Dam Management

Reservoirs are used to provide a reliable supply of drinking water and help mitigate flood risk. In the UK it rains more in the winter months, so flood risk is mainly a winter issue, while drought is occasionally an issue in summer months. The aim of this project is to produce a control for a hypothetical reservoir that specifies the level at which extra water should be released, depending on the time of year. Flood risk is minimised when the reservoir is empty, while drought risk is minimised when the reservoir is full, so an optimal strategy needs to balance these requirements.