Abstract

In the context of increasing water scarcity and the need to enhance water distribution network efficiency, this study focuses on optimizing the design of pumping stations using data-driven evolutionary algorithms guided by classification models. These facilities are critical components in water networks due to their high energy consumption and role in maintaining necessary water pressure. The proposed approach integrates a machine learning classifier model within the evolutionary process to pre-label solutions as feasible or infeasible, thereby reducing search space and computational costs associated with hydraulic simulations. Classification models include support vector classifier, artificial neural networks, and random forest. These models are trained on data generated from initial evolutionary optimization, enabling the classifier to predict the viability of new solutions. Results show that all tested classification models reduced the number of objective function evaluations and consequently, required hydraulic simulations. In some cases, the optimal solution defined by the original method was improved, demonstrating dual benefits by reducing both cost and computational effort. This work highlights that data-driven evolutionary optimization can effectively tackle highly complex problems, offering potential future applications in other areas of civil engineering and water resource management. Implementing this methodology promises significant time and resource savings in large-scale optimization processes. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.