Implementing 24×7 Water Supply and Water ATMs in Smart Cities

Access to clean, reliable water remains one of the defining challenges of urbanization. In many cities, water arrives for just a few hours daily-forcing households to store water in tanks, queue at standpipes, or purchase expensive bottled alternatives. Smart cities are now addressing this gap through two transformative interventions: round-the-clock pressurized water supply systems and automated Water ATMs that bring purified drinking water directly to underserved communities.

Understanding 24×7 water supply systems 🔗

A 24×7 water supply system ensures that every consumer receives water at full pressure continuously-24 hours a day, seven days a week. This stands in contrast to the intermittent water supply (IWS) that most cities currently operate, where water is available for limited hours each day or only on certain days of the week.

The concept is straightforward: maintain positive pressure throughout the distribution network at all times. When pipes remain constantly pressurized with clean water, they are far less susceptible to contamination. Under intermittent supply, when pumping stops and pressure drops, groundwater from surrounding areas can seep into the pipes, potentially bringing wastewater from homes and drains along with it. Continuous supply eliminates this contamination pathway entirely.

India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has mandated that all 500 AMRUT cities undertake reforms for 24×7 water supply with “Drink from Tap” facility. Puri became the first city in India to achieve city-wide 24×7 potable water supply in July 2021 under Odisha’s Sujal Mission. Similar projects are now operational or underway in cities including Chandigarh, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Nagpur, and several Karnataka municipalities.

Water ATMs: Bridging the last-mile gap 🔗

Water ATMs are automated vending machines that dispense purified drinking water at affordable rates. These self-contained units store clean water and allow users to collect it through coin-operated or electronic card-based payment systems. They function similarly to banking ATMs-available 24/7, requiring minimal human intervention, and providing metered, pay-per-use service.

Each Water ATM typically incorporates multiple purification technologies. JanaJal, one of the leading providers, uses a technology-agnostic approach combining reverse osmosis, ultraviolet treatment, ultrafiltration, and carbon filtration depending on local water quality conditions. The machines are equipped with IoT sensors that monitor water quality parameters in real-time, including total dissolved solids, temperature, and pH levels.

Where Water ATMs serve best 🔗

Water ATMs have proven particularly valuable in locations where piped network coverage is limited or unreliable. Common deployment sites include railway stations, bus stands, hospitals, schools, urban slums, and religious sites. In Delhi alone, 800 unauthorized slums housing approximately 1.8 million people lack access to formal piped water connections. For these residents, Water ATMs represent a reliable, affordable alternative to expensive private tankers or contaminated local sources.

The machines typically dispense water at subsidized rates-often just a few rupees per litre-making them far more affordable than bottled water while ensuring quality standards. Prepaid RFID cards enable subscription models, and mobile apps facilitate digital payments and balance top-ups. This combination of accessibility and affordability has made Water ATMs a practical solution for bridging urban water equity gaps.

Technology enabling continuous supply 🔗

Implementing 24×7 water supply requires sophisticated monitoring and control systems. Three technologies form the backbone of smart water management: SCADA systems, smart meters, and geographic information systems.

SCADA systems 🔗

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems enable centralized, real-time monitoring and control of the entire water distribution network. Operators can track water flow, pressure levels, and reservoir status across the city from a single control room. When anomalies occur-such as sudden pressure drops indicating a burst pipe-the system triggers immediate alerts, allowing rapid response before significant water is lost.

Delhi Jal Board’s implementation of Pipe Network Management System (PNMS) in the Pitampura area demonstrated how SCADA enables equitable water distribution through remote monitoring and control at multiple local control points. This approach has since become a model for other Indian cities transitioning to smart water management.

Smart meters and District Metered Areas 🔗

Smart meters with automatic meter reading (AMR) capabilities provide precise consumption data for every connection. Unlike traditional meters that require manual reading, smart meters transmit data wirelessly, enabling real-time consumption monitoring and automated billing.

The distribution network is typically divided into District Metered Areas (DMAs)–hydraulically discrete zones where water inflow and outflow can be precisely measured. By comparing the water entering a DMA with the total consumption recorded by household meters, operators can quickly identify leakage zones and prioritize repairs. Vadodara’s 24×7 project exemplifies this approach, with each DMA equipped with smart metering systems for online flow monitoring and leakage detection.

GIS mapping and hydraulic modeling 🔗

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) create detailed digital maps of the entire pipe network, including pipe material, age, diameter, and connection points. Combined with hydraulic modeling software, GIS enables engineers to simulate network behavior under various demand scenarios, design optimal pressure zones, and plan infrastructure upgrades systematically.

Benefits of round-the-clock supply 🔗

The advantages of continuous water supply extend beyond mere convenience. The World Health Organization recognizes that improved water supply and sanitation can significantly boost economic growth and reduce poverty.

Public health improvements 🔗

Research from Hubli-Dharwad in Karnataka found a strong relationship between supply continuity and water quality. Among households receiving continuous supply, less than 1% of water samples failed WHO quality guidelines, compared to over one-third of samples from households with intermittent supply. The city also documented a notable reduction in typhoid cases among beneficiary populations.

Continuous pressurized supply prevents backflow contamination-the primary health risk associated with intermittent systems. When pipes maintain positive pressure, contaminants cannot enter; clean water only flows outward through any pipe defects rather than allowing external pollution to seep in.

Reduced household costs 🔗

Citizens under intermittent supply spend considerably on storage infrastructure-overhead tanks, underground sumps, pumps, and water purifiers. They may also purchase bottled water or rely on private tankers during supply gaps. A 24×7 system eliminates these coping costs. In Coimbatore’s pilot zones, water consumption dropped by 5-20% once households no longer felt compelled to store excess water against uncertain future supply.

System efficiency gains 🔗

Counterintuitively, continuous supply often uses less water than intermittent systems. In Karnataka’s demonstration zones, water supplied fell from 22.14 million litres per day (MLD) before the project to 19.5 MLD afterward. This occurred because implementing 24×7 supply required fixing leaking pipes first-reducing non-revenue water from over 50% to around 10%. Better pressure management also reduces energy costs for pumping and extends pipe lifespan by eliminating the stress cycles of repeated pressurization and depressurization.

Challenges in implementation 🔗

Despite proven benefits, scaling 24×7 supply faces significant obstacles.

Aging infrastructure 🔗

Most Indian cities have distribution networks with substantial portions exceeding their design life. Old pipes made of asbestos cement or cast iron suffer from corrosion, joint failures, and material degradation. Converting to continuous supply requires systematic rehabilitation-identifying and replacing compromised sections before the network can sustain constant pressure without excessive leakage.

High capital investment 🔗

The upfront costs are substantial. Chandigarh’s Manimajra pilot project cost approximately Rs 75 crore (around $9 million) to provide 24×7 supply to one lakh residents across 855 acres. Costs include pipeline replacement, construction of service reservoirs, pumping station upgrades, universal metering, and SCADA system installation. While operational savings eventually offset these investments, municipalities often struggle to mobilize the initial capital.

Ensuring equitable access 🔗

There’s ongoing debate about whether Water ATMs represent an appropriate solution for underserved communities or a form of water privatization that commodifies a basic right. Critics note that even subsidized prices create barriers for the poorest households. For 24×7 piped supply, connecting informal settlements that lack legal tenure presents legal and technical challenges that can exclude the most vulnerable populations.

Solutions and the path forward 🔗

Successful implementations offer several lessons for cities planning their transitions.

Phased implementation 🔗

Rather than attempting city-wide conversion simultaneously, most successful projects begin with pilot DMAs. This allows utilities to learn operational requirements, train staff, and demonstrate benefits to skeptical stakeholders before scaling. Puri’s success followed years of incremental infrastructure development under multiple state and central schemes before the final 24×7 conversion.

Public-private partnerships 🔗

PPP models have enabled several successful 24×7 projects where municipal technical capacity is limited. Private operators bring expertise in network management, leak detection, and customer service, while municipalities retain asset ownership and regulatory oversight. Chandigarh’s Smart City initiative partnered with technical support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to strengthen water supply management.

Smart tariff structures 🔗

Karnataka’s pro-poor policy provides a model for balancing cost recovery with equity. The state established a lifeline supply tier-8,000 litres monthly at a concessional rate-while higher consumption attracts volumetric charges that encourage conservation. Waiving deposit charges for low-income households removed barriers to formal connections.

Community engagement 🔗

Technical solutions alone are insufficient without community buy-in. Successful projects invest in awareness campaigns explaining the benefits of metered connections and volumetric billing. In Puri, public participation helped shift consumption patterns-residents stopped wasteful practices once they understood the relationship between their behavior and system sustainability.

Smart cities recognize that water security requires both infrastructure modernization and demand-side management. The integration of 24×7 supply systems with Water ATMs creates a comprehensive approach: networked piped supply for residential areas, supplemented by accessible vending points for transient populations and underserved communities.

What do you think? As cities invest billions in water infrastructure, how should they balance the competing goals of universal access, financial sustainability, and environmental conservation? And in areas where piped networks remain decades away, can Water ATMs serve as a just transitional solution-or do they risk becoming permanent substitutes for the public infrastructure that citizens deserve?

References

1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/india/brief/faqs-24×7-water-supply
2. https://mohua.gov.in/pdf/64f1d40791005Addendum-to-guidelines-for-planning-design-and-implementation-of-24×7-water-supply-systems.pdf
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40974-019-00119-4
4. https://aim2flourish.com/innovations/bringing-affordable-drinking-water-to-the-under-served-and-rural-communities-of-india
5. https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/blog/introducing-janajal-clean-water-via-mobile-water-atms-for-delhi-slum-residents/
6. https://www.hitachi.com/en-in/insights/articles/power-of-efficient-water-management/
7. https://smartutilities.net.in/2019/04/13/water-24×7/
8. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4624426/
10. https://theprint.in/india/governance/drinkable-tap-water-24×7-puri-model-spurs-more-cities-to-make-push-but-sustainability-a-concern/2023409/
11. https://www.chandigarhsmartcity.in/24×7-water-supply-pilot-project-for-pan-city-chandigarh