In the last few decades, the growth in water demand has doubled that of population growth. As per a recent study, global water demand will reach 4,350 billion cubic meters in terms of withdrawal by 2040. 

This high demand for water resources fails to meet the population’s needs, leading to water scarcity. Smart water management is essential to address these issues.  

These smart water management systems monitor, analyze and manage water usage in real time. These systems use advanced IoT technologies, sensors and data analytics. They monitor water usage patterns, optimize water supply and improve its quality. 

It improves water quality and provides effective solutions for reducing carbon footprint. This results in improving health and environmental impacts. 

This article will discuss various components, applications, and the importance of a smart water management system. So, read on for the details.

Components Of Smart Water Management

SWM generally uses four technologies that serve different purposes and are responsible for making water clean.

1. Sensors

Sensors are very diverse and show broad features in intelligent water management. They are responsible for measuring chemical components in water after wastewater treatment. 

Also, the smart water quality sensors measure the moisture of the soil, and then the water supply in the ground can be decided accordingly.

Water managers from different sites receive data from IoT sensors that carry insights into the changing conditions of water resources and equipment or detect leaks in pipes and more.

2. Smart Water Meters

Smart water meters allow real-time monitoring of water consumption patterns. They help identify excessive usage before water is wasted, predicting future water consumption while maintaining accurate water usage.

3. Intelligent networks and control systems

Water management systems allow remote monitoring systems that connect to the water supply chain. This will enable people to consider water wastage and reduce the distribution accordingly. 

IoT technology allows industries to monitor numerous procedures that require manual interference. The scope of this system varies by industry, but it includes automated water supply and dynamic pricing based on the water resources. 

Remote monitoring and control systems allow for gathering essential information in one place and taking immediate action on problems.

4. Geographic Information System

The geographic information system includes the smart irrigation system, representing SWM’s effective strategy. 

It allows city planners and farmers to take preservations to save their crops during flood emergencies and to identify water-saving solutions in various areas. 

This information system helps identify areas for improvement. Also contributes to sustainable agriculture and urban water conservation practices. 

Geographic information systems (GIS) provide detailed maps based on proper visualisation of the water network. This would access the water wastage areas and share ideas to conserve water.  

Now, let’s talk about the crucial benefits of SWM that are useful to us.

Significant Benefits Of Smart Water Management

Adopting smart water management system solutions addresses multiple benefits that you must be aware of-

1. Improves Efficiency Of The Water System

IoT-powered water systems enable the gathering and purification of water. You may know or not that these systems are installed underground and detect leaks and contamination, freezing or malfunction.  

By monitoring pressure, temperature, moisture, flow and other system metrics, companies can prevent time for maintenance, leaks, and equipment breakdown.

2. Reduce Water Wastage

Regular monitoring and identifying the cause of water wastage will help manage water utilization properly. Getting instant solutions to problems will also help reduce water wastage. 

Also, among various industries, agriculture and power sectors waste more water. However, with real-time monitoring and smart irrigation systems, water wastage can be reduced in these areas.

3. Dam Management

Dams are famous for providing water to numerous industries for irrigation. They are also crucial for flood control by maintaining safe water levels.

With a water management system, we can use ultrasonic, vibration, and pressure sensors to monitor dam performance. We will be getting a smart solution that allows us to control the movements of the gate remotely during emergency situations.

4. Monitoring Water Quality

Human activities and industries are responsible for water pollution. However, water monitoring allows us to measure the quality of water.  

AI-driven software connected to an IoT system can easily collect all the information needed to measure water quality and then share a solution to enhance it.

5. Raise Awareness Of Domestic Water Usage

Many people worry about wasting water in their daily household activities. They can use smart water meters to measure the bill consumption and water usage. 

These IoT-powered meters are beneficial as they increase the awareness of wastewater in domestic areas.

6. Lowering Maintenance Cost

IoT-based systems enhance the usage of industrial equipment such as treatment plants, recycling centres, and more. Automated techniques and schedule monitoring can reduce maintenance costs. 

A Smart water management system offers multiple benefits and helps reduce water wastage. We can simply choose any of the equipment from SWM to manage our water usage. 

Now, we will discuss the application of smart water management in recent years.

Application Of Smart Water Management In 2024-25

In Agriculture

With the growing population, efficient water use in agriculture is increasing and becoming critical. These IoT-based applications allow farmers to optimize water usage and crop yields and save water for future. 

It provides multiple benefits to the agriculture sector, including increased agriculture productivity, optimal farm labour, reduced water waste and more. 

We can control the water supply chain throughout the process, benefiting various industries. With water management system, we can access automated processes and manage water production.

In Flood Management

IoT sensors such as water level sensors, rain gauges, and weather sensors are placed in areas with high flood chances. They continuously record the weather, water level and other perceptions there and then send this data for fundamental analysis to the IoT gateway. 

With the help of smart water management prompts, we get an early indication of an increase in water level or any changes in weather. After the warning, a floodgate control system is helpful as it automatically modifies the gate’s opening and closing. 

The use of IoT applications made it easier to communicate and coordinate during flood situations and prevention methods. These devices are more helpful in indicating flood and enable many stakeholders to access all the data simultaneously.

In Rain And Storm Water Monitoring

Smart water management devices are also placed in places with a high likelihood of storms. These devices collect data that we can use to adjust the drainage system to prevent heavy rainfall. 

It also employs a solid water management system to protect drainage from pollution.

This will be responsible for releasing the amount of water as we can measure the actual time weather data.

In Smart City Management

City administrators must monitor the water supply. This becomes easier with the help of IoT devices, which allow the household to monitor their water patterns and supply.

With the help of smart water meters, we can manage our water bills and control our water wastage. They help identify water inefficiencies and consumption patterns.    

We use smart water management systems to obtain real-time data on water distribution along various networks. These systems allow us to prevent and solve problems before they become serious.

Conclusion

Smart water management emerges as the best solution for critical water scarcity issues. Smart water sensors have revolutionized the ability to measure and monitor water usage and wastage amounts.

Using this technology can solve the issues like getting indication of flood, pipe leakage, water quality, and more.