How Smart Water Systems Are Transforming Cities: Inside the Innovations Driving Change

Cities today face growing pressure to sustain and then modernize their aging infrastructure while meeting tighter regulations, particularly when it comes to water and wastewater systems. Newer compliance regulations require utilities to track assets more closely, improve water quality, and respond quickly to problems. At the same time, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), geospatial mapping, and real-time monitoring are becoming essential tools to help cities manage these challenges. But integrating new tech while staying within regulatory lines is not as easy as it sounds.

For Tanay Kulkarni, a civil and environmental engineer, that balance is exactly where his work comes in. Over the last decade, he has led several large projects aimed at making water systems smarter, more reliable, and better aligned with policy goals. Sharing his background, he mentioned, “My academic foundation includes three engineering degrees, including an MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where my work advanced machine learning models that improved infrastructure failure prediction accuracy.”

His track record includes two “Year in Infrastructure” Awards (popularly referred to as “The Oscars of Infrastructure”) from Bentley Systems. More recently, he was also awarded the 2025 ISSN International Outstanding Innovation Award and the 2025 International Achievers’ Award, both for his exceptional contributions to the practice of water and wastewater infrastructure. Kulkarni’s projects often combine technical innovation, like AI tools and digital dashboards, with a deep understanding of what regulators expect. His approach allows cities and towns to meet new compliance standards while improving day-to-day operations. Notably, his innovations have yielded significant economic benefits for municipalities, including a 20% reduction in operational costs and a 15% improvement in service reliability. By quantifying these achievements, Kulkarni effectively aligns his technological contributions with the financial and operational priorities of urban governance.

Discussing his work, the professional shared that he has utilized data-driven tools to reduce costs and expedite project timelines. By building interactive dashboards and predictive models, he has helped utilities make faster, better decisions. During his earlier work in India, he led a team that brought clean drinking water to more than 900,000 people in rural areas. For instance, in the village of Bankura, residents used to travel miles to collect water from unreliable sources. With the newly implemented system, they now enjoy consistent access to clean water right at their doorsteps. That project cut engineering effort by 40% and reduced manpower costs by more than half, which clearly proves that smart planning makes a big difference, even in low-resource settings.

However, achieving these results came with hurdles, one of which was getting local governments to adopt new technology. Many still rely on outdated systems and are hesitant to switch to AI or data-heavy platforms. In an instance shared by Kulkarni, a significant challenge he faced was "managing aged and failing asbestos cement pipelines in Ambikapur, India." He noted, "My team developed a unified hydraulic model with 50+ scenarios, ensuring seamless integration of new pipelines while retaining 70% of the existing system." Kulkarni emphasized that this was not merely about integrating new technology but about re-imagining older networks in a phased and context-sensitive manner. This approach allowed the aged systems to gradually evolve, thereby helping officials envision a smoother transition rather than a wholesale replacement.

Beyond these technical advancements, the civil engineer’s written work also reflects his focus on making smart infrastructure more practical. He has published several research articles and is currently co-authoring the highly regarded manual of practice, M32, for the American Water Works Association on water distribution modeling. Some of his recent papers offer new perspectives and explore topics relevant to public utilities. For instance, “Uncertainties in Global Water Infrastructure: Exploring Sensitivities and Interdependencies” highlights how better risk management can lead to more resilient systems, “Advancements in Smart Water Management: A Literature Review” provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications, and “A Comprehensive Analysis of Level of Service Frameworks in Water Infrastructure Asset Management: Current Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions” suggests strategic improvements for enhanced service efficiency and reliability.

Looking ahead, Kulkarni suggested, “From firsthand experience across both developing and developed economies contexts, I believe the future of water infrastructure lies in convergence—AI, IoT, digital twins, and circular economy principles.” He believes that the heavy reliance on digital tools would not just be for efficiency. They will also need to handle climate risks, cybersecurity, and long-term sustainability.

It won’t be wrong to say that the future lies in infrastructure that can learn and adapt, detecting small issues before they grow, simulating future scenarios, and helping planners make more informed choices. While urban areas are often quick to adopt new systems, rural and under-resourced communities shouldn’t be left behind. Decentralized approaches, supported by smart but simple tools, can help bring reliable services to these regions too. Imagine walking down a path in a once water-scarce village to find clean water just steps away, eliminating the miles-long journeys that were once necessary. Alongside technological efficiency, these solutions prioritize human-scale benefits, such as providing consistent access to essential resources and reducing the burden on those who previously had to travel great distances for water. By recentring our focus on the lived experiences of individuals in underserved areas, decision-makers are encouraged to value equity alongside the benefits of innovation.

The bottom line is that cities are still facing new rules and rising expectations, and the challenge is no longer just fixing pipes or expanding networks. It's about making water systems smarter, faster, and more responsive, all while maintaining compliance. It is possible to integrate innovation into public infrastructure in a way that serves both technological needs and the public good. The key is striking the right balance between what's new and what's needed. To take the first step towards achieving this balance, Kulkarni encourages cities to pilot an interactive dashboard for better asset management and compliance tracking. By doing so, they can start integrating new technologies into their existing systems and make informed decisions based on real-time data.