From The Editor | August 20, 2024

Understanding Urban Resilience And The Role Of Smart Water Networks

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By Kevin Westerling,
@KevinOnWater

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As cities grow and face environmental challenges, the concept of urban resilience becomes increasingly important. These challenges can be sudden, like natural disasters, or more gradual, such as climate change or economic shifts. The aim is not just to bounce back to how things were before but to develop into a more sustainable, equitable, and adaptable city. A recent study published in Engineering Science & Technology Journal discusses the theoretical framework needed to build a smart water network that can enhance the resiliency of urban environments. It also reveals the critical technologies, including advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), that are key to pulling it all together.

What Is Urban Resilience?

The study defines urban resilience as a city's ability to absorb, adapt to, and recover from various shocks and stresses. It is comprised of three key components. The first is physical infrastructure, meaning how well buildings, roads, and other facilities can handle environmental pressures. The second is community adaptability, which refers to the ability of people and social networks to cope with changes and challenges. The third is governance, which is the effectiveness of policies and leadership in managing crises and facilitating recovery.

In addition, the authors identified three main frameworks that can be used to understand and develop urban resilience:

Ecological perspective. Cities must be viewed as ecosystems with cycles and feedback loops. This means maintaining green spaces and biodiversity to keep urban environments functional despite external pressures.

Socio-ecological perspective. The ecological view must be merged with social factors. In other words, strong community networks and inclusive governance are just as crucial as resilient infrastructure.

Systems perspective. This approach focuses on the interconnectedness of various urban systems — like infrastructure, the economy, and society. This suggests that the resilience of a city depends on how well these systems work together and how vulnerabilities in one area can affect others.

Technology And Innovation In Urban Resilience

Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing urban resilience, according to the study. Innovations help cities better predict, manage, and respond to environmental and urban challenges. Smart water networks incorporate AMI and other advanced systems to manage urban water supplies more effectively. These systems integrate physical infrastructure with digital technologies to create a responsive and efficient network.

Smart meters/AMI. Installed at consumer endpoints and other strategic locations, these meters serve as the backbone of the smart water grid. They are used to track water usage, help identify leaks, and provide behavioral insights into consumption through both common and uncommon patterns.

Sensors. Placed throughout the network, these devices gather real-time data on water quality, pressure, and flow rates. They provide immediate feedback on conditions that allow for fine-tuning both treatment and distribution on an as-needed basis.

Data analytics. These systems process and analyze the vast amounts of information collected from sensors and smart meters, using algorithms and models to interpret data and generate actionable insights. Analytics can be used for demand forecasting, problem detection, and operational optimization.

Automated controls. Using data generated by analytics, automated controls can adjust the operation of pumps, valves, and other devices, ensuring immediate response to problems and improved operational efficiency.

Communication networks. Smart water networks rely on communication systems, typically installed as part of the utility’s AMI network. Choosing the right communication technology is critical, as it can be the difference between smooth or inconsistent informational flow between different parts of the smart water network and operator portals.

Benefits Of Smart Water Networks

Researchers identified three main benefits of smart water systems:

Efficiency. By reducing water waste and improving system performance, smart water networks help conserve resources and lower costs.

Adaptability. Such networks can adjust to changing environmental conditions, such as droughts or heavy rains, by providing real-time data and forecasts.

Informed decision-making. The data collected allows for better planning and quicker responses to water-related issues.

Smart Water Networks And Urban Resilience

According to the report, the integration of smart water networks leveraging AMI and other technologies into urban planning aligns with broader principles of urban resilience. They represent a systems-based approach by linking water infrastructure with digital technologies and community engagement, which can help cities manage environmental changes more effectively.

Smart water networks also support adaptability and learning, which are key aspects of resilience. By continuously monitoring and analyzing data, these systems enable cities to adjust their strategies and improve over time. This aligns with resilience theory, which values the ability of urban systems to evolve and adapt. Additionally, smart water networks can support decentralized and community-involved water management. This decentralization can lead to resilience by promoting flexibility and local engagement.