ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications 505 Smart water management (SWM) approaches seek to promote a sustainable, well‐coordinated development and management of water resources through the integration of ICT products, tools and solutions; thus providing the basis for a sustainable approach to water management and consumption. The low cost of some ICT products, as well as their fast turnover rates when applied to urban environments, is fostering new and innovative approaches to ensure safe and adequate water provision for city dwellers. These technologies can be adapted to continuously monitor and diagnose problems, prioritize and manage maintenance issues, and use data to optimize all aspects of the urban water management network. Harnessing the potential of ICTs in cities through the use of SWM can contribute to overcome water related socio‐economic, cultural and environmental challenges, as well as to equip cities with technology to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Building on this basis, this Technical Report explores the key issues involved in SWM within urban settings, including the key water management problems and opportunities faced by cities. By highlighting the role and potential of ICTs, this Technical Report seeks to position SWM as a crucial area of action to achieve the goals set out by smart sustainable cities, and to respond to ongoing and emerging urban challenges. 2 Scope This Technical Report provides municipalities, decision‐makers and interested stakeholders with an overview of the main technical aspects that need to be considered to effectively design and implement smart water management in cities. This Technical Report approaches smart water management systems from an overarching perspective. Therefore, it is expected that the smart water technologies described, as well as their integration into urban water management systems, can be relevant to inform the design of new systems (e.g. in the case of rapid urban growth and infrastructure extension in developing countries), as well as to update existing systems (e.g. linked to declining per capital demand for water and ageing infrastructure in developed countries). While currently most water services (including drainage) rely on piped infrastructures, decentralized and non‐piped water management techniques are starting to diffuse in both developed and developing cities. Given the scope of this Technical Report, the analysis focuses on the former. Further studies on the role of ICTs in decentralized water infrastructures could be the object of future work of ITU's Focus Group on Smart Water Management (FG‐SWM). Building on the efforts of Working Group 2 of the Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities (FG‐SSC), this Technical Report offers both analytical and technical insights into urban water issues and the role of ICT, seeking to stimulate further dialogue and discussion among decision‐makers, practitioners and experts working in this field. In order to better understand the potential of ICT tools as part of SWM, the first section of this Technical Report explores the key challenges faced by cities in regards to water cycle, emphasizing those that are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.