Optimisation of water supply systems in the water – energy nexus: Model development and implementation to support decision making in investment planning

Abstract Water resources availability, in terms of quality and quantity, is a very crucial issue in many areas of the world; especially in areas with water shortage and varying and time dependent water demand. Lately, it has become obvious that water supply chain problems are also inherently linked to the energy availability and quality of an area, leading to the so called water – energy nexus problems. The present work is a continuation of our ongoing research in the optimisation of water and energy supply chain in terms of maximising the overall benefit of the integrated system, whilst satisfying the conflicting demands. The objective of the work is to expand the model for water supply optimisation to take into account all the potential water supply sources intending to support decision making in investments planning, with environmental considerations.