Water grids are a diverse and interconnected water supply systems that are
emerging in response to the pressures of climate variability, climate change,
and population growth. Water grid operation is guided by operating rules, which
aim to manage supply and demand to meet multiple management criteria such
as maximising water security, minimising operational cost, and minimising
energy use. However, the diversity and interconnectedness of these water grids
increases the number of possible configurations of the operating rules, and
combined with uncertainty in forecast conditions, makes find optimal operating
rules more challenging. Further, trade-offs between the criteria mean that
multiple sets of operating rules can be considered optimal. Thus, this thesis
proposes and demonstrates a framework of methods to meet these challenges
and identify a set of optimal operating rules to support short-term – 1 to 5 year –
operational planning of water grids.