Establishment of a master plan for water supply — Evaluation of water demand

This document provides a methodology to evaluate the water demand to develop a master plan for water supply. This document establishes general principles to consider relevant data of existing and future systems in the context of climate change and other structural factors, such as social behaviour and urban or industrial developments. It reviews the following: description of the water supply system; water balance regarding resources and demand; change of resource and demand in future (e.g. impact of climate change); water loss situation; maximum peak factors in present and future; emergency supply; conditions of infrastructure; digitalisation of infrastructure; recommendation for optimization.

Élaboration d'un plan directeur pour l'alimentation en eau — Évaluation de la demande en eau

General Information

Status
Published
Publication Date
26-Apr-2026
Current Stage
6060 - International Standard published
Start Date
27-Apr-2026
Due Date
02-Jun-2025
Completion Date
27-Apr-2026

Relations

Effective Date
16-Dec-2023

Overview

ISO/TS 24593: Establishment of a Master Plan for Water Supply - Evaluation of Water Demand is a technical specification developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It provides a standardized methodology for evaluating water demand as part of developing a comprehensive master plan for water supply systems. The document addresses the assessment of existing and future water demand in light of evolving factors, such as climate change, urban development, population shifts, and changing industrial or agricultural activities.

The standard guides organizations and professionals in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of key data required to ensure future resilient, efficient, and sustainable water supply systems. ISO/TS 24593 is particularly relevant as utilities and authorities worldwide face increasing pressures from growing populations, environmental changes, and the need for digital transformation.

Key Topics

ISO/TS 24593 covers several essential areas, including:

  • Water Demand Evaluation: Establishes general principles for analyzing current and future water consumption by considering historical data, population growth, industrial and agricultural trends, and climate change impacts.
  • Water System Diagram: Recommends the creation of system diagrams mapping all water resources, supply areas, and infrastructure components for holistic planning and visualization.
  • Water Balance Analysis: Guides users to calculate the balance between available water resources and projected demand. Scenarios include both average and peak conditions for current and future periods.
  • Assessment of Water Supply Resources: Considers the impact of natural, technical, and legal constraints on resource availability, including wells, springs, surface water, and contracted supplies.
  • Water Loss Evaluation: Addresses the identification and quantification of losses within the supply network, and the importance of loss reduction.
  • Emergency Supply Planning: Evaluates system resilience in various emergency scenarios, supporting planning for redundancy and crisis response.
  • Digitalisation of Infrastructure: Encourages the integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and digital tools for improved data management, scenario analysis, and system optimization.
  • Recommendations for Optimization: Offers guidance on technical, operational, and preventive strategies to enhance water system performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

Applications

ISO/TS 24593 is highly applicable in the following contexts:

  • Urban and Regional Water Utility Planning: Ensures sustainable growth and reliable services by planning for current and future water needs.
  • Climate Adaptation Strategies: Assists communities and service providers in preparing for and mitigating the impacts of climate change on water resources and infrastructure.
  • Infrastructure Asset Management: Provides a structured approach to analyzing and upgrading physical assets to improve water delivery and reduce losses.
  • Emergency Preparedness: Helps utilities build robust systems able to continue functioning during extreme events, such as droughts, contamination, or infrastructure failures.
  • Digital Transformation: Supports the adoption of GIS and other digital tools to streamline infrastructure management and enhance decision-making.
  • Policy Development and Regulatory Compliance: Facilitates standardized approaches that meet international best practices for water demand planning.

Related Standards

ISO/TS 24593 references and complements several other important ISO standards, including:

  • ISO 24513: Vocabulary for service activities relating to drinking water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
  • ISO 24528: Guidelines for water loss investigation in drinking water distribution networks.
  • ISO 24516-1: Guidelines for asset management in drinking water distribution networks.

For best results in water supply system planning and optimization, organizations are encouraged to apply ISO/TS 24593 in conjunction with these related standards, ensuring comprehensive coverage of terminology, asset management, and loss reduction across their utility operations.


Incorporating ISO/TS 24593 into water supply master planning enables utilities, municipalities, and consultants to make informed, data-driven decisions and to develop resilient, future-proof systems that meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve.

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ISO/TS 24593:2026 - Establishment of a master plan for water supply — Evaluation of water demand

Release Date:27-Apr-2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

ISO/TS 24593:2026 is a technical specification published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Its full title is "Establishment of a master plan for water supply — Evaluation of water demand". This standard covers: This document provides a methodology to evaluate the water demand to develop a master plan for water supply. This document establishes general principles to consider relevant data of existing and future systems in the context of climate change and other structural factors, such as social behaviour and urban or industrial developments. It reviews the following: description of the water supply system; water balance regarding resources and demand; change of resource and demand in future (e.g. impact of climate change); water loss situation; maximum peak factors in present and future; emergency supply; conditions of infrastructure; digitalisation of infrastructure; recommendation for optimization.

This document provides a methodology to evaluate the water demand to develop a master plan for water supply. This document establishes general principles to consider relevant data of existing and future systems in the context of climate change and other structural factors, such as social behaviour and urban or industrial developments. It reviews the following: description of the water supply system; water balance regarding resources and demand; change of resource and demand in future (e.g. impact of climate change); water loss situation; maximum peak factors in present and future; emergency supply; conditions of infrastructure; digitalisation of infrastructure; recommendation for optimization.

ISO/TS 24593:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 13.060.10 - Water of natural resources. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

ISO/TS 24593:2026 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to ISO 41001:2018/Amd 1:2024. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.

ISO/TS 24593:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.

Standards Content (Sample)


Technical
Specification
ISO/TS 24593
First edition
Establishment of a master plan for
2026-04
water supply — Evaluation of water
demand
Élaboration d'un plan directeur pour l'alimentation en eau —
Évaluation de la demande en eau
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Steps of the master plan for water supply . 2
5 Water system diagram. 3
6 Water balance . 4
6.1 General .4
6.2 Water demand .4
6.2.1 General .4
6.2.2 Current demand .4
6.2.3 Demand forecast . .4
6.2.4 Water loss situation .6
6.3 Water supply resources .6
6.3.1 Current resources .6
6.3.2 Future resources .7
6.3.3 Quality impact of resources .7
6.4 Results of water balance .8
7 Emergency supply . 9
8 Digitalisation of infrastructure . 10
9 Recommendations for optimization .11
Bibliography .13

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 224, Drinking water, wastewater and
stormwater systems and services.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
The purpose of this document is to define a methodology to evaluate water demand in the context of
influencing factors such as climate change and other structural alterations. The water demand is a key input
to develop a masterplan for water supply, consisting in a long-term planning document providing overall
guidance for future growth and development.
Changing conditions due to climate change, such as warmer temperatures, drought periods or the decrease
of groundwater, are important factors for water supply and demand. On the one hand these changes lead
to a scarcity in water resources, on the other hand more water demand is expected. The rise in demand
in households is accompanied by rising demands in agriculture for irrigation or industries for process and
cooling water.
v
Technical Specification ISO/TS 24593:2026(en)
Establishment of a master plan for water supply — Evaluation
of water demand
1 Scope
This document provides a methodology to evaluate the water demand to develop a master plan for water
supply. This document establishes general principles to consider relevant data of existing and future
systems in the context of climate change and other structural factors, such as social behaviour and urban or
industrial developments. It reviews the following:
— description of the water supply system;
— water balance regarding resources and demand;
— change of resource and demand in future (e.g. impact of climate change);
— water loss situation;
— maximum peak factors in present and future;
— emergency supply;
— conditions of infrastructure;
— digitalisation of infrastructure;
— recommendation for optimization.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 24513, Service activities relating to drinking water supply, wastewater and stormwater systems —
Vocabulary
ISO 24528, Service activities relating to drinking water supply, wastewater and stormwater systems — Guideline
for a water loss investigation of drinking water distribution networks
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 24528, ISO 24513 and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/

3.1
water demand
Q
dm
(estimated) quantity of water required per time unit
Note 1 to entry: This document uses the terms for water demand (Q ) for current (Q ) and future (Q )
dm dm,current dm,future
situations as an average amount per day to determine surpluses or deficits for water supply systems, as well as the
demand of certain groups such as industrial or agricultural consumers.
3.2
water supply
(estimated) quantity of water available or provided per time unit
3.3
water loss
difference between water supplied and authorized use, consisting of real water loss and apparent water loss
3.4
future peak factor
f
peak
ratio between peak demand and average demand in the same period of time
3.5
impact factor for climate change
f
climate
fixed factor used to consider the impact of climate change on water demand in the future
4 Steps of the master plan for water supply
The working methods and technologies applied for creating a master plan for water supply are:
— description of the water supply system;
— creating a water system diagram;
— examining current demand;
— analysing current resource capacity of groundwater, springs, surface water and water supply contracts;
— changing resource and demand in future (e.g. impact of climate change, population);
— calculating maximum peak factors in present and future;
— calculating water balance regarding resources and demand (mean and peak situation);
— considering water loss situation;
— analysing emergency supply;
— conditions of infrastructure;
— digitalisation of infrastructure;
— recommendation for optimization.

5 Water system diagram
In a first step, a schematic description of the drinking water system shall be used for visualization. For the
main issues water balance, emergency supply, and further recommendations, the following aspects should
be described:
a) System input and resources are:
— delivery point (external system);
— wells (well fields);
— springs;
— waterworks (as sum of water resources or water treatment capacity).
For description of system input and resources choose a logical position, name, and uniform symbol for type
and space for quantity of resource (see 6.3).
b) For supply areas:
— choose a logical supply area, which is supplied in one hydraulically connected water system.
For description of supply areas choose a logical position, name, and uniform symbol for type and space for
quantity of demand (see 6.3).
c) For connection pipes:
— describe all pipes between system input and supply areas (maximum capacity);
— describe relevant connection pipes for emergency supply.
An example of a water system diagram is shown in Figure 1 for an exemplary city.
Key
municipality long-distance water supply
wells pipe
springs border country/city
SOURCE: Reference [3], reproduced with permission of the authors.
Figure 1 — Example for water system diagram and legend declaration

6 Water balance
6.1 General
To analyse the deficit or surplus of water resources, the calculation of water balance is implemented. For this,
the total amount of water supply is balanced by the total amount of demand in different scenarios. Thereby
the total demand includes sold demand as well as water los
...

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