In the absence of a flowmeter or due to its inaccuracy, the flow rate at the discharge section of the pipeline following the observed pump can be roughly estimated if the pressure can be measured instead. To use the proposed procedure two main conditions should be achieved: (1) a manometer should be installed at the discharge pipeline between the pump and the flow regulation valve, and (2) the actual curve that relates pressure and flow for the observed pump unit should be known in advance. The described example is from Serbia, but it is of interest for any water pumping station with a submersible pump (installed in wells or tanks) where a limited number of adequate places for the measuring of flow are available (if any are available at all), but where the pressure at the discharge pipe of the observed pump can be measured. This simplified method can find applicability in installations in remote rural regions where limited resources are available. The results show that the calculated values of the flow obtained by the presented method deviate greatly in relation to the measured values provided by the portable ultrasonic flowmeter, up to 60% at one of the measuring points. However, in relation to the measured values provided by the permanently installed flowmeter the discrepancy is significantly lower (0.6–6.8%).

This paper indicates the importance and advantages of the application of hybrid models in the control of water supply systems. A range of possibilities provided by this scientific approach is presented in the practical examples related to the fault diagnostics and fault-tolerant control in the pumping station (PS) control systems. It is presented that continuous monitoring and recording of the data of the pumping stations operation processes (electrical parameters such as electrical power, pressure or flow in the pipelines, water levels in the tanks, changes in various discrete states, etc.) could represent a significant resource that can be used to develop various hybrid models using the appropriate “data-driven” techniques. During this process, data are transformed into information, and thereafter, information into knowledge. Based on this knowledge, the control of PS operation can be significantly improved and a significant increase in the user’s satisfaction can be achieved while the maintenance and operation costs can be reduced.