Assessing Impacts of Heatwaves on Urban Water Distribution Systems: Planning for a Resilient Design Approach

Abstract:

Global population is experiencing more frequent, longer, and more severe heat waves due to global warming and urbanization. Episodic heat waves increase mortality and morbidity rates and demands on water and energy, particularly in urban areas. Urban residents use more water during heat waves for drinking, showering, watering, recreational purposes, and evaporative cooling units, which can cause significant stress on urban water systems. While there is not enough quantitative data on the impact of heat waves on the urban water consumption, we investigated different studies and found that during heat waves, water demand could increase up to %100 during peak hours. Although the increase in water demand is inevitable, there are no clear guidelines for the design of water distribution systems that are resilient to future extended heat waves. This peak in water consumption can easily cause the water distribution systems to fail in providing water to the residents. This failure further exacerbates human health during extreme events, particularly for those who rely on the availability of water for cooling down. In this work, we examined a recently engineered and designed water distribution network and exposed that to an extreme 3-day long heat wave event. Our findings showed significant portions of the distribution system have failed to meet the water demand. Accordingly, we recommend that water system managers consider the possibility of future extended and intense heat waves in urban areas and plan properly in advance. Planning efforts could include different adoption and mitigation strategies tailored to the local characteristics of the water distribution system.