Abstract
Urban water systems face sustainability and resiliency challenges including water leaks, over-use, quality issues, and response to drought and natural disasters. Information and communications technology (ICT) could help address these challenges through the development of smart water grids that network and automate monitoring and control devices. While progress is being made on technology elements, as a system, the smart water grid has received scant attention. This article aims to raise awareness of the systems-level idea of smart water grids by reviewing the technology elements and their integration into smart water systems, discussing potential sustainability and resiliency benefits, and challenges relating to the adoption of smart water grids. Water losses and inefficient use stand out as promising areas for applications of smart water grids. Potential barriers to the adoption of smart water grids include lack of funding for research and development, economic disincentives as well as institutional and political structures that favor the current system. It is our hope that future work can clarify the benefits of smart water grids and address challenges to their further development.
Highlights
Modern infrastructures—including urban water grids—face sustainability and resiliency challenges.Changes in climate and population are making water supplies scarcer in some areas [1,2,3]
Maintaining water quality remains a challenge in the distribution system, where contaminant intrusion and biofilms reduce water quality [7,8]
The water distribution system is vulnerable to targeted attacks through water poisoning, as well as catastrophic water main breaks due to undetected pipe deterioration [3,9]
Summary
Modern infrastructures—including urban water grids—face sustainability and resiliency challenges.Changes in climate and population are making water supplies scarcer in some areas [1,2,3]. Modern infrastructures—including urban water grids—face sustainability and resiliency challenges. Water systems often waste substantial quantities of treated water in both the distribution system and at the end-use location, mainly through leaks [4,5]. In many places, such as the Southwest U.S, water must be conveyed over long distances to water treatment plants, resulting in the use of significant amounts of energy for pumping [6]. Maintaining water quality remains a challenge in the distribution system, where contaminant intrusion and biofilms reduce water quality [7,8]. In Proceedings of the American Water Works Association Sustainable Water Management
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