Reservoirs are essential for water supply in Germany, but forest dieback and altered drainage dynamics complicate their management. Therefore, the research project develops innovative tools and management strategies for the optimal operation of reservoirs and water utilities especially in cases of water shortages and poor water quality. Real-time forecasts of water demand and availability are used to account for the altering circumstances under climate change, demographic and structural changes.
Scientific approach
Within the project, ISOE is responsible for the assessment of future drinking and service water demand in the Harzwasserwerke supply area. Spatially and temporally differentiated sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts are created to better align reservoir management with short- and medium-term demand dynamics. In this context, the project team is developing practical water demand models which, together with the results from the project partners, will be integrated into the operational strategies for reservoir control.
The central research question for ISOE’s subproject is how water demand will evolve in the project region in the short, medium, and long term under the influence of climate, demographics, socioeconomics, and usage efficiency and what the impact will be on reservoir management. Here, the focus is on the handling of prolonged droughts and the optimization of operational management.
Demand modeling considers different timescales for various fields of activity: Short-term forecasts (hours to days) support the operational and economic management of water utilities; medium-term forecasts (weeks to months) serve to optimize the management of water reservoirs; long-term forecasts (years to decades) are important for strategic, investment, and regulatory planning.
Background
Given the consequences of climate change, reserves are of central importance in Germany, as they help to store water from increasingly frequent heavy rainfall events, mitigate flooding, while securing water supply during periods of drought. OPTALS aims to develop innovative tools and management strategies for the optimal, dynamic operation of reservoir systems and water utilities. Real-time forecasts of inflow volume and water quality are used for this purpose, In addition, the changing conditions of global change are taken into account to ensure the resilience of such supply systems, particularly in the event of water shortages and poor water quality.
The research is being conducted on an exemplary basis in the western Harz Mountains at the Harzwasserwerke reservoir network which comprises five water reservoirs. It will ultimately result in a strategy for the operational management of the dam network. The scientific findings are intended to serve as a model for transfer to other dam systems with forested catchment areas.
Research and project partners
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources Management (IHW) [project coordination]
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Leichtweiß-Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources (LWI)
- Harzwasserwerke GmbH (HWW)
- Northwest German Forest Research Institute (NW-FVA)
Funding
The OPTALS project is funded by the program “Water Supply of the Future” (WaZ) of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The program is part of the federal initiative “Water: N – Research and Innovation for Sustainability” and contributes to the BMFTR sustainability strategy FONA and the transformation initiative “Urban–Rural Futures”.
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