Rational Control of Rapid Water Filtration with Respect to Energy Consumption (Literature Review)

This article presents a literature review of energy consumption in water treatment and distribution systems. At the global level, electricity consumption for water treatment and distribution is discussed in relation to total electricity generation. Available data on the energy efficiency of water treatment plants are reviewed. Potential measures for reducing energy consumption in pumping stations, water distribution networks, and water treatment plants are identified. The paper also highlights literature sources providing data on the structure of water distribution systems serving settlements of different sizes, allowing the analyzed water supply system to be compared with other existing systems. An example is presented to demonstrate that the condition of a water distribution system may be incorrectly assessed when hydraulic calculations are based exclusively on flow rate and pressure measurements obtained from a network with unacceptably high water losses. Particular attention is given to the rapid gravity filtration process, with a focus on reducing the energy required for filter backwashing by adjusting the backwash intensity according to the temperature of the backwash water. This approach allows the backwash intensity to be reduced during winter, thereby minimizing filter media loss during backwashing. The resulting energy and economic benefits of this adjustment can be quantified. The paper further describes an energy-efficient control strategy for a filtration plant and discusses its optimization from an energy perspective. It also explains why the effects of implementing such a control strategy cannot be predicted a priori without empirical investigation. Finally, an example of the practical application of this strategy is presented.