What is a use case? A use case describes a specific situation where a water professional needs to make a decision and take action. It answers five questions: what is happening?, what triggers it?, what data is available?, what decision needs to be made?, and what action follows?
Each use case is linked to decision patterns (the proven strategies for handling it) and case studies (real places where these decisions have been made). Together they form a practical knowledge framework for water infrastructure resilience.
How to read this page: Use cases are grouped by when they happen in the resilience lifecycle — from continuous monitoring, through forecasting and operations, to emergency response and long-term allocation. Click any card to see the full detail page with decision flow, related patterns, and case studies.
15
Use Cases
5
Categories
17
Decision Patterns
22
Case Studies
Continuous — before events
Monitor — continuous situational awareness
Keeping a constant watch on the water system — levels
Monitor river and reservoir levels
Continuously measure water levels in rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers so that operators have an up-to-date picture of the system.
“Are levels rising dangerously or falling below safe thresholds?”
Collect real-time system data
Gather continuous readings from sensors across the water network — pressure, flow, quality, and equipment status — into a central platform.
“Is the data within normal ranges? Are there anomalies?”
Detect pollution events in waterways
Identify contamination of rivers, lakes, or coastal waters from sewage, industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, or accidental spills.
“Is pollution present? What is the source? Is it getting worse?”
Before — hours to decades ahead
Forecast — predicting what happens next
flows
Forecast flood risk ahead of events
Use weather forecasts, river data, and hydrological models to predict where and when flooding will occur, giving communities time to prepare.
“Is flooding likely? Where? When? How severe?”
Plan long-term water supply
Assess whether current water sources will meet future demand given population growth, climate change, and infrastructure ageing — and identify what new investment is needed.
“Is supply sufficient for the next 25–50 years? If not, what combination of new sources, efficiency, and demand management is optimal?”
During — real-time operations
Operate — running infrastructure day-to-day
quality
Operate flood defences during events
Decide when to close barriers, activate pumps, open sluices, or divert floodwater through emergency channels during a flood event.
“Close the barrier now or wait? Activate pumps? Divert flow?”
Balance supply across multiple sources
Coordinate between reservoirs, groundwater, desalination, and recycled water to meet daily demand reliably while minimising cost and energy.
“Which sources to draw from today? How much from each?”
Manage reservoir storage and releases
Decide how much water to store and how much to release from reservoirs, balancing supply security, flood capacity, hydropower, and downstream environmental needs.
“Store water for later or release it now? How much flood capacity to maintain?”
Treat wastewater for safe reuse
Take treated sewage effluent through additional advanced treatment to produce water safe for irrigation, industry, aquifer recharge, or indirect drinking supply.
“Does the treated water meet the required quality standard for its intended use?”
Produce water from alternative sources
Activate desalination plants or other non-conventional supply sources to supplement supply during shortages.
“Activate the plant? At what capacity?”
During and after events
Respond — reacting to events and emergencies
and equipment status — so problems are detected as they happen.|Using models and data to predict future conditions — floods
Detect and report sewage overflows
Identify when combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharge untreated sewage into rivers or coastal waters, log the event, and notify regulators.
“Is an overflow occurring? How long has it lasted? Does it breach permit conditions?”
Reduce water demand during shortages
Implement restrictions, campaigns, and pricing measures to cut water consumption when supply is running low.
“What level of restriction is needed? Voluntary or mandatory? For how long?”
Long-term planning
Allocate — distributing and planning resources
droughts
Allocate water between competing users
Distribute available water fairly between agriculture, cities, industry, and the environment when there is not enough for everyone.
“Who gets how much water? Should allocations be reduced? Should water trading be used to reallocate?”
Provide water to remote communities
Ensure that rural and remote communities have access to safe drinking water, typically using low-cost, locally maintainable technology.
“Is the source adequate and safe? Can the community maintain the system? Is a new or upgraded source needed?”
Transfer water between regions
Move large volumes of water from a water-rich region to a water-scarce one through canals, tunnels, or pipelines.
“Is transfer justified? What route? How much? What compensation for the donor region?”