Hydropower recovery in water supply systems: Models and case study

• We present hydropower recovery models for water supply systems.
• Hydropower recovery potential in water supply systems is highly variable.
• The case studied could make the supply systems self-sufficient in terms of energy.
• Hydropower recovery can reduce GHGs emissions and generate carbon credits.

The energy efficiency of water supply systems can be increased through the recovery of hydraulic energy implicit to the volumes of water transported in various stages of the supply process, which can be converted into electricity through hydroelectric recovery systems. Such a process allows the use of a clean energy source that is usually neglected in water supplies, reducing its dependence on energy from the local network and the system’s operation costs. This article evaluates the possibilities and benefits of the use of water supply facilities, structures and equipment for hydraulic energy recovery, addressing several applicable hydroelectric models. A real case study was developed in Brazil to illustrate the technical, economic and environmental aspects of hydropower recovery in water supply systems.