From Fragmented Systems to Transparent Governance: Blockchain-Enabled Water Management with IoT Integration

From Fragmented Systems to Transparent Governance: Blockchain-Enabled Water Management with IoT Integration | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article From Fragmented Systems to Transparent Governance: Blockchain-Enabled Water Management with IoT Integration Andreas Sendros, Periklis Kostamis, Ioannis Zikos, Anastasios Manos, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7567042/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Water Resources Management → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Aging urban water distribution networks face increasing pressure from growing demand and infrastructure deterioration, while the integration of IoT monitoring systems highlight the urgent need for innovative and sustainable solutions that enhance system reliability and ensure data security. At the same time, the fragmented nature of water governance creates further barriers to coordinated, transparent, and efficient water management. Our work aims to address these challenges by proposing a holistic architecture for a customized private permissioned blockchain network specifically designed for IoT-enabled water meters. This approach mitigates data breaches, ensures secure data sharing among IoT devices, and facilitates precise water usage measurements and real-time leak detection.To address these water management challenges, we developed an automated framework for the deployment, management, and updating of Hyperledger Fabric blockchains networks, specifically tailored for public utility services. The network leverages chaincodes to secure IoT data storage and analysis, effectively preventing unauthorized access and malicious actions. Furthermore, Ricardian Contracts are employed to ensure that decision-making processes align with the legal agreements between consumers and service providers, guaranteeing automatic regulatory compliance.The project’s architecture supports hierarchical data access, ensuring confidentiality and privacy across water management agencies, regulatory agencies, and data owners. A proof of concept has been successfully implemented across two Greek municipalities, involving five organizations and over 150 water meters. IoT water meters Water Management Data Governance Ricardian Contracts Blockchain Automated Framework Blockchain Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Water Resources Management → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 14 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 30 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 09 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 09 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7567042","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":522878225,"identity":"3cf826cf-4a41-4378-bdb3-5e58cfa910ed","order_by":0,"name":"Andreas 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At the same time, the fragmented nature of water governance creates further barriers to coordinated, transparent, and efficient water management. Our work aims to address these challenges by proposing a holistic architecture for a customized private permissioned blockchain network specifically designed for IoT-enabled water meters. This approach mitigates data breaches, ensures secure data sharing among IoT devices, and facilitates precise water usage measurements and real-time leak detection.To address these water management challenges, we developed an automated framework for the deployment, management, and updating of Hyperledger Fabric blockchains networks, specifically tailored for public utility services. The network leverages chaincodes to secure IoT data storage and analysis, effectively preventing unauthorized access and malicious actions. 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