Digital water metering has been the target of two different literature reviews. reported an overview of methods for short-term water demand forecast, highlighting their advantages, disadvantages and future research directions. proposed a systematic literature review of WDS design optimisation, with a special emphasis on methodologies for the expansion and rehabilitation of already existing infrastructure. There are a number of literature reviews that can be considered an antecedent of the current overview. In return for such a new complexity level, water utilities now have the capability of working in an ideal smart-technology framework that supports efficient operation and management for safer and more secure water supply systems. The traditional water system, then, is becoming a smart system, or smart water grid, as it can be seen as the combination of critical and digital systems into one converged, smart infrastructure. Over the last few years, the surge of the information and communication technology (ICT) techniques along with the application of new trends on data analytics have been shown to be essential for dealing with the challenges that a urban water infrastructure should face today. Additionally, the need for knowledge and understanding of the customers’ demand for fair water pricing and use are some of the main challenges to resolve. Other challenges include income and revenue to cover operation and the monitoring and management of water resources as a public service. Many external factors, including the impacts of climate change, drought and population growth in urban centres, had led to an increase in the responsibility to adopt more sustainable management of urban water resources. The water industry is subject to changes regarding the sustainable management of urban water systems. Complimentary to this for the achievement the zero-net target is the efficient management of water distribution systems (WDSs). Another solution investigated in depth, and currently in development, is on the benefits of smart power grids. Given these current and future scenarios, academics and industry have put in effort over the last two decades towards reducing buildings’ energy use.

However, the challenges for city authorities goes beyond managing growing cities, since as cities develop, their exposure to extreme weather events also increases.

Cities are a main actor in climate change and the built environment contributes to high levels of global greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations predicts that this trend will continue and it is expected that up to 6.5 billion people will live in cities by 2050. Global population has increased by 1500 million people in the last 20 years. Cities are stressed worldwide predominantly due to significant population growth.

Smart grids 2012