocation of surface water in regional water management

Abstract

Surface water is a scarce reource that is applied by various users for a variety of activities. The regulation of surface water use is an element of regional water management at various management levels. At each management level, the allocation of surface water supply capacity is a policy instrument. An optimization model has been formulated to support the evaluation of potential allocations at a particular management level. The model describes the allocation problem as a network, in which arcs represent waterways and nodes represent inlets and locations where there is a demand for surface water supply. The use of surface water for a specific activity at a specific node is referred to as an application, for example, for sprinkling, for use as cooling water, for dissolving effluent, and for conservation of environmental areas. The optimization model generates the optimal allocation of surface water and of surface water supply capacity. The operation of the model was demonstrated by a case study, where it was applied to maximize the expected revenues in agriculture (measured as value added).