Assessing the Potential for Intra-Day Load Redistribution in Water Intake Systems Under Different Electricity Tariff Models: A Comparative Case Study of Belarus and China

Abstract

This article assesses the potential for intra-day redistribution of the electrical load of water intake systems under different electricity tariff models, using water supply systems in Belarus and China as case studies. It demonstrates how tariff policy influences the electrical load profile of a water intake system and quantitatively evaluates the economic effect of optimizing the operating modes of pumping equipment. The analysis is based on daily profiles of electric power and water supply. For the Belarusian water supply system, data for 2019 were considered, corresponding to the baseline operating mode without targeted load management, and data for 2023 were considered after the transition to dispatch-based control of well activation with account taken of tariff constraints (without automation tools). For the Chinese water intake system, hourly data for 2025 were used. The load redistribution potential was assessed on the basis of lagged correlation between power and water supply profiles. In addition, the F-index was applied as an aggregated diagnostic indicator intended for the comparative assessment of potential load transferability across technological stages, taking into account their share in total energy consumption. For the Chinese case, it was shown that the maximum correlation between water supply and electricity consumption across all technological stages is achieved near zero lag, which indicates a high adaptation of system operating modes to current demand; at the same time, the R values were 0.19 for reservoir intake, 0.86 for water treatment, and 0.51 for the pumping station. In the Belarusian case, for the first-lift stage, the maximum correlation is shifted by −6 h relative to zero lag, indicating a less rigid linkage of pump operation to current demand and a more inertial response of the system. A comparison of 2019 and 2023 for the Belarusian facility showed that targeted regulation of well activation and load redistribution across tariff zones reduced the total electricity cost by 1.58%, confirming the potential for further optimization of electricity consumption regimes.