Assessing impacts of climate crisis on water distribution systems though service inefficiency indicator

Abstract

Climate change is significantly impacting water distribution systems worldwide, disrupting precipitation patterns and reducing freshwater availability. Sicily, Italy, is currently experiencing a severe water crisis due to drought and climate change, with depleted reservoirs affecting both agriculture and urban water supply. In March 2024, a state of emergency was declared, implementing water rationing for over 850,000 people across six provinces. This study focuses on Messina city’s water scarcity challenges, proposing a Zonal Inefficiency Indicator (ZII) to assess the impact on the water distribution system, considering factors such as water distribution satisfaction, pressure regime issues, and network resilience. Using EPANET software, this study models various scenarios including pre-crisis conditions, current water scarcity, water rationing, and leakage reduction. Results demonstrate significant impacts of water scarcity on the network efficiency, with the ZII effectively quantifying these effects across different urban districts. While short-term water rationing shows limited improvement, leakage reduction emerges as the most effective long-term strategy for enhancing network efficiency. Conclusions recommend the prioritization of leakage detection and repair programs. These findings offer valuable insights for water managers in Messina and other regions facing similar chal-lenges, supporting data-driven decision-making for sustainable water management in the face of climate change-induced water scarcity.