India’s urban water systems are entering a phase where expanding supply alone is no longer sufficient. Rising demand, ageing distribution networks, high water losses and energy-intensive pumping are only increasing pressure on the existing infrastructure. The focus is, therefore, shifting towards managing water networks more intelligently, improving operational efficiency and extending the life of existing assets. Smart water network management points towards an integrated approach where digital technologies, asset condition monitoring, data-driven operations and stronger operations and maintenance (O&M) practices work together.
Current network scenario
The water challenge in Indian cities is increasingly linked to the performance of existing water pipeline networks. Water demand in many Indian cities is projected to exceed the available supply by 2030, making distribution efficiency important for avoiding or deferring the need for new sources. Simultaneously, large sections of urban networks are old and suffer from leakages, contributing to a high extent of non-revenue water (NRW) and frequent failures. Pumping and treatment also consume significant amounts of energy, making pressure management, leakage reduction and efficient pumping important operational priorities.
Across the country, the NRW levels range from 25 per cent to 52 per cent, with the NRW volume in the range of 250 million litres per day (mld) to 1,600 mld. Meanwhile, globally, the extent of NRW lies between 5 per cent to 22 per cent and the NRW volume lies in the range of 50 mld to 600 mld. This highlights the potential for improving water availability through better leakage detection, pressure management, metering and network asset management, alongside investments in new supply.
Digital mapping and GIS deployments
Smart water network management begins with creating a reliable digital representation of the physical network. The technology deployment road map starts with foundational digitalisation through geographical information system (GIS)-based asset registers and digitalised records. The purpose is to establish a baseline inventory, standardise information and create measurable performance indicators. This digital foundation can subsequently be connected to monitoring and control systems. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), telemetry and internet of things (IoT)-based sensors enable utilities to monitor parameters such as water flow, pressure, vibration and water quality at distributed locations. Real-time information allows operators to identify faults faster, respond to emerging problems and manage leakages more proactively.
GIS provides an important spatial layer to this system. It can bring together information on pipelines, service areas and network assets, allowing operational information to be viewed geographically. In the Nagpur water network, Jacobs has deployed GIS as a key component for collecting and organising information across the system. The network is divided into 10 operating zones, creating a structured basis for monitoring and management.
Smart water systems with data integration
The next step is to turn the collected data into operational decisions. Smart water systems bring together information from multiple sources, including sensors, SCADA systems and flow meters. A centralised monitoring platform can then provide dashboards for key performance indicators, historical trends, real-time monitoring and predictive analysis. This is significant because water networks generate large volumes of operational information, but data is useful only when it supports decisions. Interactive dashboards can transform raw information into actionable insights, helping operators identify abnormal conditions, track performance and prioritise interventions.
For instance, the Nagpur smart water network under a public-private partnership of Veolia and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation provides an example of how these technologies can be combined. Its system incorporates SCADA integration, a digital twin, GIS reference data, robotic pipeline inspection, pressure control valves, an asset management platform and a commercial loss monitoring system. Together, these tools create a link, integrating network condition, operational performance and asset management. The water pipeline network spans around 4,428 km in length and serves approximately 419,000 connections, with a total water supply of about 780 mld.
Predictive asset management and O&M
Smart water management is closely connected with the way physical assets are maintained. Traditional O&M tends to respond after a failure occurs. Asset management takes a longer view, linking asset condition, operational performance, maintenance requirements and life cycle planning. The O&M maturity pathway moves through five stages. The first is reactive maintenance, where failures are addressed as they occur. The second introduces preventive maintenance through scheduled interventions, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and digitalised records. The third establishes managed O&M through standardised processes, performance tracking and integration amongst SCADA, district metered areas (DMAs) and computerised maintenance systems.
The fourth stage is predictive maintenance. Sensors, analytics and leak detection are used to understand asset condition and anticipate failures rather than waiting for breakdowns. The final stage focuses on continuous improvement and asset life cycle optimisation, supported by digital twins, integrated asset management and advanced analytics. This shift can change how utilities prioritise capital expenditure. Instead of replacing assets simply because they have reached a particular age, condition information can help identify which sections of the network require immediate attention and which can continue operating safely.
Meanwhile, condition monitoring is particularly important for underground water infrastructure because failures can remain invisible until they become major problems. The Nagpur example demonstrates the use of robotic camera systems for internal pipeline inspection across distribution zones. The inspection system uses cameras for different pipe diameters and can detect illegal or unknown connections, internal blockages, leakages, valve conditions, double lines, foreign materials and scaling. This allows the condition of underground assets to be assessed without relying entirely on surface indications or waiting for failures. Such an approach also illustrates how smart asset management can extend beyond physical deterioration. Commercial losses can be identified through consumption patterns and network information. In Nagpur, a disconnection drive recorded 11,382 disconnections, including illegal connections, double connections, illegal reconnections and tapping before meters. The approach combined consumption-based investigation, enforcement, social welfare outreach and regularisation of legal connections. Thus, asset management increasingly covers both the physical condition of the infrastructure and the performance of the network around it.
Pressure management and area zoning
Network zoning is another important element of smart water management. Dividing a distribution system into manageable areas allows water flows, pressure and losses to be monitored more closely. For instance, DMAs are identified by project consultants as a mechanism for isolating flows, measuring losses and targeting leak detection.
Pressure management, in contrast, is equally important. Excessive pressure can increase leakage and stress on infrastructure, while inadequate pressure affects service levels. In the Nagpur network, zone-by-zone pressure reducing valve deployment is being used to sustain a minimum pressure of 2 to 3 metres. Further, smart pumping can complement this approach. Analytics can be used to optimise pump scheduling, while pressure optimisation can reduce energy consumption. The broader objective is to manage the network as an integrated system, rather than operating individual assets in isolation.
Digitalisation and technology road map
Utilities can pursue digital transformation through a phased approach, gradually progressing from basic digitalisation to monitoring and control, smart metering and analytics, advanced optimisation, and wider innovation and sustainability measures.
The first phase establishes the digital asset register. The second introduces SCADA, telemetry and IoT sensors for real-time monitoring. The third adds advanced metering infrastructure, maintenance management integration and analytics. The fourth brings in digital twins, artificial intelligence and machine learning for network simulation, demand forecasting, anomaly detection and predictive maintenance. The final phase expands the system through cloud dashboards, drones, renewable energy and energy recovery systems. Besides, smart metering and analytics smart metering and analytics help with potential NRW reductions of 20-40 per cent, while later stages focus increasingly on energy optimisation, predictive asset management, lower carbon emissions and extended asset life.
Building capability beyond technology
Technology alone cannot transform O&M. Equally important are SOPs, workforce capabilities and performance management, alongside digital systems. Digital SOPs can standardise field operations and help track indicators such as response time and compliance. Workforce training needs to cover GIS, SCADA, leak detection and variable frequency drives, while computerised maintenance systems can support field execution. Performance-based contracts and service-level incentives can also align contractors with operational outcomes. This makes smart water management as much an organisational transformation as a technological one. Operators need to be able to interpret data, respond to alerts and use network information to prioritise interventions.
Future pathways
Going forward, the next stage of smart water network development will centre on the convergence of digital systems, O&M practices and asset management. Digital twins, predictive analytics, GIS, sensors and SCADA can enable real-time demand management, automated leak isolation and condition-based maintenance. At the same time, utilities are placing greater emphasis on resilience and sustainability, with lower NRW reducing freshwater withdrawals, efficient pumping lowering energy consumption, and proactive asset renewal reducing service disruptions.
Performance measurement will increasingly extend beyond NRW and hours of supply to include pump energy consumption and the balance between planned and reactive maintenance. India’s water sector is, therefore, moving towards integrated network and asset intelligence, where digital asset registers provide visibility, sensors generate continuous data, GIS adds spatial context and analytics support timely interventions. The long-term objective is a network that can identify emerging failures, optimise resources and maintain assets before disruptions occur. This transition will require investment in technology alongside workforce skills, O&M discipline and implementation capacity.
(Based on presentations by Jacobs and Veolia at a recent India Infrastructure conference.)
