With rising energy prices and global climate change, the question of the energy efficiency of drinking water production becomes more and more present. While well field optimization is seldom being used for the sake of energy savings in groundwater abstraction, it has been shown that by optimizing pump design and operation in drinking water wells energy savings of up to 20% could be achieved.

Many factors influence the energy consumption in a well field. The large number of involved decision parameters adds to the complexity of an optimizing approach, requiring adequate assessment and modelling tools for addressing this issue.

In this context, this project will address the relative importance of the different parameters impacting energy demand, investigate possibilities for improvement of the technical equipment and finally propose and test a tool combining groundwater, well and operation characteristics.

To support this energy-efficiency study, a case study will be considered, audited and suggestions for an improved energy management will be issued.

The main objectives of the project are:

• to determine the key drivers of energy demand during well field operation,

• to evaluate the possibilities for the use of improved pumping technology,

• to develop a steady-state scenario modelling for the case study.