即使对于经验最丰富的运营商来说，在经历季节性需求变化、日常需求波动、紧急事件和其他运营变量的同时优化系统运行也是一个复杂的问题。增加水质限制进一步加剧了问题。大多数水系统操作员没有可靠、实时、通用的计算机模型来解决这个复杂的方程。相反，他们依靠试错法来确定应对操作变量的最佳措施。通过案例研究，本文回顾了用于优化供水和配电系统运行并降低成本的工程工具、技术和通用软件的现状。由于水系统运营商必须达到非常高的服务标准，因此审查的重点是广义的、经过现场验证的工程技术，而不是理论桌面研究。 本文最后介绍了公用事业公司及其客户可以通过重新设计其系统来优化其运行而获得的一些好处。

Even for the most experienced operators, optimizing their system's operation while experiencing changing seasonal demands fluctuations in daily demand, emergency incidents and other operating variables, represents a complex problem. Adding water quality constraints further compounds the problem. Most water system operators do not have reliable, real time, generalized computer models to solve this complex equation. Instead, they rely on trial and error methods to determine the best actions to take in response to operating variables. From case studies, the paper reviews the current state of engineering tools, techniques and generalized software that has been employed to optimize operation and reduce costs in water supply and distribution systems. Since water system operators have to achieve very high standards of service, the review places emphasis on generalized, and field proven engineering techniques, rather than theoretical desk top studies. The paper concludes by presenting some of the benefits to utilities and their customers, that can be achieved by re-engineering their system to optimize its operation.