Rethinking the Framework of Smart Water System: A Review

Abstract

Throughout the past years, governments, industries, and researchers have shown increasing interest in incorporating smart techniques, including sensor monitoring, real-time data transmitting, and real-time controlling into water systems. However, the design and construction of such a smart water system are still not quite standardized for massive applications due to the lack of consensus on the framework. The major challenge impeding wide application of the smart water network is the unavailability of a systematic framework to guide real-world design and deployment. To address this challenge, this review study aims to facilitate more extensive adoption of the smart water system, to increase effectiveness and efficiency in real-world water system contexts. A total of 32 literature pieces including 1 international forum, 17 peer-reviewed papers, 10 reports, and 4 presentations that are directly related to frameworks of smart water system have been reviewed. A new and comprehensive smart water framework, including definition and architecture, was proposed in this review paper. Two conceptual metrics (smartness and cyber wellness) were defined to evaluate the performance of smart water systems. Additionally, three pieces of future research suggestions were discussed, calling for broader collaboration in the community of researchers, engineers, and industrial and governmental sectors to promote smart water system applications.

Smart Urban Water Networks: Solutions, Trends and Challenges

“…Some authors identified from their comprehensive literature review on smart water techniques the lack of a general architecture and a systematic framework to successfully guide real-world deployment of smart water systems [4]. To fill this gap, they suggested a novel approach consisting of five layers: (i) instrument layer, (ii) property layer, (iii) function layer, (iv) benefit layer, and (v) application layer, including two newly-defined metrics, i.e., smartness and cyber wellness.…”

Construction of Chinese Smart Water Conservancy Platform Based on the Blockchain: Technology Integration and Innovation Application

“…The operational activities of resources and water conservancy systems are real-time sensing, comprehensive interconnection, dynamic monitoring, and intelligent services to achieve efficient use of water resources and promote the harmonious coexistence of humans and water. The academic research of smart water conservancy is mainly divided into two levels, focusing on the theoretical framework level [2][3][4] and the applied technology level [5][6][7].…”

A Systematic Review of the State of Cyber-Security in Water Systems

“…Climate change, water pollution, increasing urbanisation and population growth, ageing and inefficient infrastructure, compliance with tighter regulation and water quality standards are some of the challenges faced by water sector in seeking to maintain their services. To resolve these challenges, water and wastewater providers are moving towards smart water systems [4][5][6] that are reliable, efficient and that support real-time decisionmaking. This is particularly true in the UK, where the UK government has established strategic priorities for the period from 2020 to 2025 aimed at securing long-term resilience in the water industry; these are supported by major investments by water companies and providers [7,8].…”