Use of ICT for Water Supply and Sewerage Services in Smart Cities, SAAR–Sameeksha Series – Impact Assessment

This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in enhancing water supply and sewerage services across India's 100 Smart Cities under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). By integrating ICT and Internet of Things (IoT) devices into urban water and sewerage infrastructure, the SCM sought to optimise the performance and operational efficiency of cities spanning the full spectrum of urban scale — from small towns to megapolises.

Of the 100 Smart Cities, 94 responded to the national-level assessment questionnaire developed for this study, providing a robust empirical foundation for analysis. The report documents the range and nature of ICT interventions undertaken, including SCADA-based monitoring at Water Treatment Plants, Wastewater Treatment Plants, and pumping stations; District Metered Area (DMA) zonation; smart metering; 24×7 water supply systems; smart grid frameworks for wastewater reuse; IoT-enabled flow metering; and physical infrastructure augmentation through pipeline laying, household sewer connections, and plant capacity enhancement.

Key findings indicate that 63 of the 94 respondent cities have implemented ICT-based projects in water supply and sewerage services. Among these, 48 cities have deployed SCADA systems for real-time monitoring, 30 cities have installed over 9.65 lakh smart meters for accurate billing and leakage detection, 31 cities have implemented DMA zonation to improve water distribution efficiency, and 14 cities have integrated SCADA with Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) for enhanced automation and oversight.

Drawing on these findings, the report offers a critical analysis of implementation challenges and quantifiable outcomes, and puts forward targeted policy recommendations to inform the design and execution of future urban missions in India.