Increasing Water Demand Research Articles

Water Demand Estimation in Service Areas with Limited Numbers of Customer Meters—Case Study in Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore, Pakistan

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) of Lahore, Pakistan, supplies water to 5.29 million people through 598 tube wells but faces difficulties in meeting rapidly increasing water demand, lowering groundwater table, high energy costs, and low water tariffs. However, the actual water consumption and water loss have never been estimated due to water meter outages. This study aimed to estimate the actual water consumption, production, and water losses for the WASA Lahore service area, using the limited number of working water meters and pump operation data. The actual water consumption was estimated by 14,030 working customer meters; the population census was 44.02 m3 per connection per month, or 200 L per capita per day, while the water production was 79.8 m3 per connection. The actual water loss was significantly higher than non-revenue water, with an average of 45.4% (ranging from 35.9–69.4%). Due to high electricity costs, WASA has had to cut their supply hours. Therefore, leakage reduction programs must be implemented in the high-water-loss townships found in this study in order to meet the increasing water demand, reduce electricity consumption, and alleviate groundwater table drawdown.

Rivers: Linking nature, life, and civilization

AbstractRivers are basic natural resources supporting ecosystems and human societies, and the health of rivers is crucial to the Earth's sustainable development. Under the profound influence of climate change and human activities, great changes have recently occurred in the circulation and development of rivers, as well as the ways in which they are utilized. In this context, achieving an effective balance between river protection and human development is necessary. In this paper, the essential role of rivers is discussed from three aspects: the formation and evolution of rivers, the shaping of biodiversity, and the cultivation of human civilization. The paper analyzes the challenges brought to the sustainable development of rivers by climate change, human activities, and increased water demand, and proposes four dimensions of future research: scientifically balancing the relationship between river development and protection, improving the adaptability of river development and utilization in the context of climate change, improving the integrity and intelligence level of river management, and building a more fair and sustainable comprehensive river management model.

Applications of polyaniline-impregnated silica gel-based nanocomposites in wastewater treatment as an efficient adsorbent of some important organic dyes

AbstractDue to a recent lack of clean water as a result of an increasing water demand, new wastewater solutions are required. Many researchers have looked into the removal of organic dyes from wastewater, with adsorption being an easy and effective method for removing organic and inorganic contaminants from contaminated water. Conjugated modified polymers, primarily polyaniline (Pani), have been widely used in the wastewater treatment because of their unique properties, such as easy synthesis, tunable morphology, porous structure, good electrorheological property, biodegradability, and nontoxic nature. Modified surface polymers are more reactive for the removal of dyes from wastewater and have outstanding dye removal capabilities in the wastewater treatment. This review article elaborates on wastewater treatment by utilizing silica gel-impregnated polyaniline nanocomposites as adsorbents. The use of polyaniline-modified silica gel in dye migration behavior to the most suited system for the resolution of co-existing dyes is referred to as the separation of organic dyes from their mixtures. Adsorption of important organic dyes to optimize conditions for efficient organic dye removal and comparison with another commercially available adsorbent. Chemical modification with the introduction of acidic or basic surface functionality could increase cationic and anionic chemical adsorption, as well as charged organic species such as dyes. The carrier is thus obtained with a chelating reagent on the surface of a silica gel after impregnation with polyaniline.

Divergent trends of ecosystem‐scale photosynthetic efficiency between arid and humid lands across the globe

AbstractAimWidespread greening and an increasing global terrestrial carbon sink over recent decades have been reported. However, the spatio‐temporal relationships between vegetation greenness and productivity and the factors influencing this relationship remain unclear. We define a new metric of ecosystem‐scale photosynthetic efficiency (EPE) to analyse its spatio‐temporal pattern and investigate how potential drivers regulate the greenness–productivity relationship.LocationGlobal.Time periodFrom 2001 to 2016.Major taxa studiedGlobal terrestrial ecosystems.MethodsThis study used global datasets of leaf area index (LAI) and solar‐induced fluorescence (SIF) as proxies of vegetation greenness and ecosystem productivity, respectively, to propose a new metric of SIF/LAI, representing ecosystem‐scale photosynthetic efficiency (EPE). We identified the spatial pattern and dynamics of EPE and examined factors influencing EPE.ResultsThe results showed a weaker increase in productivity compared with the global greening rate from 2001 to 2016, suggesting a decline in EPE at the global scale. This decline in EPE indicates a disproportionate increase in terrestrial productivity against the widespread greening. When stratified into areas following an aridity gradient, we found that EPE overall showed upward trends in arid and semi‐arid areas, and downward trends in dry sub‐humid and humid regions. The EPE was controlled primarily by soil moisture, which promoted or constrained the EPE in xeric and mesic ecosystems, respectively. Moreover, the increase in short vegetation cover and atmospheric water demand contributed positively or negatively to EPE changes in xeric and mesic ecosystems, respectively.Main conclusionsOur study shows that greening of the Earth is associated with decreasing EPE, revealing that current rates of carbon sequestration do not increase proportionally to greening of the Earth and highlighting that soil moisture is a key controller of EPE. These results help to reduce the uncertainties in future climate change impacts on vegetation dynamics, thus having implications for sustainable ecosystem management and climate change mitigation.

Impact of metakaolin content and fineness on the behavior of calcined clay blended cements admixed with HPEG PCE superplasticizer

In this study, three calcined clays (CCs) possessing different metakaolin contents (23; 51 and 86 wt%) were investigated with respect to their pozzolanic reactivity, water demand and workability in the presence of an HPEG PCE superplasticizer. Furthermore, mixed CC samples were prepared by blending a specific CC of low metakaolin content (23 wt%) with pure metakaolin to achieve metakaolin contents of 30, 40 and 51 wt% in the final CC. Results on pozzolanic reactivity from the R3 test evidenced that increased metakaolin contents result in higher pozzolanic reactivity and improve 1d compressive strength. Whereas, higher metakaolin contents increased water demand significantly. Moreover, PCE dosages of up to 12 times were recorded. Furthermore, it was found that also fineness of the CC influences workability. Fineness mainly affects the water demand, while the metakaolin content plays a dominant role regarding PCE dosage. A mechanistic investigation revealed that in cement pore solution calcined clays initially exhibit a negative surface charge, but then sorb huge quantities of Ca2+ which enables PCE to adsorb onto the surfaces of CCs, as was evidenced by zeta potential measurements and from adsorption isotherms.

English

Declining quantity and quality of irrigation water coupled with increasing water demand are serious challenges facing paddy rice production in the world. Reuse of agricultural waste water is increasingly popular in paddy systems but few studies have been done with regards to its quality and effects on soil productivity and environmental risks. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of effluents from the Mwea Irrigation scheme in Kenya for recycling within the scheme and for reuse in new areas downstream. Water was sampled from River Thiba intake (point 1, control) and waste water from farmers plots, Kiruara drain (point 2) and Thiba main drain (point 3). Corresponding adjacent soils were sampled and analyzed for important physico-chemical quality parameters. Results showed that the EC, TDS, TSS, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, HCO3-, NO3- and SO42- significantly (p<0.05) increased in wastewater as point 1< point 2< point 3. Whereas, 88.3% of Mwea rice farmers experienced water shortage during peak demand, 51.5% of them recycled wastewater from paddy fields. The soil total N and available P from the wastewater reuse sites increased by 48.4 and 400% respectively to amounts that could save fertilizer P application once every 3 seasons. The wastewater NO3- concentrations increased above 8 mg/L likely to cause damage to N sensitive plants and eutrophication in the receiving water masses. The fresh water and wastewater in the Mwea scheme were suitable for irrigated rice production since all the nutrient parameters were within critical limits as recommended by FAO standards.   Key words: Irrigation, recycling, rice production, wastewater, effluent, physico-chemical, Water quality, precision agriculture. 

Leaf Eco-Physiological Profile and Berries Technological Traits on Potted Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir Subordinated to Zeolite Treatments under Drought Stress.

In Mediterranean areas, extreme weather conditions such as high diurnal temperatures during the growing season could tweak vine physiology and metabolism, affecting grapes’ quality. Moreover, uncertainty in spatial and temporal distribution precipitation is an issue for the water resources of the vineyards, forcing the winemakers to continuously face an increasing water demand in recent decades, which has led them to non-sustainable choices for ambient (i.e., irrigation solutions). The aspiration of this experiment was to explore the effects of zeolite treatments (clinoptilolite type) on Vitis vinifera L. (potted vines) ecophysiology and berry metabolism under two water regimes. The plants were subordinated to two different predawn water potential regimes (0 ≤ ΨPD ≤ −0.4, WWCtrl and −0.4 ≤ ΨPD ≤ −0.9, WSCtrl), both associated with zeolite treatments (WWt and WSt). Gas exchanges, predawn and midday stem water potential, chlorophyll fluorescence, temperature, and relative water content were overseen on leaves at veraison, maturation, and harvest. Technological analyses were performed on the berries. Moreover, data were analyzed with principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlations. This experiment supplies new evidence that zeolite applications could impact both physiological profiles (higher photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) as well as berry skin metabolism (sugar and size) of vines, giving a better skill to counteract low water availability during the season and maintaining a better hydraulic conductivity.

Integrated analysis of increased bioenergy futures in India

India is committed to increase its use of renewable energy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The country has an overarching goal of installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Bioenergy can play an important role in the energy mix by balancing the seasonal and hourly power demands that may be unmet by intermittent renewables. Ensuring the sustainable production and consumption of bioenergy are key to meeting India's bioenergy targets. Here, using GCAM, future bioenergy pathways in India are modeled to understand four important dimensions of sustainability: water availability, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and land use change. It is found that a higher demand for bioenergy crops cause an increase in water demand and creates a competition for land that forces crop production to move to basins with higher growing capacity, causing concerns for food security in the future. However, with investments to improve water use efficiency in the agricultural sector, capacity goals can be reached by 2030 with minimal food-energy-water impacts. Finally, with the development of ample supply chains to incentivize the harvesting, processing, and transportation of agricultural residues for bioenergy, many of the potentially negative impacts from bioenergy crop expansion can be alleviated.

Trends in ANPP Response to Temperature in Wetland Meadows across a Subcontinental Gradient in Patagonia

Due to ongoing global warming, seasonal patterns of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) may be altered by temperature trends. Of particular interest is the seasonal association between ANPP and temperature at the beginning of the growing season (the period encompassing minimum to maximum ANPP), where two contrasting mechanisms are in tension. On the one hand, the restrictions exerted by low temperatures in winter may be relaxed, increasing the slope of seasonal association between ANPP and temperature over the years. On the other hand, increases in temperature may increase water demand, reducing the slope over time. Across 543 wetland meadow areas in Patagonia, we estimated ANPP and obtained temperature records on a monthly basis from 2001 to 2019. The seasonal association between ANPP and temperature, tested through linear regression, was statistically significant in 96% of the cases (9921/10317 (543 wetland areas × 19 growing seasons)). The fitted linear models explained, on average, 84% of ANPP seasonal (June–December) variations. Through regression trees, we found out that the two tested mechanisms, the relaxation of temperature restriction and the increase in water demand, showed clear spatial patterns. The relaxation due to temperature increase took place at higher latitudes, but the water-limiting mechanism increased over mid-latitude areas.

Sustainable groundwater use in the Eastern Gangetic Plains requires region-specific solutions

This study aimed to examine whether conservation agriculture can be applied across the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) as a strategy to ensure that groundwater use for irrigation remains sustainable as demands increase. The study analysed the groundwater balance in the EGP at sub-region, district and field scales using MODFLOW, a water balance model, and the APSIM model, respectively and evaluated the current state of groundwater development aiming to address sustainability concerns. Long-term groundwater use and aquifer reserves reveal the significant influence of groundwater extraction on the current state of the water balance. In the Indian and northwest Bangladesh sub-regions, accelerated extraction may result in groundwater mining in areas where potential maximum recharge has already been achieved or exceeded, while further development of groundwater may be possible in areas where actual recharge is still less than potential recharge. At district level, the water supply versus demand situation shows a large annual surplus in the East but a deficit in the West. Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation practice exert varying impacts on water demand; crop transpiration (Ep) is generally higher in CA compared to Conventional Tillage (CT), while soil evaporation (Es) is similar in both practices. Net evapotranspiration, although very similar in both practices, is generally greater in CA. AWD has a limited effect on Es but reduces the percolation rate and therefore irrigation requirement of Boro rice. In conclusion, the cause–effect associations between irrigation water use and groundwater sustainability are not spatially uniform across the EGP, nor will they likely be so under further agricultural development associated with increased water demands. The study suggests that the cause–effect interactions between irrigation water use and groundwater sustainability cannot be generalized across the EGP and, therefore, CA or AWD should not be applied uniformly across the region.

Integrating the impact of large-scale hydraulic engineering with a sustainable groundwater development strategy: A case study of Zhengzhou City, China

With the rapid growth of China's economy, the increase in water demand has threatened the sustainable development of groundwater. Construction of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project alleviated this problem. Zhengzhou, with a large population and high-intensity energy consumption, is a water-receiving city of the South-to-North Water Diversion Central Line Project (CLP). A series of ecological risks caused by the excessive exploitation of groundwater have been exposed. It is urgent to strengthen the assessment and management of groundwater to ensure sustainable development. In this study, the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) underpinned the assessment of the sustainable groundwater development (ASGD) framework. Eight assessment factors were established based on the resource supply function (RSF) and eco-environment stability function (ESF). The novelty of this study lies in the integration of ASGD results with the impact of the CLP on the evolution of groundwater levels in Zhengzhou. Thus, more comprehensive and scientific management suggestions for groundwater development in Zhengzhou were obtained. GIS technology was integrated with the ASGD framework to identify five visualized areas: centralized groundwater supply area (8.61%), decentralized groundwater supply area (27.91%), vulnerable eco-environment area (14.34%), recharge protection area (45.67%), and unsuitable exploitation area (3.47%). The CLP changed the groundwater evolution pattern in Zhengzhou. The results showed that the operation of the CLP effectively slowed the decline in groundwater levels, thus confirming that the CLP has a positive impact on the rational utilization of groundwater. The disuse of two groundwater sources (G1 and G9) were able to enhance sustainable groundwater development. Meanwhile, five groundwater sources in the plain area proved unsuitable. Overall, this study provides a scientific basis for groundwater management in Zhengzhou City, while generating new ideas for sustainable groundwater development in cities affected by large-scale hydraulic projects worldwide.

An environmental and economic sustainability assessment of a pressure retarded osmosis system

Desalination can meet increasing water demands, but results in high energy consumption and the discharge of highly concentrated brine. Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) can serve as an efficient energy recovery technology for desalination with the potential to address these challenges. This study provides an environmental and economic sustainability assessment on a hypothetical full-scale PRO system by performing a life cycle assessment (LCA) and a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). In this hypothetical case study (in Tampa, Florida, USA), the amount of recovered energy impacted most LCA categories, indicating that the overall environmental impact would be lowered when integrated with a desalination plant. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranged from 0.62 $(kWh)−1 to 0.69 $(kWh)−1 depending on the feed water source. Compared to wind power and photovoltaics, the PRO system was highly environmentally competitive due to low GHG emissions, but the baseline design was not found to be economically competitive. Lowering the LCOE would be possible when the feed solution comes from a wastewater treatment plant within 1 km and when high-quality treated wastewater is used to avoid pretreatment; this design achieved an LCOE of 0.14 $(kWh)−1. Future research is recommended on membrane advancements and maintenance improvements for fouling mitigation.

Assessing Water Losses in Drinking Water Distribution Systems Using the SCADA System: The Erzincan Case

Reasons such as rapid population growth, urbanization, unconscious water use, environmental pollution, and changes in climate conditions increase water consumption, and water is consumed before completing its cycle in nature. This situation has directed the water producers to search for new resources in the face of increasing water demand and decreasing resources, but due to the high cost of the resource search, the water producers have turned to the understanding of reducing the high amounts of lost water and using water resources in a more planned and efficient manner. Minimizing water losses in drinking water distribution networks is among these objectives.
 In this study, drinking water data between January 2014 and January 2020 in Erzincan was examined, and the SCADA (Supervising Control and Data Acquisition) system placed in the drinking water distribution network in March 2018 was evaluated by considering the pre and post-drinking water data in the system. First of all, the terms between January 2014 and March 2018 which means before the installation of the SCADA system were examined, the data of the amount of water produced and the data of water consumed by the subscribers was collected from the Municipal Waterworks Unit, these data were transferred to the Water Balance Table, the results was analyzed and the actual water loss rates in the system were estimated. As a result of this estimation, before the SCADA system was established, the total physical and administrative water loss rate was seen as 64%, while the physical water loss rate was 28%. After the establishment of the SCADA automation system after March 2018, the date of the amount of water produced received from the SCADA system and the amount of water consumed was transferred to the Water Balance Table and the total physical and administrative loss was seen as 37% while the physical water loss rate was 14%. According to these results, it was observed that the water loss rate approached the minimum level within a short period with the SCADA automation system.

Multi-driver ensemble to evaluate the water utility business interruption cost induced by hydrological drought risk scenarios in Brazil

ABSTRACT Climate change and increasing water demand in urban environments necessitate planning water utility companies’ finances. Traditionally, methods to estimate the direct water utility business interruption costs (WUBIC) caused by droughts have not been clearly established. We propose a multi-driver assessment method. We project the water yield using a hydrological model driven by regional climate models under radiative forcing scenarios. We project water demand under stationary and non-stationary conditions to estimate drought severity and duration, which are linked with pricing policies recently adopted by the Sao Paulo Water Utility Company. The results showed water insecurity. The non-stationary trend imposed larger differences in the drought resilience financial gap, suggesting that the uncertainties of WUBIC derived from demand and climate models are greater than those associated with radiative forcing scenarios. As populations increase, proactively controlling demand is recommended to avoid or minimize reactive policy changes during future drought events, repeating recent financial impacts.

Delineating Groundwater Recharge Potential through Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems

Owing to the extensive global dependency on groundwater and associated increasing water demand, the global groundwater level is declining rapidly. In the case of Islamabad, Pakistan, the groundwater level has lowered five times over the past five years due to extensive pumping by various departments and residents to meet the local water requirements. To address this, water reservoirs and sources need to be delineated, and potential recharge zones are highlighted to assess the recharge potential. Therefore, the current study utilizes an integrated approach based on remote sensing (RS) and GIS using the influence factor (IF) technique to delineate potential groundwater recharge zones in Islamabad, Pakistan. Soil map of Pakistan, Landsat 8TM satellite data, digital elevation model (ASTER DEM), and local geological map were used in the study for the preparation of thematic maps of 15 key contributing factors considered in this study. To generate a combined groundwater recharge map, rate and weightage values were assigned to each factor representing their mutual influence and recharge capabilities. To analyze the final combined recharge map, five different assessment analogies were used in the study: poor, low, medium, high, and best. The final recharge potential map for Islamabad classifies 15% (136.8 km2) of the region as the “best” zone for extracting groundwater. Furthermore, high, medium, low, and poor ranks were assigned to 21%, 24%, 27%, and 13% of the region with respective areas of 191.52 km2, 218.88 km2, 246.24 km2, and 118.56 km2. Overall, this research outlines the best to least favorable zones in Islamabad regarding groundwater recharge potentials. This can help the authorities devise mitigation strategies and preserve the natural terrain in the regions with the best groundwater recharge potential. This is aligned with the aims of the interior ministry of Pakistan for constructing small reservoirs and ponds in the existing natural streams and installing recharging wells to maintain the groundwater level in cities. Other countries can expand upon and adapt this study to delineate local groundwater recharge potentials.

Numerical modeling of NE Brazil coastal aquifer: Fault controlled conduits for seawater intrusion

Saline intrusion is a problem that mostly affects coastal aquifers around the world, either owing to anthropic and/or natural factors. The Barreiras Aquifer, which is located on Brazil's northeastern coast and of an unconfined hydraulic nature, is subject to this due to a water demand increase. This aquifer is located in an area structurally controlled by neotectonic activity. Increased complexity occurs in the form of variations in saturated thickness, hydraulic conductivity and exploited flow rates. This study aimed to construct a numerical model of dependent density flow for the Barreiras Aquifer using the SEAWAT software (USGS) and simulate saline intrusion over 20 years of pumping wells that currently exploit approximately 750 m³/h. The results can contribute to local hydrogeological management and assist managers. Simulation results with variation of recharge between dry and rainy periods and reduction of well exploitation flow rates were also obtained. The two main local faults, Boa Cica and Tabatinga, striking NW-SE and NE-SW, respectively, were simulated in a calibrated transient hydrogeological model as zones of high hydraulic conductivity (conduits) as well as in the inverse form (barriers) and offered a better fit considering the faults as zones of relatively higher hydraulic conductivities and preferred pathways for saltwater intrusion progression. A two-dimensional resistivity cross-section was used to constrain the electrical property of the NW striking fault, whether in the form of a resistive anomaly or conductive anomaly. The interpretation of the 2D geoelectric model is consistent with the conductive geoelectric anomaly associated to the Boa Cica Fault, where its transtensional nature favors wider saline contamination.

The Impact of Covid-19 to Domestic Water Usage and Rainwater Harvesting at an Office Building in Jakarta

Abstract COVID-19 transforms many social fabric and people adopt new lifestyle due to the pandemic. It compels people to regularly wash their hands which lead to increasing water demand. The research on an office building in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, during 2018 - 2020 indicates 31.23 % increase in water demand per capita per day. The pandemic also reduces the effectiveness of the building’s rainwater harvesting (RWH) system because people require more water while its RWH remains unchanged. Note that the last sentence cannot be applied universally or in absolute manner due to the variability of annual rainfall and the difference in buildings’ characteristics.

Uncovering the influence of hydrological and climate variables in chlorophyll-A concentration in tropical reservoirs with machine learning.

Climate variability and change, associated with increasing water demands, can have significant implications for water availability. In the Brazilian semi-arid, eutrophication in reservoirs raises the risk of water scarcity. The reservoirs have also a high seasonal and annual variability of water level and volume, which can have important effects on chlorophyll-a concentration (Chla). Assessing the influence of climate and hydrological variability on phytoplankton growth can be important to find strategies to achieve water security in tropical regions with similar problems. This study explores the potential of machine learning models to predict Chla in reservoirs and to understand their relationship with hydrological and climate variables. The model is based mainly on satellite data, which makes the methodology useful for data-scarce regions. Tree-based ensemble methods had the best performances among six machine learning methods and one parametric model. This performance can be considered satisfactory as classical empirical relationships between Chla and phosphorus may not hold for tropical reservoirs. Water volume and the mix-layer depth are inversely related to Chla, while mean surface temperature, water level, and surface solar radiation have direct relationships with Chla. These findings provide insights on how seasonal climate prediction and reservoir operation might influence water quality in regions supplied by superficial reservoirs.

Intermittency as an indicator of drought in streamflow and groundwater

AbstractUnder normal precipitation conditions, increasing water demand causes groundwater level to deplete and streamflow to decrease. This results in more frequent intermittency. The so‐called intermittency cycle hypothesis is examined in this study. It is a vicious circle in hydrology making both surface and groundwater resources less efficient in supplying ever‐increasing water demand. To test the hypothesis, a data‐based analysis is applied to Gediz, Kucuk Menderes, and Ergene river basins in western Turkey. Results at basin‐ and station‐scale show no change in precipitation while streamflow fluctuates with a tendency to decrease and groundwater steeply declines. Groundwater is used excessively to meet the drastically increased water demand. With the overuse of groundwater, water table descends, streamflow decreases and intermittency increases. Intermittency ratio of a river is found related to the decrease in streamflow and the drop in groundwater level. It can trigger drought in streamflow and groundwater. It is concluded that intermittency can be taken as a quantitative indicator of drought in streamflow and groundwater.

Exploring the Regional Coordination Relationship between Water Utilization and Urbanization Based on Decoupling Analysis: A Case Study of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

Understanding the potential association between the urbanization process and regional water shortage/pollution is conducive to promoting the intensive utilization of local water resources. In this study, the water footprint model was used to estimate water utilization status in terms of both water quantity (virtual water footprint (VWF)) and water quality (grey water footprint (GWF)) in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (China) during 2004–2017. Their potential coordination relationship with the local urbanization process represented by the gross domestic product (GDP), population (POP), and built-up area (BA) was examined using the Tapio decoupling model. The results showed that from 2004 to 2017, (1) VWF in Beijing and Tianjin showed non-significant decreasing trends, with reductions of 1.08 × 109 and 1.56 × 109 m3, respectively, while that in Hebei showed a significant increasing trend, with an increase of 5.74 × 109 m3. This indicated a gradually increasing water demand in Hebei and decreasing demand in Beijing and Tianjin. In all three regions, the agricultural sector accounted for a relatively high proportion of VWF compared to other sectors. (2) GWF in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei all showed declining trends, with reductions of 2.19 × 1010, 2.32 × 1010, and 1.66 × 1011 m3, respectively, indicating considerable local water quality improvement. The domestic sector contributed as the main component of GWF in Beijing, while agriculture was the main contributor in Hebei. The major contributor in Tianjin transitioned from the domestic (before 2015) to the agricultural sector. (3) We found good coordination between VWF and GDP in all three regions, as their local economic development was no longer overly dependent on water consumption. However, the expansion of urban built-up area or population would bring about accelerated depletion of water resources. (4) GWF in the three provinces showed good coordination with GDP, POP, and BA in most years, implying that the development of urbanization no longer strongly caused the pollution of water resources. In sum, policymakers should focus on improving agricultural irrigation efficiency and residents’ awareness of water conservation, so as to gradually achieve sustainable water resource management in the BTH region.