Evaluating Changes in Urban Water Consumption and Impacts to Water Infrastructure During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract:

Water distribution systems are essential infrastructure to serve potable water to a population. Water consumption patterns have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic as populations across the globe changed their routines of daily activities to stay at home and work remotely. Demand patterns that have emerged in urban areas show that the ratio of residential to industrial demands has increased, compared with pre-COVID-19 patterns. In addition, diurnal patterns of water consumption at residential nodes have shifted, with lower peaks in the morning and evening and sustained demand throughout the day. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of modified water consumption patterns on water distribution systems. We collected Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) water demand data at the user-level from a collaborating water utility for the time period between March and May of 2019 and 2020. AMI data were analyzed to determine diurnal patterns for 2019 and 2020 demands, and this analysis was used to update input files for a hydraulic simulation model. Using the 2019 and 2020 modeling scenarios, the hydraulic model was executed to evaluate changes to water quality based on water age; pressure uniformity across nodes in the network; and the energy required by the system to effectively distribute potable water. This research explores important questions about the functioning of water systems under different demand patterns due to disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. A description of these emergent consumption patterns and their effects on the functioning of water systems will provide valuable analyses for water utility managers, who can use this insight to optimize infrastructure operations and plan for long-term impacts.