Drinking water supply system with drinking water quality monitoring, control method thereof, and computer program

Abstract

The invention relates to a drinking water supply system, comprising a drinking water line system, a plurality of drinking water taps connected to the drinking water line system, at least one sensor designed to determine measured values, and a central control device designed to receive and analyze the measured values determined by the at least one sensor, according to the invention, a plurality of sensors are provided which are designed to determine one or different properties for water guided in the drinking water supply system at different locations of the drinking water supply system, the central control device being designed to receive and analyze the measured values determined by the sensors, and wherein one or more of the sensors are designed to determine a measurement of potable water quality for water guided in the potable water supply system. The invention further relates to a method for controlling such a drinking water supply system and to a computer program having instructions, the implementation of which on at least one processor causes the execution of the method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a drinking water supply system having a drinking water pipeline system and having multiple drinking water intakes connected to the drinking water pipeline system. Furthermore, this invention also relates to a method for controlling the drinking water supply system and a computer program. Background Technology

[0002] Larger buildings and facilities, such as hotels or hospitals, have complex drinking water supply systems with branched drinking water piping and numerous drinking water intakes connected to them. Furthermore, such buildings have high requirements for water quality, energy efficiency, and the comfort of operating the drinking water supply system.

[0003] It has been confirmed that the complexity of drinking water supply systems makes it difficult to ensure the desired water quality at all times, from all drinking water intake points, and regardless of the individual use of the system within such buildings. Furthermore, malfunctions in individual components of such drinking water supply systems may go undetected for extended periods, thereby disrupting local drinking water supply or potentially impairing water quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide a drinking water supply system, a control method thereof, and a computer program by means of which can maintain or improve drinking water supply, particularly drinking water quality, energy efficiency, and comfort within a complex drinking water supply system.

[0005] According to the present invention, this objective is achieved by a drinking water supply system comprising a drinking water pipeline system, multiple drinking water intakes connected to the drinking water pipeline system, at least one sensor designed to determine a measurement value, and a central control device designed to receive and analyze the measurement value determined by the at least one sensor. Preferably, multiple sensors are provided, designed to determine measurements of one or different characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system at different locations within the system, and the central control device is designed to receive and analyze the measurement values ​​determined by the sensors.

[0006] Furthermore, the aforementioned objective is also achieved by a method for controlling the aforementioned drinking water supply system, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] - Receive measurement values, especially measurements of one or different characteristics of water guided within a drinking water supply system, and

[0008] - Control the drinking water supply system based on the received measurement values.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the aforementioned objective is also achieved by a computer program having instructions whose execution on at least one processor, particularly at least one processor of the aforementioned drinking water supply system, causes the implementation of the aforementioned method. In particular, the central control device of the drinking water supply system may have a memory in which the computer program is stored, wherein execution of the computer program on at least one processor of the control device causes the implementation of the method. The central control device may also include a server, which can be accessed by a client, for example, through a browser, wherein processing of the computer program can be performed on the server side and / or the client side.

[0010] By obtaining measurements of one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly at different locations within the system, and analyzing these measurements in a central control unit, the operation of the drinking water supply system can be monitored at a central location, thereby ensuring more reliable operation of the entire system. Furthermore, the drinking water supply system can reliably identify its status, especially critical or fault conditions, which can only be determined from measurements at one or more locations within the system, thus enabling appropriate countermeasures to be taken.

[0011] A drinking water supply system includes a drinking water piping system. A drinking water piping system is understood as the piping system within the drinking water supply system that ensures the supply of drinking water from different drinking water intake points. Drinking water piping systems particularly include connectors suitable for guiding drinking water, such as pipes, hoses, fittings, and branching components.

[0012] Multiple drinking water intake points are connected to the drinking water pipeline system. A drinking water intake point is defined as a component that the drinking water pipeline system supplies to it, and that allows it to obtain drinking water from the drinking water supply system. Examples of drinking water intake points include, for instance, faucets on washbasins, flushing devices for toilets or urinals, and water outlets in bathtubs or showers.

[0013] A drinking water pipeline system may have one or more drinking water lines, particularly one or more main supply lines, each supplying water to one or more subordinate supply lines, each subordinate supply line integrating multiple drinking water intake points. If, for example, a hospital drinking water supply system is involved, multiple subordinate supply lines connected to the main supply line may be provided, each supplying drinking water to a department or unit within the hospital. Preferably, the drinking water supply system lines each include a hot water line and a cold water line. However, the lines may also include multiple hot water lines and / or cold water lines.

[0014] In addition, the drinking water supply system also includes one or more sensors, preferably designed to determine measurements of one or more characteristics of the water guided within the system at different locations. The sensors may be integrated, in particular, into the drinking water piping system and / or the drinking water intake. Examples of sensors integrated into the drinking water piping system include, for example, pressure sensors, volumetric flow sensors, or temperature sensors, which are integrated, for example, within pipes or fittings. Examples of sensors integrated into the drinking water intake are correspondingly temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or volumetric flow sensors, which are integrated into valves in washbasins, bathtubs, or showers, or into the inlet pipes of toilet tanks or urinals.

[0015] Sensors can be specifically designed to determine measurements of physical parameters in water, such as water pressure, water temperature, volumetric flow rate, water velocity distribution, or turbidity caused by suspended solids; measurements of chemical parameters, such as pH, conductivity, water hardness, or concentration of specific components, such as oxygen concentration; or measurements of biological parameters, such as pathogen concentration, especially bacterial concentration.

[0016] In addition, the drinking water supply system also has a central control unit. The central control unit may, for example, include a controller with a microprocessor. Furthermore, the control unit may also have multiple different components, which, if necessary, are geographically separated but interconnected via communication links, such as the controller and its connected front-end or another computer, and / or server and multiple clients. The central control unit itself can particularly be configured in a distributed structure, for example, with multiple components of equal authority, thereby improving reliability in case of failure.

[0017] The central control unit is designed to receive measurements determined by the sensors. For this purpose, the central control unit is connected to the sensors, particularly via a communication connection. The sensors can be connected to the control unit via a star connection, for example, or via a bus system, especially a fieldbus system. In addition to cable-connected communication connections, wireless communication connections can also be considered, which is particularly advantageous for the addition or expansion of drinking water supply systems, as it can at least partially eliminate the need for laying new cables from the sensors to the central control unit.

[0018] The central control unit is also designed to analyze measurements determined and received by one or more sensors. In particular, the control unit can be designed to summarize measurements from different sensors and calculate values ​​related to those measurements.

[0019] The following describes different implementations of a drinking water supply system, its control methods, and computer programs, each of which is independently applicable to the drinking water supply system, method, and computer program. Furthermore, the described implementations can be combined with each other.

[0020] In one embodiment, one or more sensors are designed to determine measurements of the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and / or velocity distribution of water directed within a drinking water supply system. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, measurements of the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and / or velocity distribution of water directed within a drinking water supply system are determined. This allows for the monitoring of parameters important to the compliant operation of the drinking water supply system at a central location.

[0021] Monitoring water temperature can particularly help monitor whether preset temperature thresholds for hot and / or cold water supply are being observed. For example, certain standards specify a minimum hot water temperature of 55°C and a maximum cold water temperature of 25°C. If the water temperature in the hot or cold water lines of the drinking water piping system deviates from these thresholds, this can be determined at a central location, allowing for appropriate countermeasures to be taken if necessary. Installing temperature sensors at different locations within the drinking water supply system also enables the rapid identification of localized deviations from the target settings.

[0022] Monitoring water pressure allows for monitoring whether the pressure within a specific pipeline section is within set thresholds. Excessive pressure can adversely affect the drinking water pipeline system or its connected components. Insufficient pressure may result in inadequate supply at some drinking water intake points. Installing pressure sensors at different locations within the drinking water supply system also enables monitoring of pressure equalization at different locations, such as different floors. Furthermore, pressure monitoring can be used to detect leaks in the drinking water supply system early. For example, if pressure is monitored at different locations within the drinking water pipeline system over a prolonged period, and the pressure at one location suddenly drops more drastically than usual, this indicates a leak in the corresponding pipeline section.

[0023] Monitoring water flow can specifically detect whether a particular section of pipeline is being used too frequently or too infrequently. Furthermore, this method allows for the early identification of blockages or narrowing within the pipeline system. Additionally, it can monitor whether sufficient water replacement has been performed within a specific pipeline route, for example, to prevent contamination. Water flow is understood here as the volume of water per unit time, that is, the amount of water flowing through the pipeline section monitored by the water flow sensor within a set time period (e.g., per second, per hour, or per day).

[0024] Monitoring velocity distribution can specifically reveal whether water flows laminar or turbulently through a particular pipe section. For this purpose, multiple sensors can be sequentially placed within the pipe section to measure the local velocity of the water at different locations. Strong velocity fluctuations from sensor to sensor can, for example, be a manifestation of turbulent flow. Furthermore, multiple sensors can be used to measure the water velocity at different locations within the cross-section of the pipe section.

[0025] If water flows turbulently within a pipe section, this can result in the affected section not being fully flushed even with sufficient water flow. Monitoring the velocity distribution can identify this condition and allow for appropriate corrective action.

[0026] Conversely, turbulent flow may be desired for targeted flushing processes, as the eddies created by turbulent flow can scrape away deposits, especially biofilm, from the pipe walls of pipe sections.

[0027] In one embodiment, one or more sensors are configured to determine measurements of drinking water quality for water guided within a drinking water supply system, particularly measurements of pH, oxygen concentration, free chlorine concentration, water hardness, conductivity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms, especially bacteria. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, measurements of drinking water quality for water guided within a drinking water supply system are determined, particularly measurements of pH, oxygen concentration, free chlorine concentration, water hardness, conductivity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms, especially bacteria. This allows for direct monitoring of drinking water quality. When, for example, drinking water in a specific pipeline section falls below a preset quality requirement, this can be determined early, particularly at a central location, allowing for intervention before the drinking water quality deteriorates to a health-damaging level.

[0028] Drinking water quality (or drinking water standards) is determined by its components (such as suspended solids, chemical components, pathogens such as viruses or microorganisms) and chemical and biological characteristics. In particular, there are many legal thresholds for specific components that must be strictly adhered to in the drinking water supply. Furthermore, special regulations for specific operating institutions of drinking water systems, such as hospitals, may stipulate even stricter thresholds for drinking water quality than legal thresholds.

[0029] To measure pH value, a pH meter based on the principle of potential analysis can be used. To measure water hardness, a photometer used to determine water hardness can be used. To measure conductivity, an ohmmeter can be used.

[0030] Monitoring pH, water hardness, and / or conductivity can be particularly relevant to the lifespan of system equipment, especially drinking water piping systems. Drinking water equipment is typically designed for specific pH ranges and water hardness levels, and may suffer damage, malfunction more frequently, or have a shorter lifespan when drinking water is outside these preset ranges.

[0031] For example, in the case of Cu pipes, corrosion may be exacerbated if the drinking water is too acidic. Monitoring pH levels or conductivity allows for timely intervention to prevent this corrosion problem, such as flushing the piping system or its individual sections. Alternatively, maintenance intervals can be shortened by replacing the Cu pipes with more acid-resistant ones and / or using water treatment equipment.

[0032] High ion or salt content in drinking water, for example, which increases conductivity, can interfere with the operation of specific components, such as softening equipment. Furthermore, high hardness in drinking water can lead to lime deposits. By monitoring conductivity and / or hardness, timely measures can be taken to mitigate this problem, such as flushing the piping system or its individual sections. Alternatively or additionally, maintenance intervals can be shortened and / or water treatment equipment can be used.

[0033] To measure the presence or concentration of a specific component, different sensors can be used depending on the component. For example, optical sensors can be used to measure the turbidity of water caused by suspended solids. Furthermore, bacterial sensors can be used to determine the number of bacteria in a given volume of water, i.e., the bacterial concentration. Additionally, sensors can be used to determine the concentration of specific chemical compounds in water, such as organic compounds. To determine the concentration of viruses, microorganisms, and especially bacteria, sensors from companies like Roche (such as the CEDEX or CASY analyzers) can be used. Lab-on-a-chip sensors can also be used, in particular.

[0034] By monitoring the presence or concentration of specific components, compliance with preset thresholds for those components can be monitored at different locations within the drinking water supply system. This allows for the early identification of microbiological, chemical, or physical deviations.

[0035] In particular, sensors can be installed in the central input area of ​​the regional water supplier to the drinking water supply system to determine measured values ​​for drinking water quality. This method enables the monitoring of drinking water quality entering the drinking water supply system.

[0036] In one embodiment, the control device is configured to prompt the output of user information related to the received measurement value via a user interface. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, user information related to the received measurement value is output.

[0037] For example, the control device can be configured to monitor whether the measured values ​​received by the sensor are higher or lower than one or more thresholds, and output corresponding warning notifications through the user interface when they are higher or lower than the thresholds—possibly for a preset time period.

[0038] The threshold for monitoring received measurements can be preset to a fixed value, or it can be determined, particularly by a central control device. In particular, it is possible to determine the threshold from predetermined measurements, such as those given within a preset time period. This method allows for the determination of deviations from typical values ​​or past value ranges. Alternatively, it is possible to determine measurements, particularly for drinking water quality or generally for water composition, at a central input point of the regional water supplier, and to determine the threshold based on these measurements. This threshold can then be compared, particularly with corresponding measurements determined at one or more locations within the drinking water supply system, especially within the drinking water pipeline system. This method allows for the monitoring of changes in water within the drinking water supply system, especially within the drinking water pipeline system.

[0039] Monitoring oxygen content is particularly useful for the early identification of corrosion sites within drinking water supply systems, especially drinking water pipeline systems. The corrosion process draws oxygen from the water, thus causing a decrease in oxygen content. Ideally, monitoring should ensure that measured oxygen concentrations do not fall below a threshold, and if so, issue a warning notification to indicate potential corrosion.

[0040] Water hardness monitoring is particularly useful for determining the reliable operation of water softeners installed in drinking water supply systems. Ideally, the system monitors whether the measured water hardness value exceeds a threshold, and outputs a warning notification if the value exceeds the threshold, thus indicating potential damage to the water softener.

[0041] Monitoring free chlorine concentration is particularly useful for determining whether contamination exists within a drinking water supply system. Because free chlorine reacts with pathogens, pathogen contamination leads to a decrease in free chlorine concentration. It is preferable to monitor whether the measured value for free chlorine concentration falls below a threshold, and to issue a warning notification if it does, thus indicating potential contamination. The threshold can be determined, in particular, based on the measured value for free chlorine concentration established at the central input point of the regional water supplier. This method enables monitoring of whether the free chlorine concentration is decreasing within the drinking water supply system.

[0042] Monitoring conductivity, for example, allows for the determination of the extent to which corrosion has eroded sacrificial anodes installed in drinking water supply systems, such as sacrificial anodes in hot springs. This method can, for example, determine the expected lifespan of the sacrificial anode or whether a sacrificial anode has been installed. Preferably, monitoring whether the measured values ​​for conductivity exceed a threshold is preferred.

[0043] In addition, the control device can also be designed to determine the monitoring parameters by the measurements of multiple sensors and display the monitoring parameters or the monitoring parameters being higher or lower than a preset threshold through a user interface.

[0044] The user interface may involve, for example, a screen. Alternatively, the drinking water supply system may also be designed to send emails or other text messages containing relevant user information, for example, via a mobile radio system.

[0045] In another embodiment, the drinking water supply system has multiple distributed control elements designed to influence one or more properties of the water guided within the system at different locations within the system, and a central control unit is designed to trigger these control elements that influence one or more properties of the water guided within the system. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, the distributed control elements that influence one or more properties of the water guided within the system are triggered. This method allows influence to be exerted on the water guided within the drinking water supply system from a central location.

[0046] In one embodiment, one or more of the distributed control elements are designed to influence the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate, and / or velocity of water guided within the drinking water supply system, and a central control unit is designed to trigger one or more of the distributed control elements that influence the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate, and / or velocity of water guided within the drinking water supply system. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, the distributed control elements that influence the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate, and / or velocity of water guided within the drinking water supply system are triggered.

[0047] As a distributed control element, a triggerable valve can be particularly provided. A valve is understood as a component by which the flow of media can be altered, especially reduced, diverted, or stopped. Examples of valves include recirculation valves or regulating valves.

[0048] Distributed control elements may include, for example, triggerable valves, such as throttle valves or regulating valves, triggerable branching devices for diverting water flow, pumps for affecting water pressure or flow rate, heating elements or cooling elements for affecting water temperature, etc.

[0049] By designing the central control unit to trigger control elements that affect the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate, and / or velocity, central control of the drinking water supply system is achieved, thereby enabling optimal control of the water flow throughout the entire drinking water supply system from a single location.

[0050] In another embodiment, one or more of the decentralized control elements are designed to influence the drinking water quality of water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly pH, oxygen concentration, free chlorine concentration, water hardness, conductivity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms. A central control device is designed to trigger one or more of the decentralized control elements that influence the drinking water quality of water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly pH, water hardness, conductivity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, decentralized control elements that influence the drinking water quality of water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly pH, oxygen concentration, free chlorine concentration, water hardness, conductivity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms, are triggered. This method enables the influence of drinking water quality within the drinking water supply system. In particular, it enables the maintenance of the drinking water quality within the entire drinking water supply system within a desired range by triggering the decentralized control elements.

[0051] To adjust the pH value, a flushing process can be performed, in which the piping system or its sections are rinsed with water. If the pH value is not within the preset range, it is also preferable to output a user warning through the user interface, as such a change in pH value is likely abnormal and should be carefully investigated.

[0052] To influence water hardness, a water softener can be installed, for example. To remove suspended solids or bacteria from the water, a filter can be installed, for example. In addition, to kill bacteria, a sterilization section can be installed to heat-treat the water or to irradiate the water with ultraviolet lamps.

[0053] Water softeners, filters, or sterilization sections can be installed, for example, in separate piping sections connected to the drinking water piping system via triggerable valves. Triggering these valves allows water to be selectively diverted to these separate piping sections, and thus directed through the water softener, filter, or sterilization section.

[0054] In another embodiment, the central control unit is designed to receive time information and, based on the received time information, trigger control elements to influence one or more characteristics of the water being guided within the drinking water supply system. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, control elements to influence one or more characteristics of the water being guided within the drinking water supply system are triggered based on time information. This method allows the control of the drinking water supply system to be adapted to the requirements of different time periods. For example, different control programs can be set for daytime and nighttime. A clock, such as a system clock within the central control unit, is preferably provided to obtain time information. Therefore, receiving time information does not require this information to be provided externally to the central control unit.

[0055] In another embodiment, multiple control elements form a virtual group, and the control device is preferably designed to trigger each control element of the virtual group upon receiving an instruction to trigger the virtual group, preferably according to a predefined triggering plan for the group. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, an instruction is received to potentially trigger the virtual group according to a predefined triggering plan, and each control element of the virtual group is triggered, particularly according to the predefined triggering plan.

[0056] This method enables simpler control of the drinking water supply system because it eliminates the need to trigger all control elements individually; instead, it allows for group triggering.

[0057] If a drinking water supply system, for example, has a drinking water line with multiple drinking water intakes, and each intake is equipped with a control element for automatically dispensing drinking water from the system, then these control elements can form a virtual group and be triggered together by a single command. For example, this method can be used to flush a specific section of the drinking water supply system with a single user command.

[0058] In addition, multiple throttle valves and / or branch valves that regulate the introduction of a specific drinking water line can be grouped together so that they can be opened and closed together.

[0059] Preferably, a triggering plan is defined, which contains instructions to be sent to the various control elements of the virtual group. Furthermore, the triggering plan may include information such as when the various control elements should be triggered, and the order in which they should be triggered.

[0060] A drinking water supply system may have multiple distributed control devices, such as multiple controllers, each connected to one or more distributed control elements for control. These distributed control devices are directly or indirectly connected to a central control unit, enabling the central control unit to control the distributed control elements connected to it by triggering the respective distributed control devices.

[0061] The virtual group can contain, in particular, distributed control elements, which correspond to different distributed control devices. The virtual grouping of control elements thus enables the grouping of control elements across various distributed control devices, independent of the hardware structure, i.e., the corresponding correspondence between control elements and specific distributed control devices.

[0062] Multiple distributed control elements can be assigned to a virtual group via a central control unit, for example, through corresponding user input via the user interface of the central control unit. This method allows for flexible adjustment of the virtual group in software without requiring hardware modifications, such as connecting the control elements to another distributed control unit.

[0063] In another embodiment, a triggering plan is predefined, comprising multiple triggering instructions for different control elements, and the control device is designed to trigger the control element according to the triggering plan upon receiving an instruction to execute the predefined triggering plan. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, a triggering plan is predefined, comprising multiple triggering instructions for different control elements, and an instruction to execute the predefined triggering plan is received and the control element is triggered according to the triggering plan.

[0064] This method simplifies the control of the drinking water supply system by allowing users to run potentially complex sequences of instructions by inputting a single command or retrieving a trigger schedule, such as triggering different control elements at different times.

[0065] In another embodiment, the drinking water piping system has a cold water line for supplying cold water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein an input line for supplying cold water to the cold water line is connected at a first end of the cold water line, and wherein a circulation line is connected at a second end of the cold water line, through which water can be drawn out from the cold water line. The drinking water piping system may have multiple cold water lines, wherein one, more, or all of the cold water lines may be connected to a single circulation line as described above.

[0066] The following problems exist with cold water supply: if the drinking water intake points on the cold water lines are not adequately controlled, causing water to remain in the cold water lines for extended periods, impurities or contamination may form within the lines. In particular, water remaining in the cold water lines for extended periods may heat up above a certain temperature, further promoting contamination (bacterial growth). By installing circulation piping for the cold water lines, it is possible to replace the cold water within the drinking water supply system, even if the drinking water intake points are not controlled or are only occasionally controlled.

[0067] The preferred circulation piping connection is configured to return the water guided within it to the rest of the drinking water piping system, thus enabling the water to be used for other purposes.

[0068] In another embodiment, a control element, preferably a triggerable valve, is integrated into the drinking water piping system. This valve is designed to control the outflow (circulation) of water from the cold water line through a circulation line. For example, such a valve can be positioned at the transition point between the cold water line and the circulation line. Controllable cold water circulation is achieved by installing a triggerable valve. By opening the valve, water is drawn from the cold water line, preventing water from remaining in the cold water line for an extended period. Conversely, closing the valve prevents unnecessary water circulation or excessive pressure drops within the drinking water supply system. A control device is preferably provided to control this control element.

[0069] Drinking water piping systems can be designed to allow water to circulate continuously within the cold water line, for example, by allowing a small amount of water to pass through even when a triggerable valve within the cold water line is closed. This method also avoids localized heat input that cannot be detected by existing sensors.

[0070] In another embodiment, the drinking water piping system has cold water lines for supplying cold water to multiple drinking water intakes, and the drinking water piping system has a cooling section connected to the cold water lines to cool the water from the cold water lines. The drinking water piping system may have multiple cold water lines, wherein one, more, or all of the cold water lines may be connected to a water cooling device as described above.

[0071] It has been determined that the water temperature in the cold water line may rise to a level that exacerbates contamination if the water remains stagnant for too long or if the ambient temperature is too high. By installing a cooling section, the undesirably heated water from the cold water line can be cooled, thereby preventing contamination caused by overheating.

[0072] In another embodiment, the cooling section has active cooling elements, such as heat exchangers operating with the aid of a coolant. This enables efficient and rapid cooling of the water guiding through the cooling section.

[0073] In another embodiment, the cooling section includes piping sections laid in areas with lower average temperatures compared to the chilled water lines. The average temperature can be, for example, a daily average, monthly average, or annual average temperature. For instance, the cooling section could have piping sections leading through basements or soil, as these areas typically have lower average temperatures than, for example, living quarters. This embodiment achieves particularly energy-efficient cooling of the water because no active cooling equipment is required.

[0074] In another embodiment, the drinking water piping system has a cold water line for cold water supply and a hot water line for hot water supply, and a heat pump is installed to transfer heat from the water in the cold water line to the water in the hot water line. The heat pump is therefore designed to transfer heat from the water in the cold water line to the water in the hot water line. This economically achieves both cooling of the water in the cold water line and heating of the water in the hot water line simultaneously. For example, the heat pump can be triggered when the water temperature in the cold water line is too high or the water temperature in the hot water line is too low.

[0075] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system includes a hot water pipeline system having a main hot water supply line and multiple secondary hot water lines originating from it, a central hot water source is provided to supply hot water to the main hot water supply line, and a decentralized hot water source is provided to one of the multiple secondary hot water lines and is configured to heat the water introduced into the secondary hot water line from the main hot water supply line. The decentralized hot water source is supplied to the secondary hot water line.

[0076] This method allows water in the secondary hot water supply line to be heated without having to return it to a central hot water source, which may be far away. If a central hot water source is installed in a large building complex, such as a hospital, the hot water may have to travel a long distance to reach the secondary hot water supply line in a distant part of the building. Therefore, by the time the hot water reaches the secondary hot water supply line, it may have cooled to below a preset minimum temperature, such as below 55°C, within a short time, and must be pumped back to the central hot water source. By installing decentralized hot water supply lines, the water can be reheated, thus regaining a sufficient temperature. Decentralized hot water supply lines can be located, for example, between the branch point of the main hot water supply line to the secondary hot water supply line and the first drinking water intake point of the secondary hot water supply line.

[0077] Because decentralized hot springs only need to heat the water volume used for secondary hot water lines, and because the temperature increase required to heat water already preheated by a central hot spring is smaller, decentralized hot springs can be designed to be smaller and more compact than central hot springs. For example, a central hot spring can be designed to supply the entire drinking water supply system and heat water from 20°C to 65°C, while a decentralized hot spring only needs to be designed to supply the water volume used for secondary hot water lines and heat water from 50°C to 65°C.

[0078] In another embodiment, the drinking water piping system has a drinking water line, within which a flushing unit, triggered by a central control device, is integrated to discharge water from the drinking water supply system. The flushing unit may, for example, involve a triggerable drinking water intake that can be activated to discharge water from the drinking water supply system. Alternatively, a separate flushing unit may be provided, its sole purpose being to discharge drinking water from the drinking water supply system upon appropriate triggering. This separate flushing unit achieves, for example, the replacement of water in the drinking water line when it becomes too hot or too cold, or when it has remained stagnant for too long. The drinking water line may involve a hot water line or a cold water line.

[0079] In another embodiment, a decentralized control unit is provided, which can be triggered by a central control device. This unit is designed to initiate a flushing process at the drinking water intake, thereby discharging water from the drinking water supply system. In this way, the drinking water intake, such as a faucet on a washbasin or a toilet flushing device, can be centrally triggered to discharge water from the drinking water supply system.

[0080] The central control unit is preferably designed to simultaneously initiate a flushing process at multiple drinking water intakes by triggering one or more distributed control units, wherein the multiple drinking water intakes are preferably connected to the same line or pipe in the drinking water pipeline system. For example, adjacent drinking water intakes may be involved. This approach enables higher flow velocities within the line or pipe during the flushing process, thereby inducing turbulent flow, the eddies of which can improve the cleaning of the pipe walls, such as the cleaning of biofilms.

[0081] The preferred central control unit is designed to control the flushing process of the drinking water intake based on information about time. This allows for automatic flushing to be prevented at night, for example, when the drinking water intake is located in a hospital department, or automatic flushing to be performed at night, for example, when the drinking water intake is located in an unoccupied office area.

[0082] In another embodiment, acoustic sensors are provided, designed and / or arranged to measure volume, particularly the volume of one or more flushing processes at one or more drinking water intakes. A central control unit is preferably provided to control the automatic execution of the flushing process based on the measurements taken by the acoustic sensors. This method allows monitoring of the noise level accompanying the automatic flushing process, enabling interruption or prevention of the flushing process if the noise level exceeds a preset threshold. Preferably, the preset noise level is selected based on location and / or time.

[0083] In another embodiment, a presence report is provided, designed to determine information about the presence of personnel, and the central control unit is preferably designed to control one or more of the distributed control elements based on the information about the presence of personnel. This method allows control of the drinking water supply system based on whether personnel are present in an area, such as a specific drinking water line or a specific drinking water intake point. If the presence report determines the presence of personnel, the anticipated demand for drinking water within the specific drinking water line or at the specific drinking water intake point differs from the case where no personnel are present. The presence report may, for example, involve a motion detector or a camera, the image of which is analyzed using personnel recognition algorithms.

[0084] In another embodiment, the central control unit is configured to selectively control the drinking water supply system, particularly the decentralized control elements, according to a preset first program or a preset second program. The central control unit is also configured to select the first or second program based on information regarding the presence of personnel. The first program may, for example, relate to a program for normal mode, and the second program may, for example, relate to an unattended program, such as a vacation program. In this way, the central control unit can automatically switch between normal mode and unattended mode, such as vacation mode, without requiring user input. Of course, the central control unit can also be designed to select between more than two programs based on information regarding the presence of personnel.

[0085] In another embodiment, a decentralized control unit, triggerable by a central control device, is provided to initiate a flushing process at the drinking water intake to discharge water from the drinking water supply system. A reporter is designed and configured to determine information regarding the presence of personnel within the drinking water intake area, and the central control device is configured to control the execution of the flushing process at the drinking water intake based on this information. This improves the reliability of the automated drinking water supply system. Specifically, the automatic flushing at the drinking water intake can be interrupted or prevented if someone is detected within the area of ​​the drinking water intake. This prevents individuals from being accidentally wetted by the discharged water or even potentially scalded if hot water is discharged.

[0086] In another embodiment, the drinking water supply system has a drinking water line with a set of drinking water intakes connected to the drinking water line. Multiple distributed sensors are installed to determine information regarding the execution of the flushing process at each of the drinking water intakes in the set of drinking water intakes. A central control unit is configured to control the execution of the flushing process at each of the drinking water intakes in the set of drinking water intakes based on the information regarding the execution of the flushing process at each of the drinking water intakes in the set of drinking water intakes.

[0087] Control elements for performing the flushing process at each drinking water intake can be configured into virtual groups.

[0088] This method allows a central control unit for the entire drinking water line with multiple drinking water intakes to monitor whether the line has been adequately flushed by manipulating one of the intakes. If not, a corresponding flush is triggered by the automatic flushing of the individual intake. Compared to autonomously controlled intakes, performing a flushing process when no automatic flushing has occurred within a preset time has the following advantages: the central control unit monitors the entire drinking water intake network, thus suppressing automatic flushing, for example, if an adjacent intake was recently flushed. Furthermore, it allows for the triggering of a single intake instead of all intakes when flushing is needed. This reduces the amount of water used and the frequency of flushing, thereby saving water.

[0089] In another embodiment, one or more distributed sensors are installed to determine information regarding the flushing process within a preset section of the drinking water pipeline system. A central control unit is configured to monitor the time elapsed since the last flush within the preset section of the drinking water pipeline system, and trigger flushing of the preset section when the time exceeds a preset maximum. This method allows for centralized monitoring of whether a section of the drinking water pipeline system is being flushed sufficiently frequently; if not, automatic flushing is initiated.

[0090] In another embodiment, a central control unit is configured to control control elements based on received measurements. This allows for the regulation of the drinking water supply system. It enables, for example, sustained operation within safe parameter ranges, by automatically resisting deviations from the target range.

[0091] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has a cold water line for supplying cold water to multiple drinking water intakes. A temperature sensor is installed to measure the water temperature within the cold water line, and a control device is configured to trigger an action when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor exceeds a preset threshold. To measure the water temperature within the cold water line, the temperature sensor may be integrated into the cold water line or connected to a drinking water intake on the cold water line. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, an action is triggered when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor within the cold water line exceeds a threshold.

[0092] This measure may specifically involve cooling water from the cold water line within the cooling section. Additionally, the measure may involve discharging water from the cold water line at the flushing unit. Furthermore, the measure may involve drawing water from the cold water line through a circulation pipeline.

[0093] By inducing one or more of these measures, the increased temperature within the cold water line is resisted, thus preventing potential contamination. Cooling the water further lowers its temperature, effectively preventing bacterial growth. Draining potentially bacterial-producing water from the drinking water supply system at the flushing unit allows fresh water to replenish the cold water line. Water is drawn from the cold water line via a circulation pipe, replenishing the incoming fresh water. Unlike draining at the flushing unit, water drawn through the circulation pipe preferably remains within the drinking water supply system and can be reused elsewhere.

[0094] The drinking water piping system can be configured to direct drinking water from the cold water line to a hot water source for hot water supply, for example, using a triggerable three-way valve, especially when the temperature measured by a temperature sensor measuring the temperature within the cold water line, according to the aforementioned embodiment, exceeds a preset threshold. This allows water from the cold water line, which may have increased in bacterial content due to heating, to continue to be safely used within the system, as the bacteria are killed by the heating process in the hot water source. Alternatively, drinking water from the cold water line can, in principle, be directed to the hot water source.

[0095] In addition, measures may involve issuing user notifications. For example, issuing user notifications can alert those in charge of potential contamination.

[0096] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has a hot water line for supplying hot water to multiple drinking water intakes, a temperature sensor is installed to measure the water temperature within the hot water line, and a control device is configured to trigger measures when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than a preset threshold. To measure the water temperature within the hot water line, the temperature sensor may be integrated into the hot water line or connected to the drinking water intake on the hot water line. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, measures are triggered when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor within the hot water line is lower than a preset threshold.

[0097] Measures could involve draining water from the hot water line at the flushing unit. This draining could, of course, occur at multiple flushing units. Alternatively, measures could involve drawing water from the hot water line through a circulation system. Furthermore, measures could also involve issuing user notifications.

[0098] If the temperature in the hot water circuit drops too drastically, it can lead to increased bacterial growth because the water temperature is no longer sufficient to kill bacteria.

[0099] By draining water from the hot water line, the water is removed from the drinking water supply system, allowing fresh, sufficiently hot water to flow back into the hot water line. Similarly, when water is drawn from the hot water line through a circulation pipe, hot water is drawn back into the system. In the case of drainage through the circulation pipe, the water preferably continues to be used in the drinking water supply system and can therefore continue to be used elsewhere, such as by reheating it in a suitable hot spring. A user notification can be output to alert the responsible person to potential contamination, for example.

[0100] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes. A volumetric flow sensor is installed to measure the volumetric flow rate of water within the drinking water line. A control device is configured to determine a numerical value for the volume of water flowing through the volumetric flow sensor within a preset time period based on the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor, and to trigger measures when this numerical value for the water volume is lower than a preset threshold. To measure the volumetric flow rate of water within the drinking water line, the volumetric flow sensor can be integrated, in particular, into the drinking water line. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, a numerical value for the volume of water flowing through the volumetric flow sensor within a preset time period is determined based on the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor within the drinking water line, and measures are triggered when this numerical value for the water volume is lower than a preset threshold.

[0101] Measures may specifically involve draining water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit. Drainage can, of course, occur at multiple flushing units. Furthermore, measures may involve drawing water from the drinking water line through a circulation pipeline. Additionally, measures may involve outputting user notifications.

[0102] If the volume of water flowing through the volumetric flow sensor is below a threshold, it indicates that too little water may be being drawn from the drinking water line, and the drinking water may therefore remain in the line for too long. Automatic volume replacement can be initiated by draining or drawing water from the drinking water line, allowing fresh water to replenish the line.

[0103] Furthermore, excessively low volumetric flow rates may also indicate that a particular drinking water intake or a specific group of drinking water intakes is being used less than other drinking water intakes. This could, for example, mean that the corresponding drinking water intake is damaged, such as a toilet. By providing user output, a building manager can be alerted, for example, that a particular toilet is not in use, allowing the manager to check for potential repair needs.

[0104] The preset threshold can be calculated, for example, based on the volumetric flow rate sensor values ​​from other drinking water lines or drinking water intake points. This method allows it to determine if the water intake is abnormally high or low within a specific area of ​​the drinking water line or at a particular drinking water intake point, enabling appropriate measures to be taken.

[0105] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has drinking water lines for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes. A volumetric flow sensor is installed to measure the volumetric flow rate of water within the drinking water lines. A control device is configured to trigger an action when the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor exceeds a preset threshold. To measure the volumetric flow rate of water within the drinking water lines, the volumetric flow sensor can be integrated, in particular, into the drinking water lines. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, an action is triggered when the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor within the drinking water lines exceeds a preset threshold.

[0106] Measures may specifically involve increasing water pressure, for example by activating or increasing the power of a water pump installed within the drinking water supply system to increase flow and / or pressure, or by opening an inlet valve to supply more water to the relevant drinking water line. Furthermore, measures may involve stopping and / or prohibiting the drainage of water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit, caused by a central control device. Additionally, measures may involve stopping and / or prohibiting the extraction of water from the drinking water line through the circulation line, caused by a central control device.

[0107] A flow rate exceeding the preset limit indicates that the drinking water line is being used more intensely than its capacity allows, for example, due to simultaneous water intake from multiple drinking water inlets. This may result in reduced water flow or pressure at each inlet, potentially rendering the drinking water inlet unusable.

[0108] By increasing water pressure, especially by activating or increasing the power of water pumps installed in the drinking water supply system, or by opening inlet valves, the flow rate or pressure within the drinking water lines can be increased, thereby ensuring a stable water supply even with increased use of the drinking water lines. In particular, the pressure or flow rate increase can be limited to periods when the drinking water lines are overloaded, thus saving electricity or reducing the mechanical load on the drinking water lines.

[0109] By stopping and / or prohibiting the discharge or extraction of water from drinking water lines caused by a central control device, it is possible to prevent further reduction in pipeline pressure or the amount of water available for supply due to such central control of water intake from drinking water lines, thereby reserving more water or higher pressure for other drinking water intakes.

[0110] In addition, measures may involve the output of user notifications. Outputting user notifications can alert those in charge, for example, to potential shortages of drinking water supply.

[0111] If a sudden increase in volumetric flow occurs due to the activation of other drinking water intakes, such as due to more taps being turned on, during the period when water is drawn from the drinking water line through the circulation pipeline under the control of the central control unit, it is preferable to automatically interrupt the circulation controlled by the central control unit.

[0112] Preferably, the control device can trigger measures when the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow rate sensor exceeds a preset threshold within a preset time period. This method can prevent potentially unnecessary countermeasures from being taken under conditions of very short-term volumetric flow rate changes.

[0113] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes, a pressure sensor is installed to measure the water pressure within the drinking water line, and a control device is configured to trigger an action when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor is lower than a preset threshold. To measure the water pressure within the drinking water line, the pressure sensor may be integrated into the drinking water line or connected to a drinking water intake on the drinking water line. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, an action is triggered when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor within the drinking water line is lower than a preset threshold.

[0114] Measures may involve, for example, activating or increasing the power of water pumps installed within the drinking water supply system to increase flow and / or pressure, or increasing water pressure by opening inlet line valves. Furthermore, measures may involve stopping and / or prohibiting the discharge of water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit caused by a central control device. Additionally, measures may involve stopping and / or prohibiting the outflow of water from the drinking water line through the circulation line caused by a central control device.

[0115] As described in the aforementioned implementation, pressure below the minimum value can also be a sign of overload in drinking water lines. The measures mentioned above can resolve overload issues in drinking water lines during peak load periods.

[0116] In addition, measures may involve issuing user notifications. These notifications can alert responsible parties, for example, to potential shortages of drinking water supply.

[0117] Preferably, measures are only triggered when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor is lower than a preset threshold during a specific time period, thereby avoiding potentially unnecessary responses in the event of short-term pressure fluctuations.

[0118] In another embodiment, the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes. A pressure sensor is configured to measure the water pressure within the drinking water line, and a control device is configured to trigger an action when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor exceeds a preset threshold. To measure the water pressure within the drinking water line, the pressure sensor may be integrated into the drinking water line or connected to a drinking water intake on the drinking water line. In a corresponding embodiment of the method, an action is triggered when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor within the drinking water line exceeds a preset threshold.

[0119] Measures may involve, for example, reducing water pressure, particularly by deactivating or reducing the power of water pumps installed in the drinking water supply system to increase flow and / or pressure within the drinking water lines, or by closing inlet line valves. Additionally, measures may involve draining water from the cold water line at the flushing unit. Drainage can, of course, occur at multiple flushing units.

[0120] If multiple drinking water inlets are shut off simultaneously, it may cause a pressure increase within the drinking water lines. This can be mitigated by the aforementioned measures. This approach reduces the mechanical load on the drinking water piping system and thus extends its lifespan.

[0121] In addition, measures may involve issuing user notifications. This method can alert those responsible for the safe operation of the drinking water supply system to potential critical overpressure.

[0122] In another embodiment, the control device is configured to induce control of the drinking water supply system according to the aforementioned method or an embodiment thereof. For example, the control device may have a memory with instructions, the execution of which on at least one processor of the control device induces the implementation of the aforementioned method.

[0123] Other embodiments of the drinking water supply system, 1 to 34, another embodiment of the method, 35, and another embodiment of the computer program, 36, are described below. These embodiments can be combined with each other and with the aforementioned embodiments.

[0124] 1. A drinking water supply system having a drinking water pipeline system, comprising multiple drinking water intakes connected to the drinking water pipeline system, at least one sensor for determining a measurement value, and a central control device for receiving and analyzing the measurement value determined by the at least one sensor.

[0125] 2. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 1, wherein a plurality of sensors are provided for determining one or different characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system at different locations within the drinking water supply system, and wherein a central control unit is provided for receiving and analyzing the measurements determined by the sensors.

[0126] 3. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 2, wherein one or more of the sensors are designed to determine measurements of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate and / or velocity distribution for water guided within the drinking water supply system.

[0127] 4. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 2 or 3, wherein one or more of the sensors are designed to determine measurements of drinking water quality for water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly measurements of pH value, water hardness, conductivity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components, such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms.

[0128] 5. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the control device is designed to cause user information related to the received measurement values ​​to be output through a user interface.

[0129] 6. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, having a plurality of distributed control elements designed to influence one or more characteristics of water guided within the drinking water supply system at different locations within the drinking water supply system, wherein a central control unit is designed to trigger the control elements for influencing one or more characteristics of water guided within the drinking water supply system.

[0130] 7. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 6, wherein one or more of the decentralized control elements are designed to influence the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate and / or velocity of water guided within the drinking water supply system, and wherein the central control device is designed to trigger the one or more decentralized control elements that influence the distribution of water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate and / or velocity of water guided within the drinking water supply system.

[0131] 8. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 6 or 7, wherein one or more of the decentralized control elements are designed to influence the drinking water quality of the water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly pH value, water hardness, conductivity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components, such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms, and wherein a central control device is designed to trigger the one or more decentralized control elements that influence the drinking water quality of the water guided within the drinking water supply system, particularly pH value, water hardness, conductivity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components, such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms.

[0132] 9. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 6 to 8, wherein a central control device is designed to receive information about time and, based on the received information about time, trigger control elements for influencing one or more characteristics of water guided within the drinking water supply system.

[0133] 10. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 6 to 9, wherein a plurality of control elements form a virtual group, and the control device is configured to trigger each control element of the virtual group upon receiving an instruction for triggering the virtual group, preferably according to a triggering plan predefined for the group.

[0134] 11. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 6 to 10, wherein a predefined triggering plan is included, comprising a plurality of triggering instructions for different control elements, and wherein the control device is configured to trigger the control element according to the triggering plan upon receiving an instruction for executing the predefined triggering plan.

[0135] 12. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a cold water line for supplying cold water to a plurality of drinking water intakes, wherein an input pipeline for supplying cold water to the cold water line is connected at a first end of the cold water line, and wherein a circulation pipeline is connected at a second end of the cold water line through which water can be drawn out from the cold water line.

[0136] 13. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 12, wherein a control element, preferably a triggerable valve, is integrated within the drinking water pipeline system, designed to control the outflow of water from the cold water line through the circulation pipeline.

[0137] 14. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a cold water line for supplying cold water to a plurality of drinking water intakes, and wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a cooling section for cooling water connected to the cold water line, thereby cooling the water from the cold water line.

[0138] 15. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 14, wherein the cooling section has an active cooling element, such as a heat exchanger operating with the aid of a coolant.

[0139] 16. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 14 or 15, wherein the cooling section has a pipeline section that passes through an area with an average temperature lower than that of the cold water line.

[0140] 17. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 16, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a cold water line for cold water supply and a hot water line for hot water supply, and wherein a heat pump is provided to transfer heat from water guided in the cold water line to water guided in the hot water line.

[0141] 18. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a hot water pipeline system having a main hot water supply line and a plurality of secondary hot water lines originating therefrom, wherein a central hot water source is provided, which is designed to supply hot water to the main hot water supply line, and wherein decentralized hot water sources are provided, which are distributed to one or more secondary hot water lines and are designed to heat water introduced from the main hot water supply line into the secondary hot water lines distributed to the decentralized hot water sources.

[0142] 19. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 18, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line, and wherein an independent flushing unit that can be triggered by a central control device is integrated within the drinking water line, through which water can be discharged from the drinking water supply system.

[0143] 20. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein a decentralized control unit is provided that can be triggered by a central control device, and is designed to cause a flushing process at the drinking water intake, thereby discharging water from the drinking water supply system.

[0144] 21. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 20, wherein an acoustic sensor is provided, which is designed and configured to measure the volume of one or more flushing processes at one or more drinking water intakes, and wherein a central control unit is designed to control the automatic execution of the flushing process based on the measurement values ​​measured by the acoustic sensor.

[0145] 22. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 21, wherein an presence report is provided, which is designed to determine information about the presence of personnel, and wherein a central control unit is designed to control one or more of the distributed control elements based on the information about the presence of personnel.

[0146] 23. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 22, wherein the central control device is configured to selectively control the drinking water supply system, particularly the distributed control element, according to a preset first program or a preset second program, and wherein the central control device is further configured to select the first or second program based on information regarding the presence of personnel.

[0147] 24. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 22 or 23, wherein a decentralized control unit is provided that can be triggered by a central control device, which is designed to initiate a flushing process at the drinking water intake to discharge water from the drinking water supply system, wherein a reporter is provided and configured to determine information about the presence of personnel within the scope of the drinking water intake, and wherein the central control device is configured to control the execution of the flushing process at the drinking water intake based on the information about the presence of personnel.

[0148] 25. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 24, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line, wherein a set of drinking water intakes is provided connected to the drinking water line, wherein a plurality of distributed sensors are provided, designed to determine information regarding the execution of a flushing process at the drinking water intakes of the set of drinking water intakes, and wherein a central control device is designed to control the execution of the flushing process at each drinking water intake of the set of drinking water intakes based on the information regarding the execution of the flushing process at the drinking water intakes of the set of drinking water intakes.

[0149] 26. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 25, wherein one or more distributed sensors are provided, designed to determine information regarding the execution of a flushing process within a preset section of the drinking water pipeline system, wherein a central control device is configured to monitor the time elapsed since the last flush within the preset section of the drinking water pipeline system, and to trigger flushing within the preset section of the drinking water pipeline system when the time elapsed exceeds a preset maximum time.

[0150] 27. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 26, wherein a central control unit is configured to control control elements based on received measurement values.

[0151] 28. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment 27, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a cold water line for supplying cold water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a temperature sensor is provided to measure the water temperature in the cold water line, and wherein a control device is configured to trigger one of the following measures when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a preset threshold:

[0152] - Cools water from the cold water line within the cooling section.

[0153] - Drain water from the cold water line at the flushing unit.

[0154] - Water is drawn from the cold water line through a circulation pipeline, or

[0155] - Output user notifications.

[0156] 29. A drinking water supply system according to embodiment 27 or 28, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a hot water line for supplying hot water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a temperature sensor is provided to measure the water temperature in the hot water line, and wherein a control device is configured to trigger one of the following measures when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than a preset threshold:

[0157] - Drain water from the hot water line at the flush unit.

[0158] - Water is drawn from the hot water line through a circulation pipe, or

[0159] - Output user notifications.

[0160] 30. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 27 to 29, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has a drinking water line for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a volumetric flow sensor is provided to measure the volumetric flow rate of water in the drinking water line, and wherein a control device is configured to determine a value for the volume of water flowing through the volumetric flow sensor within a preset time period based on the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor, and to trigger one of the following measures when the value for the water volume is lower than a preset threshold:

[0161] - Water is flushed from the drinking water line at the flushing unit.

[0162] - Water is drawn from the drinking water line through a circulation pipeline, or

[0163] - Output user notifications.

[0164] 31. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 27 to 30, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has drinking water lines for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a volumetric flow sensor is provided to measure the volumetric flow rate of water in the drinking water lines, and wherein a control device is configured to trigger one of the following measures when the volumetric flow rate measured by the volumetric flow sensor exceeds a preset threshold:

[0165] - Increase water pressure in drinking water lines, especially by activating or increasing the power of water pumps installed in the drinking water supply system.

[0166] - To stop and / or disable the discharge of water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit, caused by the central control device.

[0167] -End and / or disable the flow of water from the drinking water line through the circulation pipeline, caused by the central control device, or

[0168] - Output user notifications.

[0169] 32. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 27 to 31, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has drinking water lines for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a pressure sensor is provided to measure the water pressure within the drinking water lines, and wherein a control device is configured to trigger one of the following measures when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor is lower than a preset threshold:

[0170] -In particular, increasing the water pressure in drinking water lines can be achieved by activating or increasing the power of water pumps installed in the drinking water supply system.

[0171] - To stop and / or disable the discharge of water from the drinking water line at the flushing unit caused by the central control device.

[0172] -Stop and / or disable the flow of water from the drinking water line through the circulation pipe caused by the central control device, or

[0173] - Output user notifications.

[0174] 33. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 27 to 32, wherein the drinking water pipeline system has drinking water lines for supplying drinking water to multiple drinking water intakes, wherein a pressure sensor is provided for measuring water pressure within the drinking water lines, and wherein a control device is configured to trigger one of the following measures when the water pressure measured by the pressure sensor exceeds a preset threshold:

[0175] - Reduce water pressure in drinking water lines, especially by deactivating or reducing the power of water pumps installed in the drinking water supply system.

[0176] - Drain water from the drinking water line at the flush unit, or

[0177] - Output user notifications.

[0178] 34. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 27 to 33, wherein the control device is configured to cause control of the drinking water supply system according to the method of embodiment 35.

[0179] 35. A method for controlling a drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 34, the method comprising the following steps:

[0180] - Receive measurement values, especially measurements of one or different characteristics of water guided within a drinking water supply system, and

[0181] - Control the drinking water supply system based on the received measurement values.

[0182] 36. A computer program having instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, particularly at least one processor of a drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 34, cause implementation of the method according to embodiment 35. Attached Figure Description

[0183] The following description of embodiments provides further features and advantages of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0184] The attached figure shows

[0185] Figure 1a -b illustrates a portion of a first embodiment of a drinking water supply system.

[0186] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1a An example of a central control device for a drinking water supply system,

[0187] Figure 3a -d indicates the use of Figure 1a Four embodiments of the cooling section of the drinking water supply system in the text.

[0188] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1a Another part of the drinking water supply system in the country,

[0189] Figure 5 It shows the use of Figure 1a Heat pumps in drinking water supply systems

[0190] Figure 6a -b indicates the use of Figure 1a Two embodiments of the control elements in the drinking water supply system,

[0191] Figure 7 It shows Figure 1a Another part of the drinking water supply system in the country,

[0192] Figure 8 Another embodiment of the drinking water supply system is shown.

[0193] Figure 9 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating cold water temperature is shown.

[0194] Figure 10 Another embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating hot water temperature is shown. Figure 11 Another embodiment of a method for monitoring and adjusting minimum flow capacity is shown.

[0195] Figure 12 Another embodiment of the method for monitoring and adjusting according to usage is shown. Figure 13Another embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating pipeline pressure is shown, and

[0196] Figure 14 Another embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating pipeline pressure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0197] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the drinking water supply system 2 is shown. Figure 1b It shows Figure 1a Enlarged view of a portion of the drinking water supply system 2, defined by the dashed circle in the center.

[0198] The drinking water supply system 2 includes a drinking water piping system 4 with a main supply line 6 and multiple subordinate supply lines, one of which, 8, is shown in Figure 1. The main supply line 6 has a hot water inlet pipe 10. Figure 1a The “W” in the middle) and the cold water inlet pipe 12 ( Figure 1a The “K” in the diagram is connected to the corresponding hot water line 14 and cold water line 16 of the subordinate supply line 8.

[0199] Different drinking water intakes are connected to the hot water lines and cold water lines 14 and 16 of the subordinate supply line 8. Figure 1 exemplarily shows three drinking water intakes in a single restroom, which has a first drinking water intake 18 as a shower valve with hot and cold water interfaces, a second drinking water intake 20 as a washbasin valve with cold and hot water interfaces, and a third drinking water intake 22 as a toilet flushing device with a cold water interface. Multiple other drinking water intakes can be connected to the subordinate supply line 8, such as all the restrooms in a hospital department, large shower or toilet facilities, or drinking water intakes in the surgical area.

[0200] Multiple other drinking water intake points can be connected to the drinking water pipeline system 4. For example, the drinking water pipeline system 4 can be the drinking water pipeline system of a hospital with multiple building sections or floors, wherein each floor, building section, or department of the hospital is supplied with drinking water through one or more subordinate supply lines, which in turn are supplied through the main supply line 6. If necessary, multiple main supply lines can also be set up, for example, to supply the various building sections of the hospital.

[0201] The subordinate supply line 8 can, for example, connect to all the hospital's restrooms, toilets, or showers, or various drinking water collection points in the surgical area.

[0202] therefore, Figure 1a Only a portion of the entire drinking water supply system 2 is shown, which may have one or more main supply lines and multiple subordinate supply lines with multiple drinking water intake points.

[0203] Such complex systems with multiple pipelines and drinking water intakes present the following problems: faults within the drinking water supply system may go undetected or be difficult to locate. This can lead to partial or complete failure of the drinking water supply, or contamination of the drinking water. In particular, insufficient inspection or maintenance of the drinking water supply system may result in a failure to consistently achieve the desired drinking water quality at each intake point.

[0204] To overcome this problem, multiple sensors are installed within the drinking water supply system 2 to determine measurements at different locations within the system, particularly for water temperature, water pressure, water flow rate, and / or for the drinking water quality of the water guided within the system 2.

[0205] Figure 1a Exemplary examples show a first sensor 24 within the hot water line 14 of the subordinate supply line 8 and a sensor 26 within the cold water line 16 of the subordinate supply line 8. Sensors 24 and 26 may, for example, be volumetric flow sensors measuring the volume of water flowing through the corresponding pipe per unit time, temperature sensors measuring the water temperature within the corresponding pipe, or pressure sensors measuring the water pressure within the corresponding pipe. Multiple sensors may also be integrated within the drinking water lines 14 and 16, for example, integrating volumetric flow sensors, temperature sensors, and / or pressure sensors respectively. Furthermore, multiple corresponding sensors may be installed at multiple locations on the drinking water lines 14 and 16 to measure the volume, temperature, and / or pressure of water flowing through the pipe at different locations on the drinking water lines 14 and 16.

[0206] Multiple sensors can also be integrated within the drinking water pipeline system 4 to measure values ​​related to drinking water quality, such as pH value, hardness level, or the concentration of suspended solids or bacteria in the water. For example, sensors 24 and 26 may involve corresponding sensors. Furthermore, such sensors can be installed, for example, in the cold water inlet line 12 or hot water inlet line 10 of the main line 6, or directly after the central inlet point from the regional water supplier to the drinking water supply system 2.

[0207] In addition, multiple sensors were installed at the corresponding drinking water intake points. Therefore, for example, like... Figure 1b As shown, the shower valve 18 is equipped with a temperature sensor 28 and a volumetric flow rate sensor 30 for hot and cold water, respectively. The volumetric flow rate sensor measures the volumetric flow rate of hot or cold water released from the shower valve 18. Similarly, the washbasin valve 20 has a temperature sensor 28 and a volumetric flow rate sensor 30, respectively, which measures the volumetric flow rate of water released from the washbasin valve 20. Finally, the toilet flushing device 22 also has a temperature sensor 28 and a volumetric flow rate sensor 30 for cold water released from the toilet flushing device.

[0208] In addition to the individual sensors, the drinking water supply system 2 also has a central control unit 40, which is capable of receiving and analyzing the measured values ​​detected by the sensors. To transmit the measured values ​​from the sensors to the central control unit 40, in... Figure 1a In the embodiment shown in -b, a fieldbus 42 is provided, to which each sensor and the central control unit 40 are connected. Alternatively, a star connection between the sensors and the central control unit 40 can also be provided. Furthermore, wireless communication connections between the sensors and the central control unit can also be considered, such as via radio, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.

[0209] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1a One possible configuration of the central control unit 40 is as follows. The central control unit 40 includes a controller 50, which is capable of receiving measurements from sensors connected to the fieldbus via a fieldbus 42. The controller may, for example, involve electronic circuitry having at least one programmable microcontroller.

[0210] In addition, the central control unit 40 includes one or more user interfaces 52 on which data received and / or analyzed by the controller 50 can be displayed. For example, the controller 50 can display the measured values ​​of temperature sensors in the subordinate supply lines 8 through the user interface 52, so that the user can immediately obtain an overview of the water temperature in the entire subordinate supply line on the user interface 52.

[0211] In addition to the user interface 52, an electronic interface 54 is provided, through which data received or analyzed by the controller 50 can be transmitted to an external computer for further processing or storage. This allows for, for example, further analysis or archiving of the measurement data using an external computer.

[0212] In addition, the central control unit 40 may also have a front end 56, which provides it with data received and / or analyzed by the controller 50. Other analyses or user-controlled analyses can be performed within the front end 56. Alternatively, all analyses can be offloaded to the front end 56, so that the controller 50 only needs to transmit measurement data received from the sensors to the front end 56.

[0213] Front end 56 may, for example, involve existing building automation facilities, such as the front end of building ventilation or heating equipment. Thus, multiple mechanisms of the building or installation can be monitored and / or controlled from a central location. Preferably, front end 56 has at least one microprocessor and memory storing computer programs with instructions for displaying and / or analyzing measurements transmitted by sensors.

[0214] Especially when measurement data analysis is performed on the front end 56, the front end 56 can also trigger output via the user interface 52 or via the interface 54 as needed. The controller 50, or together with the front end 56, can also be connected to a computer network or cloud 58, for example, to store measurement data or values ​​calculated therefrom, or to retrieve control commands.

[0215] By setting up a central control device 40, the measured values ​​obtained by each sensor are centrally analyzed, thereby enabling analysis at a central location and, if necessary, determining the status of the drinking water supply system 2.

[0216] In addition, it can be specified that the drinking water supply system 2 can be controlled externally from the central control device 40.

[0217] Therefore, the drinking water supply system 2 includes multiple distributed control elements, which can influence the water flow and water temperature at different locations within the drinking water pipeline system 4.

[0218] exist Figure 1a The following control elements are illustrated in -b, and are described below:

[0219] - Control element 70 at toilet flushing device 22

[0220] - Corresponding triggerable independent flushing units 72 and 74 at hot water lines 14 and 16, and cold water lines,

[0221] -The corresponding triggerable pumps 76 and 78 in the hot water inlet pipe 10 and cold water inlet pipe 12 of the main supply line 6,

[0222] -Throttle valves 82 and 84, respectively, that can be triggered at the corresponding ends of hot water lines 14 and 16, and

[0223] - Triggerable cooling section 86.

[0224] By setting up individual control elements and a central control device 40 for triggering these control elements, the drinking water supply system 2 can be controlled from a central location and adjusted as needed. For example, a user can trigger one or more of the distributed control elements from the central location by inputting corresponding commands via a user interface 52 or a front end 56.

[0225] The functions of each control element are explained below:

[0226] The flushing process can be triggered by the control element 70 at the toilet flushing device 22, thereby releasing water from the cold water line 16 from the drinking water pipeline system 4. The control element 70 and the toilet flushing device thus constitute a triggerable flushing unit.

[0227] If, for example, the user determines, based on information output through user interface 52, that the area of ​​the cold water line 16 where the toilet flushing device 22 is located has not been flushed for an extended period, and that water has remained in the cold water line 16 for a long time, the user can trigger flushing via the central control device 40 and the control element 70 triggered by it. This executes the flushing process, and water is discharged from the corresponding section of the cold water line 16, thereby replenishing the corresponding section of the cold water line 16 with fresh water. Similar control elements 70 can also be installed at other drinking water intake locations, such as at the shower valve 18 or the washbasin valve 20. In particular, flushing of the hot water line 14 can also be performed via the shower valve 18 or the washbasin valve 20.

[0228] Users may also trigger this flushing process, for example, when they determine, through information displayed on the user interface 52, that the water temperature in a specific section of the cold water line 16 is too high, or the water temperature in a specific section of the hot water line 14 is too low.

[0229] The flushing process for either hot or cold water lines can also be performed in the same manner at the corresponding independent flushing units 72 and 74. With this type of flushing unit, water can be drained from the corresponding line independently of the drinking water intake point. This flushing unit may, for example, have a pipe outlet with an triggerable valve integrated into the corresponding line, thereby allowing water to be discharged from the line through the pipe outlet by opening the valve, and may, for example, be guided to an outlet located below.

[0230] The flushing process at the centrally triggered drinking water intake or flushing unit can also affect the amount of water guided within the corresponding drinking water line or the water pressure within the corresponding drinking water line.

[0231] In addition, the drinking water supply system 2 also includes a presence detector 88 in the form of a motion detector. Through the presence detector 88, the central control unit 40 obtains information about whether anyone is present in the area of ​​the drinking water intake points 18, 20. Preferably, the central control unit is designed to interrupt or disable the centrally triggered flushing process at one of the drinking water intake points 18, 20 when the corresponding presence detector 88 detects the presence of a person. This prevents people in the area of ​​the drinking water intake points 18, 20 from being splashed by the automatically triggered flushing process or, in the case of hot water, from being scalded.

[0232] Furthermore, presence sensors, such as presence sensor 88, can also be used to automatically switch control of the drinking water supply system 2 between normal mode and unmanned mode, such as vacation mode, via the central control unit 40. For this purpose, the control unit 40 is designed to automatically switch from normal mode to unmanned mode when no personnel are detected by presence sensor 88 or other installed presence sensors within a preset time period. Additionally, the control unit 40 can also be designed to automatically switch back to normal mode when personnel are detected by the presence sensor during unmanned mode. Different control programs containing different instructions for controlling the drinking water supply system 2 in normal mode or unmanned mode can be stored in the central control unit 40 for example, for both normal mode and unmanned mode.

[0233] Pumps 76 and 78 can affect the water pressure inside the hot water inlet pipes and / or the cold water inlet pipes 10 and 12, or the amount of water flowing through them. If the user determines, for example, based on the user interface 52, that the water volume or pressure supplied to each drinking water intake point is too low, the user can increase the power of pumps 76 and 78 via the central control device 40.

[0234] As a supplement or alternative to pumps 76 and 78, pumps may also be installed in subordinate supply lines, such as in subordinate supply line 8, to locally control water flow or pressure.

[0235] Hot water line 14 and cold water line 16 are connected to corresponding circulation pipes 90 and 92 via throttle valves 82 and 84, respectively, allowing water to circulate within the drinking water supply system 4. Thus, water can be drawn from either hot water line 14 or cold water line 16 without leaving the drinking water supply system 2. In this embodiment, circulation pipes 90 and 92 are connected to the corresponding central hot water circulation pipe 94 within the main supply line 6. Figure 1a The “ZW” in the middle) and the cold water circulation pipe 96 ( Figure 1a The “KW” in the diagram allows water to be re-accessed within the drinking water pipeline system 4. For example, the hot water circulation line 94 directs water to a hot spring, where it is heated, and then returns it to the hot water inlet line 10. The cold water circulation line 96 can, for example, direct water to a triggerable cooling section 86, where it is cooled, and then return it to the cold water inlet line 12.

[0236] If the user determines, for example, through the user interface 52, that the water has been staying in the hot water line 14 or the cold water line 16 for too long or is outside the desired temperature range, then the user can draw water from the hot water line 14 or the cold water line 16 through the corresponding circulation pipes 90, 92 by triggering the corresponding throttle valve 82 or 84, thereby replenishing the water with fresh water.

[0237] Because circulation pipes 90 and 92 allow water to be drawn from hot water lines or cold water lines 14 and 16 without leaving the drinking water supply system 2, water replacement can be achieved within the drinking water supply system without causing unnecessary water waste. In particular, water drawn through circulation pipes 90 and 92 can be reused within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0238] The circulation piping is particularly advantageous in cold water lines because it allows water to be drawn out when it overheats and exceeds the preset maximum temperature due to prolonged residence in the cold water lines. In this case, the water can be cooled back to the desired temperature via the triggerable cooling section 86.

[0239] Figure 3a One possible structure of the cooling section 86 is shown. The cooling section 86 is connected to the cold water circulation line 94 via two triggerable branch valves 104 and 106. By triggering the branch valves 104 and 106, water flowing through the cold water circulation line 94 can be diverted to the cooling section 86. A heat exchanger 108 with a coolant inlet device 110 and a coolant outlet device 112 is arranged within the cooling section 86, through which the water flowing through the heat exchanger 108 can be cooled, thereby achieving the desired water temperature in the cold water inlet line 12.

[0240] Figure 3b An alternative cooling section 86' is shown. This cooling section 86' differs from cooling section 86 in that, instead of active cooling via a heat exchanger 108 operating with a coolant, passive cooling is performed by having a piping section 114 that guides cooling through cold environments, such as basement areas, or in… Figure 3b Soil 116 is shown in the image.

[0241] Figure 3c An alternative cooling section is shown. This cooling section 86" has a heat exchanger 108, similar to cooling section 86, with a coolant inlet device 110 and a coolant outlet device 112. However, unlike cooling section 86, heat exchanger 108 is directly connected to the cold water circulation line 94. By activating or deactivating the coolant inlet device 110, the water flowing through heat exchanger 108 can be cooled intermittently or as needed to achieve the desired water temperature for the cold water inlet line 12. Alternatively, a permanent cooling system is also possible.

[0242] Similar to heat exchanger 108, the piping area 114 of cooling section 86' can also be directly connected to the cold water circulation piping 94; this is in Figure 3d The cooling section 86″′ inside is shown.

[0243] The advantage of directly connecting heat exchanger 108 or piping area 114 to cold water circulation piping 94 is that it avoids stagnant water, which may occur in the piping sections between the corresponding unused branch valves 104 and 106 in cooling sections 86 and 86'.

[0244] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1a Another part of the drinking water supply system 2. For clarity, in Figure 4 China Province Figure 1a Some of the components, and shown in Figure 1a Other components not shown in the diagram. For example... Figure 4 As shown, on the subordinate supply line 8, not only can connections be made... Figure 1a The drinking water intakes 18, 20, and 22 are shown in the diagram, and can be connected to other drinking water intakes, such as all drinking water intakes in a hospital department. Figure 4 In addition to toilet flushing device 22, other toilet flushing devices 22′ and 22″ are also shown as examples. All toilet flushing devices 22, 22′ and 22″ are similar to toilet flushing device 22 in that they are equipped with a corresponding temperature sensor 28, volumetric flow sensor 30 and control element 70 for triggering flushing.

[0245] The control device 40 enables grouped triggering of control elements integrated within the drinking water supply system 2. Therefore, in Figure 4 For example, all toilet flushing devices 22, 22', and 22" of the subordinate supply line 8 form a virtual group 100, and the control device 40 is designed to trigger the control elements 70 of each toilet flushing device together. For example, the controller 50 may be designed to receive instructions via the user interface 52 to flush all toilet flushing devices in the subordinate supply line 8, and in response to this, trigger the control elements 70 of each toilet flushing device in the group 100, causing all toilet flushing devices in the group 100 to perform the flushing process. This achieves a large, preferably turbulent, volumetric flow rate within the piping system, especially within the subordinate supply line 8. The turbulent volumetric flow rate can particularly remove impurities from the pipe walls, such as biofilm.

[0246] The control elements of cooling section 86 can also be grouped together. For example, two triggerable branch valves 104 and 106 can form a virtual group, which can be switched by a single command to a position that directs water through cooling section 86, or alternatively to a position that directs water across cooling section 86. Furthermore, heat exchanger 108 can also be integrated into the virtual group, thereby activating, for example, a compressor or pump for the cooling medium by means of activation of cooling section 86 via branch valves 104 and 106.

[0247] The central control unit 40 can also be designed to determine, using corresponding sensors at the toilet flushing devices 22, 22', and 22" within the subordinate supply line 8, whether the subordinate supply line 8 has been flushed at least once within a preset time period via flushing at one of the toilet flushing devices 22, 22', and 22"; if not, it automatically triggers a corresponding flush at the individual toilet flushing device 22, 22', and 22". This centralized monitoring of flushing within the subordinate supply line 8 saves water compared to self-sufficient individual monitoring at each individual toilet flushing device, as it requires fewer flushes and uses less water.

[0248] The simultaneous flushing process triggered by the central control unit 40, especially at multiple toilet flushing devices 22, 22', 22" , can cause significant noise pollution. For this reason, the central control unit 40 is preferably designed to perform automatic flushing processes based on time. To this end, the controller 50 may, for example, have a system clock or be connected to such a system clock that provides information about the actual time. In this way, automatic flushing can be suppressed, for example, in hospital departments during nighttime rest periods. In office buildings, flushing can be selectively performed at night even when no office work is being conducted.

[0249] To further reduce noise pollution caused by the automatic flushing process, the drinking water supply system 2 also includes an acoustic sensor 118 in the form of a microphone, which provides the central control unit 40 with measurements of the volume in the monitored area, such as a hospital ward. The central control unit 40 is preferably designed to automatically trigger the flushing process only when the volume determined by the acoustic sensor 118 is below a preset maximum volume. Furthermore, the central control unit 40 is designed to interrupt the flushing process if the volume rises above the preset maximum volume due to the automatically triggered flushing. This achieves comfort.

[0250] In another embodiment, sensors 24 and 26 are designed to acquire measurements of the velocity distribution of water within the hot and cold water lines. This allows determination of whether the water is flowing turbulently or laminarly. For example, in the case of automatically triggered flushing of the cold water line at multiple locations among the drinking water intakes 22, 22', and 22", if the water flow within the cold water line 16 is determined to be laminar, the control device 40 can be designed to trigger additional flushes to achieve higher flow velocities and thus turbulent flow. Turbulent flow ensures more reliable flushing of the cold water line 16 compared to laminar flow, particularly regarding the cleaning of the pipe walls. In laminar flow, the velocity at the pipe walls is approximately zero, while in turbulent flow, high velocities occur due to eddies.

[0251] Figure 5A heat pump 130 is shown positioned between the hot water inlet line 10 and the cold water inlet line 12 of the main supply line 6 of the drinking water supply system 2. The heat pump 130 includes an evaporator 132 coupled to the cold water inlet line 12, in which a heat transfer medium evaporates; a compressor 134 for compressing the evaporated heat transfer medium; a liquefaction unit 136 coupled to the hot water inlet line 10 for liquefying the compressed heat transfer medium; and a pressure reducing valve 138 for depressurizing the liquefied heat transfer medium. The heat pump 130 utilizes the energy used to operate the compressor 134 to achieve a heat flow from the cold water inlet line 12 to the hot water inlet line 10, thereby cooling the water in the cold water inlet line 12 and heating the water in the hot water inlet line 10. This allows for the simultaneous cooling of cold water and heating of hot water in an environmentally friendly manner.

[0252] Alternatively, a heat pump based on heat pump 130 can be installed, for example, between the hot water line and the cold water lines 14 and 16 of the subordinate supply line 8.

[0253] Figure 6a -b indicates Figure 1a Two embodiments of other control elements in the drinking water supply system 2. Figure 6a A triggerable filter element 150 is shown. Figure 6b Sterilization element 160 is shown. Filter element 150 or sterilization element 160 may be integrated, for example, into cold water inlet line 12 and / or hot water inlet line 10. Alternatively, the corresponding filter element or sterilization element may be integrated directly after the central inlet point from the local water supplier to the drinking water supply system 2.

[0254] Figure 6a The filter element 150 includes a filter 152, such as a disc filter, and includes two triggerable branch valves 154, 156, by means of which water from the cold water inlet line 12 can be directed through the filter 152. Suspended solids or bacteria can be filtered out of the water, for example, through the filter 152.

[0255] To regulate the triggering of filter element 150, drinking water supply system 2 may have sensor 158 that measures the concentration of suspended solids or bacteria in the water guiding it through filter element 150. Central control unit 40 may be designed, for example, to automatically trigger branch valves 154, 156 when the measured concentration of suspended solids or bacteria exceeds a preset maximum concentration, causing water to be guided through filter 152.

[0256] Figure 6b The sterilization element 160 includes a sterilization section 162 and two triggerable valves 164 and 166, by means of which water can be guided from the hot water inlet pipe 10 through the sterilization section 162. In the sterilization section 162, water is sterilized, for example, by the action of heat (e.g., Figure 6b(as shown in the image) or by sterilizing the water by irradiating it with strong ultraviolet light.

[0257] To regulate the triggering of the sterilization element 160, the drinking water supply system may, for example, have a sensor 168 that measures the bacterial concentration in the water guiding the sterilization element 160 through it. The central control unit 40 may, for example, be designed to automatically trigger valves 164 and 166 when the measured bacterial concentration exceeds a preset maximum concentration, causing water to be guided through the sterilization section 162.

[0258] Figure 7 It shows Figure 1a Another part of the drinking water supply system 2. For clarity, Figure 7 China Province Figure 1a Or some of the components in 4, and shown Figure 1a Or some other components not shown in 4. Figure 7 The hot water inlet pipe 10 and hot water circulation pipe 96 of the main supply line 6 are shown. For clarity reasons, [the following text is incomplete and likely refers to a different section:] Figure 7 The cold water inlet pipe 12 and the cold water circulation pipe 94 are omitted.

[0259] Multiple subordinate supply lines 8 and 8' are connected to the main supply line 6, supplying water to different floors of large building complexes, such as hospitals, via the main supply line 6. Multiple different drinking water intake points 170 are integrated into the subordinate supply lines 8 and 8'. Figure 7 Some of them are shown.

[0260] A central hot water spring 172 is provided in the drinking water supply system 2, which is particularly capable of heating water supplied by the central input point 174 of the regional water supplier to the desired water temperature for hot water supply. In addition, the hot water circulation pipe 96 can also return water circulating in the pipe system to the hot water spring 172 for reheating.

[0261] The central hot spring 172 is designed to heat water from room temperature to a desired temperature, such as 65°C. Furthermore, the flow capacity of the central hot spring 172 is designed to supply hot water to the entire hot water section of the drinking water supply system 2, and especially to all drinking water intakes 170 integrated therein.

[0262] In the case of large building complexes, such as hospitals, some large sections of pipeline may be located between the central hot spring 172 and the various subordinate supply lines 8 and 8'. Although the pipeline is insulated, the water may have already cooled down, causing it to have to be drained or transported back to the central hot spring 172 via the hot water circulation pipeline 96 after a very short time.

[0263] In order to operate the drinking water supply system 2 more economically, decentralized hot springs 176 are integrated in each subordinate supply line 8, 8'. These hot springs 176 can reheat the water in the corresponding subordinate supply lines 8, 8' to the desired temperature without having to transport it back to the central heating hot spring 172 through the long hot water circulation pipeline 96.

[0264] Because the water is preheated by the central hot spring 172, the decentralized hot springs 176 only need to be designed for small temperature differences, such as heating water from 50°C to 65°C. Furthermore, the flow capacity of the decentralized hot springs 176 only needs to match the flow capacity of the corresponding subordinate supply lines 8 and 8'. In this way, compact equipment can be used for the decentralized hot springs 176. Moreover, this achieves greater modularity and scalability of the building. For example, each decentralized hot spring can be operated or not operated without affecting the overall system.

[0265] Figure 8 Another embodiment of system 2' is shown. The structure and operation of system 2' are substantially the same as those of system 2, therefore, refer to the foregoing description. In particular, identical components are labeled with the same reference numerals.

[0266] In system 2, the circulation pipe 92 for the cold water line 16 is connected to a triggerable three-way valve 180, allowing water to be selectively introduced from the circulation pipe 92 into the central cold water circulation pipe 94 or the central hot water circulation pipe 96. The control device 40 is designed to trigger the three-way valve 180 such that when the temperature measured by a temperature sensor (e.g., sensor 26) for determining the water temperature in the cold water line 16, or by a temperature sensor for determining the water temperature in the circulation pipe 92, is higher than a preset threshold, water is introduced from the circulation pipe 92 into the central hot water circulation pipe 94.

[0267] In this way, water that may have become contaminated due to heating in the cold water line 16 can continue to be used in system 2′ by guiding it through the central hot water circulation line 94 to the hot water spring 172, where the water can be heated and thereby killed.

[0268] Alternatively, the three-way valve 180 can be replaced, and water can be directed from the circulation pipe 92 to the central hot water circulation pipe 94 in principle.

[0269] According to the following text Figures 9 to 14 Different embodiments of a control method for the drinking water supply system 2 are described. In particular, a control device 40 may be designed to control the drinking water supply system 2 according to the method. For this purpose, the controller 50 may, for example, have a memory storing a computer program with instructions that, when executed on at least one processor of the controller 50, cause the implementation of the corresponding method.

[0270] Figure 9 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating cold water temperature is shown.

[0271] In this method, the central control unit 40 receives temperature measurements from temperature sensors 28 and 26 from a cold water line, such as cold water line 16 of a subordinate supply line 8, in the first step 200. In the second step 202, it checks whether the measured temperature is higher than a predefined maximum temperature Tmax. If the result is no, it returns to step 200. If the temperature is higher than the preset maximum temperature Tmax, the central control unit 40 triggers the execution of one or more of steps 204a-d.

[0272] In step 204a, drinking water from cold water line 16 is cooled via cooling section 86. For this purpose, control device 40 may, for example, trigger control elements of group 102, namely branch valves 104, 106 and heat exchanger 108, so that water is guided through cooling section 86 and cooled there.

[0273] In step 204b, water is discharged from the cold water pipe 16 by triggering the control element 70 of the toilet flushing device 22, 22', 22" or the independent flushing unit 74.

[0274] In step 204c, the throttle valve 84 is triggered, causing water to be discharged from the cold water line 16 of the subordinate supply line 8 through the circulation pipe 92, but remaining inside the drinking water supply system 2.

[0275] In step 204d, the control device 40 triggers a user notification output. For example, personnel responsible for the safe operation of the drinking water supply equipment 2 may be alerted to the increased risk of contamination caused by excessively high cold water temperatures.

[0276] Figure 10 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating hot water temperature is shown.

[0277] In this method, the central control unit 40 receives temperature values ​​from a sensor within the hot water line, such as sensor 24 or temperature sensor 28 in hot water line 14, in the first step 220. In the second step 222, it checks whether the water temperature within the hot water line has dropped below a preset minimum temperature Tmin. If the result is negative, it returns to step 220. If the water temperature is below the minimum temperature Tmin, the central control unit 40 triggers the execution of one or more of steps 224a-d.

[0278] In step 224a, a set heating device, such as a dispersed hot spring 176, is triggered to heat water from the hot water line.

[0279] In step 224b, flushing unit 72 is triggered, thereby releasing water from the hot water line. In step 224c, throttle valve 82 is triggered, thereby draining water from hot water line 14 through circulation pipe 90. This allows the water in the relevant pipe section to be replaced before it is further cooled.

[0280] In step 224d, the control device 40 causes the output of a user notification, for example, to alert the user to the increased risk of contamination caused by excessively low water temperature.

[0281] Figure 11 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating the minimum flow capacity of a drinking water line is shown.

[0282] In this method, the central control unit 40 receives volumetric flow rate values ​​from volumetric flow sensors 24, 26, and 30 in the first step. The control unit then calculates the volume of water flowing through a specific section of the drinking water pipeline within a preset time period from these measurements.

[0283] In the second step 242, it is checked whether the calculated water volume value is lower than the minimum volume value Vmin. If the result is no, the process returns to step 240. Otherwise, control device 40 triggers the execution of one or more of steps 244a-c.

[0284] In step 244a, the control device 40 triggers a user notification output. For example, a low flow rate through the drinking water line may indicate damage to the drinking water intake and the need for repair. Outputting a user notification prompts the building manager to perform the necessary checks.

[0285] In step 244b, the control device 40 triggers flushing by activating the control element 70 or the independent flushing unit 72 or 74, thereby causing water to be discharged from the corresponding section of the drinking water line. This artificially induced flushing increases the volumetric flow rate within the corresponding drinking water line. This method prevents water from remaining in the drinking water line for too long and thus prevents water contamination.

[0286] In step 244c, the control device 40 causes water to be drawn from drinking water lines 14, 16 through circulation lines 90, 92 by triggering throttle valves 82 or 84, thereby artificially increasing the volumetric flow rate.

[0287] Figure 12 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and adjusting according to usage is shown. In this method, a central control unit 40 receives a measurement of the volumetric flow rate, for example, from sensors 24, 26, or 30, in a first step 260.

[0288] In step 262, it is checked whether the measured volumetric flow rate is higher than the preset maximum volumetric flow rate ΔVmax. If the result is no, the process returns to step 260. If the maximum permissible volumetric flow rate is exceeded, this may mean that the corresponding drinking water line is temporarily overloaded because water is being drawn from too many locations simultaneously. As a countermeasure, the control device may trigger one or more of steps 264a-d.

[0289] In step 264a, the control device causes an increase in water pressure, for example by increasing the power of pump 76 or 78 or by opening the set input line valve, thereby providing more water or higher pressure to the drinking water line in question.

[0290] In step 264b, the control device causes the termination of a potentially automatically executed process in which water is discharged, for example, through flushing units 72, 74 or through circulation pipes 90, 92. This provides water, which would otherwise be automatically discharged, to the remaining drinking water intakes.

[0291] In step 264c, the control device 40 causes the automatic discharge or circulation of water to be prohibited during a specific time period or when the flow rate exceeds the permissible volumetric flow rate range. This ensures the reliability of the supply at each drinking water intake point.

[0292] In step 264d, the control device 40 triggers a user notification output. For example, it may alert the responsible personnel to a potential shortage of drinking water within the corresponding water supply line.

[0293] Figure 13 An embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating pipeline pressure is shown. In this method, a central control unit 40 receives a measurement of the water pressure within the drinking water line, for example, from sensor 24 or 26, in a first step 280.

[0294] In the second step 282, the control device 40 checks whether the measured pressure is lower than the minimum pressure pmin. If the result is no, it returns to the first step 280. Otherwise, the control device triggers one or more of steps 284a-d.

[0295] In step 284a, the control device 40 causes an increase in water pressure, for example by increasing the power of pump 76 or 78 or by opening the inlet valve, thereby increasing the pressure in the pipeline.

[0296] In steps 284b-c, the possible flushing or circulation process is stopped, or future flushing or circulation processes are prohibited.

[0297] In step 284d, the control device 40 triggers a user notification output, for example, to indicate the possibility of a leak, which could also be the cause of a pressure drop. For instance, the control device 40 may be designed to monitor the pressure within a pipeline section over a longer period and to indicate a potential leak risk in the event of an abnormal pressure drop or a pressure drop exceeding the normal fluctuation.

[0298] Figure 14 Another embodiment of a method for monitoring and regulating pipeline pressure is shown. In this method, a central control unit 40 receives, for example, a value of the water pressure within the drinking water line in question from sensor 24 or 26 in a first step 300.

[0299] In step 302, the measured pressure value is checked to see if it is higher than the preset maximum pressure pmax. If the result is no, the process returns to the first step 300. Otherwise, the control device causes one or more of steps 304a-c to be executed.

[0300] In step 304a, the water pressure is reduced, for example by reducing the pump power of pumps 76 or 78, or by closing the inlet line valve, thereby reducing the pressure within the relevant drinking water line. Alternatively or additionally, control device 40 may also cause the opening of a valve, for example, at the flushing unit.

[0301] In step 304b, water is discharged from the drinking water line involved, for example, by triggering the flushing unit 72 or 74, thereby reducing the water pressure in the drinking water line involved.

[0302] In step 304c, the control device 40 triggers a user notification output, for example, to alert the user to a critical overpressure within the piping system.

[0303] By according to Figure 13 and 14 Automatic monitoring and regulation of water pressure in the drinking water pipeline system 4 can also achieve automatic pressure equalization. For example, multiple pressure sensors, pumps, and / or input valves can be installed on different floors of a building complex where the drinking water pipeline system is installed. By centrally monitoring the water pressure on each floor and automatically triggering the pumps and / or input valves accordingly, the water pressure on all floors can be regulated to a preset pressure range.

[0304] Furthermore, this also allows for pressure equalization based on usage, as the water pressure can be automatically adjusted, for example, when multiple drinking water intakes on a floor have increased demand.

[0305] Other embodiments of the drinking water supply system, A1 to A10, other embodiments of the method, A11 to A14, and another embodiment of the computer program, A15, are described below. These embodiments can be combined with each other and with the aforementioned embodiments.

[0306] A1. Drinking water supply system 2,

[0307] - Equipped with a drinking water piping system 4,

[0308] - Equipped with multiple drinking water intake points 18, 20, 22, 22′, 22″, and 170° connected to the drinking water pipeline system 4.

[0309] - Having at least one sensor 24, 26, 28, 30, 88, 118, 158, 168 designed to determine the measured value, and

[0310] -A central control unit 40 is designed to receive and analyze measurements determined by at least one sensor 24, 26, 28, 30, 88, 118, 158, 168.

[0311] Its features are,

[0312] - Multiple sensors 24, 26, 28, 30, 158, and 168 are configured to determine measurements of one or more characteristics of the water directed within the drinking water supply system 2 at different locations within the system.

[0313] - The central control unit 40 is designed to receive and analyze the measured values ​​determined by sensors 24, 26, 28, 30, 158, and 168, and

[0314] - One or more of the sensors 24, 26, 28, 30, 158, and 168 are configured to determine measurements of the drinking water quality of water guided within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0315] A2. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment A1

[0316] The sensor is characterized in that one or more of the sensors 24, 26, 28, 30, 158, and 168 are designed to determine measurements of the presence or concentration of specific components such as pH, water hardness, conductivity, and / or, for example, suspended matter, viruses, or microorganisms.

[0317] A3. The drinking water supply system according to implementation form A1 or A2

[0318] The sensor is characterized in that one or more of the sensors 24, 26, 28, 30, 158, and 168 are designed to determine measurements of oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration.

[0319] A4. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments A1 to A3,

[0320] The control device 40 is characterized in that it is configured to cause user information related to the received measurement value to be output through the user interface 52.

[0321] A5. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments A1 to A4,

[0322] - Equipped with multiple distributed control elements 70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, 176, designed to influence one or more properties of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2 at different locations within the system.

[0323] -The central control device 40 is designed to trigger the control elements 70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, 176 that affect one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0324] A6. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment A5

[0325] Its features are,

[0326] - One or more of the distributed control elements 150, 160, 172, and 176 are designed to influence the drinking water quality of water guided within the drinking water supply system 2, particularly pH value, water hardness, guiding capacity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms.

[0327] - The central control unit 40 is designed to trigger one or more of the following control elements 150, 160, 172, 176 that affect the drinking water quality of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2, particularly pH value, water hardness, guiding capacity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms.

[0328] A7. The drinking water supply system according to embodiment A6

[0329] Its features are,

[0330] - One or more of the distributed control elements 150, 160, 172, and 176 are designed to influence the pH, water hardness, guiding capacity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms in the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0331] - The central control unit 40 is designed to trigger one or more of the following dispersed control elements 150, 160, 172, 176 that affect the pH, water hardness, guiding capacity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms in the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0332] A8. The drinking water supply system according to implementation form A6 or A7

[0333] Its features are,

[0334] - One or more of the distributed control elements 150, 160, 172, and 176 are designed to influence the oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2, and

[0335] - The central control unit 40 is designed to trigger one or more of the dispersed control elements 150, 160, 172, 176 that affect the oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2.

[0336] A9. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments A1 to A8,

[0337] The central control device 40 is characterized in that it is designed to control control elements 70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, and 176 according to the received measurement values.

[0338] A10. A drinking water supply system according to any one of embodiments A1 to A9,

[0339] The control device 40 is characterized in that it is designed to cause control of the drinking water supply system 2 based on the method described in any one of embodiments A11 to A14.

[0340] A11. A method for controlling a drinking water supply system 2 according to any one of embodiments A1 to A10, the method comprising the following steps:

[0341] - Receive measurement values, especially measurements of one or different characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system 2, and

[0342] - Control the drinking water supply system 2 based on the received measurement values.

[0343] A12. The method according to embodiment A11

[0344] The feature is that it determines measurements of drinking water quality for water guided within a drinking water supply system, particularly measurements of pH value, water hardness, guiding capacity, and / or the presence or concentration of, for example, suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms, especially bacteria.

[0345] A13. The method according to embodiment A12

[0346] Its characteristic is that it measures the oxygen concentration and / or the free chlorine concentration.

[0347] A14. The method according to any one of embodiments A11 to A13

[0348] The feature is that it outputs user information related to the received measurement value, wherein in particular it monitors whether the measurement value received by the sensor is higher or lower than a corresponding preset threshold, and outputs the corresponding user information through the user interface when it is higher or lower than the threshold.

[0349] A15. A computer program having instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, particularly at least one processor of the drinking water supply system 2 according to any one of embodiments A1 to A10, cause implementation of the method according to any one of embodiments A11 to A14.

Claims

1. The building's drinking water supply system (2), - It has a drinking water pipeline system (4), which has a main supply line (6), which has a hot water inlet pipe (10) and a cold water inlet pipe (12), wherein, The hot water line (14) of the subordinate supply line (8) is connected to the hot water input pipe (10), and the cold water line (16) of the subordinate supply line (8) is connected to the cold water input pipe (12). - It has multiple drinking water intake points (18, 20, 22, 22′, 22″, 170) connected to the hot water line (14) and the cold water line (16), - Equipped with a central control unit (40), - Establish a central input point for regional water suppliers to the drinking water supply system. - Multiple sensors (24, 26, 28, 30, 158, 168) are installed, designed to determine measurements of one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2) at different locations within the system. -The central control unit (40) is designed to receive and analyze the measured values ​​determined by the sensors (24, 26, 28, 30, 158, 168), and -One or more of the sensors (24, 26, 28, 30, 158, 168) are configured to determine measurements of drinking water quality for water guided within the drinking water supply system (2). The control device is designed to monitor whether the measured values ​​received by the sensors are higher or lower than a threshold, and to output a corresponding warning notification via a user interface when the values ​​are higher or lower than the threshold, wherein the threshold is determined as a function of the measured values ​​already determined at the central input point of the regional water supplier.

2. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1, Its features are, One or more of the sensors (24, 26, 28, 30, 158, 168) are designed to determine measurements of the presence or concentration of specific components such as pH, water hardness, conductivity, and / or, for example, suspended matter, viruses, or microorganisms.

3. The drinking water supply system according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, One or more of the sensors (24, 26, 28, 30, 158, 168) are designed to determine measurements for oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration.

4. The drinking water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, - Equipped with multiple distributed control elements (70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, 176), designed to influence one or more properties of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2) at different locations within the system. -The central control device (40) is designed to trigger the control elements (70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, 176) that affect one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2).

5. The drinking water supply system according to claim 4, Its features are, One or more of the distributed control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) are designed to influence the drinking water quality of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2), and - The central control unit (40) is designed to trigger one or more of the decentralized control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) that affect the quality of drinking water guided within the drinking water supply system (2).

6. The drinking water supply system according to claim 5, Its features are, One or more of the distributed control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) are designed to influence the pH, water hardness, guiding capacity, and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms in the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2). - The central control unit (40) is designed to trigger one or more of the dispersed control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) that affect the pH, water hardness, guiding capacity and / or the presence or concentration of specific components such as suspended solids, viruses or microorganisms in the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2).

7. The drinking water supply system according to claim 5 or 6, Its features are, One or more of the distributed control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) are designed to influence the oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration of water guided within the drinking water supply system (2), and - The central control unit (40) is designed to trigger one or more of the dispersed control elements (150, 160, 172, 176) that influence the oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2).

8. The drinking water supply system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, Its features are, The central control unit (40) is designed to control control elements (70, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86, 86′, 104, 106, 108, 130, 150, 160, 172, 176) based on received measurement values.

9. The drinking water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, Its features are, The control device (40) is designed to induce control of the drinking water supply system (2) based on a method for controlling the drinking water supply system (2), the method comprising the following steps: - Receive measurements of one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2), and - Control the drinking water supply system based on the received measurement values ​​(2), -The system monitors whether the measured values ​​received by the sensors are higher or lower than a corresponding preset threshold, and outputs corresponding user information through the user interface when the values ​​are higher or lower than the threshold, wherein the threshold is determined as a function of the measured values ​​determined at the central input point of the regional water supplier.

10. A method for controlling a drinking water supply system (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising the steps of: - Receive measurements of one or more characteristics of the water guided within the drinking water supply system (2), and - Control the drinking water supply system based on the received measurement values ​​(2), Its features are, The system monitors whether the measured values ​​received by the sensors are higher or lower than a corresponding preset threshold, and outputs corresponding user information through the user interface when the values ​​are higher or lower than the threshold, wherein the threshold is determined as a function of the measured values ​​determined at the central input point of the regional water supplier.

11. The method according to claim 10, Its features are, Determine the measurements of drinking water quality for water directed within a drinking water supply system, particularly for pH, water hardness, directing capacity, and / or the presence or concentration of, for example, suspended solids, viruses, or microorganisms, especially bacteria.

12. The method according to claim 11, Its features are, Measurements are taken of oxygen concentration and / or free chlorine concentration.

13. The method according to claim 10, Its features are, The method is initiated by a control device of a drinking water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. A computer program having instructions which, when executed on at least one processor of the control device of the drinking water supply system (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, cause implementation of the method according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

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