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Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems
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Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 3450

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bryan Karney

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
Interests: transient analysis; water hammer; water distribution system analysis and design; energy analysis; pipeline design; open channel flow
Dr. Ahmad Malekpour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
WSP Global Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
Interests: water and wastewater infrastructure; pipelines; tunnels; outfalls; pumping stations; hydraulic controls; stormwater systems; open channels; solids transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban water systems comprose the infrastructure and management systems for the water supply, wastewater, and stormwater in urban areas, including their related technical, institutional, and governance aspects. Urban water systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure, and emerging risks such as cyber threats and supply chain disruptions. These factors necessitate a shift from traditional, rigid infrastructure models to adaptive, resilient, and integrated systems that can withstand and recover from diverse stressors.

This Special Issue seeks to explore innovative strategies and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance the resilience and risk management of urban water systems. We invite contributions that address the following themes:

  • Resilience Frameworks and Assessment Tools: Development and application of hydraulic, hydrologic, or economic models and metrics to evaluate and enhance the resilience and performance of urban water infrastructure.
  • Integrated Water Management: Approaches that consider the interconnectivity of water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems, promoting holistic management practices.
  • Nature-Based and Green Infrastructure Solutions: Implementation of green roofs, permeable pavements, and urban wetlands to, ideally, mitigate flood risks and enhance water quality.
  • Technological Innovations: Possible utilization of smart technologies, including digital twins, IoT, and AI, for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and efficient water management.
  • Policy and Governance: Examination of regulatory frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and governance models that support resilient urban water systems.

Prof. Dr. Bryan Karney
Dr. Ahmad Malekpour
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban water resilience
  • risk assessment
  • integrated water management
  • infrastructure sustainability
  • climate adaptation
  • hydraulic systems
  • system modeling and simulation
  • water-energy nexus
  • green infrastructure
  • decision support systems

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 942 KB  
Article
Integrated Water Conservation Measures for Single-Family Homes: A Multi-City Assessment
by Kyrah L. Williams, Esber Andiroglu and Murat Erkoc
Water 2026, 18(8), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18080942 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 643
Abstract
Water plays a critical role in residential consumption, accounting for a significant share of public water supply use. With increasing concerns over water scarcity and projections that a large portion of the global population will experience water stress by 2050, the need for [...] Read more.
Water plays a critical role in residential consumption, accounting for a significant share of public water supply use. With increasing concerns over water scarcity and projections that a large portion of the global population will experience water stress by 2050, the need for effective water conservation strategies has become more urgent. This study evaluates the application and combined impact of water conservation measures in single-family homes. A deterministic modeling framework is developed to estimate household water consumption and conservation potential across four U.S. cities, namely, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Des Moines, representing diverse climatic conditions. The analysis incorporates rainwater harvesting, HVAC condensate recovery, water-efficient fixtures, and greywater reuse systems. Scenario-based forecasting, including adoption rates of 1% and 5% of existing homes alongside new construction, is conducted over a six-year period using exponential smoothing techniques. Results indicate that the combined implementation of these measures can generate substantial aggregate water savings, with outcomes varying by climate and location. Greywater reuse and water-efficient fixtures consistently provide the largest contributions, while rainwater harvesting and condensate recovery depend more heavily on regional conditions. These findings highlight the importance of integrated and location-specific strategies and demonstrate the potential of decentralized, residential-level interventions to reduce demand on municipal water systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems)
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20 pages, 5367 KB  
Article
Energy Recovery Using Microturbines in Urban Water Distribution Systems: A Case Study of Busan, South Korea
by Bongseog Jung, Sungwon Kang, Inju Hwang, Dohwan Kim, Sanghyun Kim and Piljae Kwak
Water 2026, 18(7), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18070847 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 825
Abstract
Urban water distribution systems often dissipate excess hydraulic energy through pressure-reducing valves to maintain safe operating conditions, particularly in cities with complex topography. This study investigates the potential for sustainable energy recovery using microturbines in a large-scale urban water distribution system, with a [...] Read more.
Urban water distribution systems often dissipate excess hydraulic energy through pressure-reducing valves to maintain safe operating conditions, particularly in cities with complex topography. This study investigates the potential for sustainable energy recovery using microturbines in a large-scale urban water distribution system, with a focus on the city of Busan, South Korea. A digital twin of the Busan water transmission and distribution network was developed to analyze system-wide hydraulic characteristics, including elevation, hydraulic head, pressure, and flow. Candidate locations for microturbine installation were identified based on existing pressure regulation points and quantified using hydraulic simulation results. The recoverable power and energy potential were estimated by considering flow rate, available head difference, and turbine efficiency, and the model results were validated using operational data and field investigations at selected sites. The results show that significant recoverable energy is concentrated at pressure-reducing valve locations where excess pressure coincides with high flow rates and substantial pressure differentials under representative operating conditions. The maximum recoverable energy at a single site was estimated to be approximately 16.9 MWh/month, indicating that distributed microturbine installations can provide meaningful supplementary energy recovery. The findings demonstrate that digital twin–based analysis offers a systematic and practical approach for identifying energy recovery opportunities in urban water distribution systems and can support more energy-efficient and sustainable water utility operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems)
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37 pages, 3969 KB  
Article
An Integrated Resilience Assessment Framework for Riverine Bridges Based on Hydraulic Modeling and Multicriteria Analysis
by Diego Fabian Medina Yauri, Alejandra Muñoz-Manrique, Alan Huarca Pulcha and Alain Jorge Espinoza Vigil
Water 2026, 18(6), 746; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18060746 - 22 Mar 2026
Viewed by 766
Abstract
Riverine bridges are critical infrastructure that are increasingly exposed to severe hydrological hazards. This study proposes and validates a synergistic methodology for the assessment of riverine bridge resilience, integrating the conceptual 4R framework (robustness, rapidity, resourcefulness, and redundancy) with field inspections, hydrological and [...] Read more.
Riverine bridges are critical infrastructure that are increasingly exposed to severe hydrological hazards. This study proposes and validates a synergistic methodology for the assessment of riverine bridge resilience, integrating the conceptual 4R framework (robustness, rapidity, resourcefulness, and redundancy) with field inspections, hydrological and hydraulic modeling, including scour evaluation, within a multicriteria analysis scheme. The methodology comprises: (i) a systematic review of literature and regulations to construct a 30-parameter matrix across five dimensions (technical, economic, social, organizational, and environmental); (ii) data acquisition through field inspections, detailed topography, and technical studies; and (iii) one-dimensional hydraulic modeling in HEC-RAS under extreme scenarios (return periods of 100 to 750 years and a critical 500 m3/s scenario representing a potential overflow of the Aguada Blanca reservoir). The Bridge Resilience Index (BRI) is computed through a weighted additive model and a sensitivity analysis. Application to the San Martín Bridge (Arequipa, Peru), a structure with more than 60 years of service and recurrent preventive closures during flood events, revealed critical conditions: minimum freeboard of 0.26 m, absence of hydraulic protections, and limited institutional capacity. The resulting BRI value (1.898) indicates a low resilience level. The proposed framework provides a useful tool for risk-informed decision-making, the prioritization of interventions, and the strengthening of resilience in critical infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems)
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24 pages, 3493 KB  
Article
Tackling Urban Water Resilience: Exploiting the Potential of Smart Water Allocation in the Lisbon Living Lab
by Rita Ribeiro, Pedro Teixeira, Catarina Silva, Catarina Freitas and Maria João Rosa
Water 2026, 18(3), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18030337 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 711
Abstract
Climate change is widening the mismatch between water supply and water demand in urban areas, affecting both. Additionally, water demand is increasing due to population growth and economic development. Water allocation is a key component of sustainable urban water management and, unlike traditional [...] Read more.
Climate change is widening the mismatch between water supply and water demand in urban areas, affecting both. Additionally, water demand is increasing due to population growth and economic development. Water allocation is a key component of sustainable urban water management and, unlike traditional approaches, must rely on a fit-for-purpose principle, where water is valued by its quality adequacy based on the use rather than by its source, with water reuse playing a central role in urban water resilience. This paper presents a novel framework, together with the step-by-step process for its application—the smart water allocation process (SWAP) for urban non-potable uses—and the developed software toolset to facilitate the decision-making process by urban managers, water utilities, and other stakeholders. It was developed within the context of a living lab to accelerate the innovation uptake. The demand–supply matchmaking and the plan module are comprehensively described and the SWAP results and their contribution to water resilience in Lisbon are discussed. Three water allocation alternatives were defined to implement different strategies, conservation, redundancy and reuse, in two green area clusters. Synergy with climate action funding was identified. The application of the SWAP enabled decision-making based on factual evidence and fostered intuitive understanding of the urban water resilience challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems)
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