Effects of implementing decentralized water supply systems in existing centralized systems

Increased urbanization, land development and changing population significantly impact the natural environment and urban water cycle. To tackle these challenges, new sustainable water management strategies, like water sensitive urban design (WSUD), have been gaining increasing interest in the last couple of years. The software tool UrbanBEATS (Urban Biophysical Environments and Technologies Simulator) supports decision makers in the planning and implementation of such WSUD strategies, by combining and processing spatial and non-spatial data (e.g. land use, population, elevation, rainfall/climate). In the field of water distribution system (WDS) analysis, the implementation of decentralized rainwater harvesting or gray water reuse measures can strongly influence the water quality performance of an existing central pipe system. Here, we show how demand reduction scenarios modelled with UrbanBEATS through the implementation of different water efficiency or water use restrictions impact WDS quality analysis undertaken in Epanet2.