ABSTRACT
Clean water is one type of water-based resource that is of good quality and commonly used by humans for consumption or in carrying out their daily activities, including sanitation. The arrival of COVID-19 has increase water usage as hand washing is a must. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), several localities face higher infection risks due to water supply shortages resulted from the increased demand for treated water. Having a contingency plan to facilitate that change can reduce the probability of water supply shortages. However, existing literature lacks detailed insights on water usage changes during a pandemic and pandemic response model. Response plans that tackle changing water demands during a pandemic, using COVID-19 as a case study, are compelling. Hence, this paper aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on treated water supply and demand in Pahang. The results reveal that the lockdown during COVID-19 has increased domestic water demand and decreased demand for non-domestic (i.e., commercial, industrial, and government building). The net effect of these changes varies from place to place, depending on the relative proportion of domestic and non-domestic water usage across the major economic sectors. The findings are helpful for future water management strategy plans in the study area. © 2023 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.