Weekly Brief

3 Digital Water Techs CIOs Must Invest in

Utilities Tech Outlook | Monday, August 03, 2020

Digital water tech solution providers are coming up with numerous innovations, and here is what water utility CIOs can invest in to remain relevant in the changing space.

FREMONT, CA: Today, water utilities are facing numerous challenges that require an innovative approach to mitigate them. Consumers are expecting solutions for their growing concerns about scarcity, quality, and flooding. Advancing to meet these expectations now need a transformation from the traditional model into the water utilities of the future. To make this a reality, vendors in the digital water solutions space are creating new tech initiatives. With multiple vendors emerging in the digital water market solutions space, it is an exciting and overwhelming time for the CIOs to explore various features and capabilities and choose right. Here is a list of three digital innovations which can help a CIOs make a headway undoubtedly. 

• DaaS-Based Water Management

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Water resource management entails the efficient and sustainable use of water resources for beneficial purpose and environmental protection. This covers activities from operational management of existing resources, development of new resources, and planning and design of infrastructure, warning of hydrological hazards, and mitigation of risks. To this end, data on resources and hazard risk is essential. Through a data-based business model, water utilities oversee the operation, service, and maintenance of resources. With providers offering Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), water utilities face no sunk costs for hardware, data collection, storage or support and gain more reliable and efficient processing. DaaS is now also being implemented in wastewater collection systems to identify water quality incidents, pollution, and sewage overflows in real-time.

Water utilities identify monitoring performance, asset maintenance, and treatment operations as three primary operational areas that data analytics can help improve most. These appear to be the areas where utilities can best leverage data to lower operating costs, optimize processes, and extend asset life. Black & Veatch is involved in every aspect of the water industry, helping its clients collect, store, move, and treat water, plan and manage watersheds, and enhance sustainability. Black & Veatch-delivered solutions protect the environment and conserve precious water resources. The company deliver solutions that repair aging water infrastructure, preserve and protect groundwater and watersheds, provide adequate flood control, and manage storm drainage. With its solutions, customers get the benefit of industry best practices and advanced analytics to optimize asset performance. With a significant focus on data analytics, Black & Veatch helps to drive a coordinated effort in water resource management.

• AI-Based Water Applications 

Quality water is one of the cornerstones of living, and therefore people always thrive for the best and highest quality water. Data-driven water management is now meeting artificial intelligence to change the way of ensuring clean water for all. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers water utilities innovative ways to find patterns and hidden insights to make informed, proactive decisions. AI water applications include pipe condition assessment, demand forecasting, energy optimization, and predictive modeling. AI can also assist stormwater operators in reducing hours of pipeline inspection footage to a few minutes through automatic analysis.

Water utilities today are equipped with plenty of sensors and data-driven technologies that collect data on different stages in the water supply and demand. When used correctly, these technologies can draw previously-unattainable information on the treatment of water and empower water utilities to predict their operations. Silo. AI proves that artificial intelligence, and machine learning, can be leveraged to create more effective water treatment processes, recognize problems early, and help direct efforts to mitigate them. Its AI solutions are often used for predicting changes, create new insights for future investments, and planning the usage of the water utilities. Silo.AI develops machine learning algorithms that use time-series forecasting. The AI solution predicts the quality of the water, and it is analyzed in the context of environmental permissions and terms. The company looks forward to creating Human-in-the-loop AI systems for water treatment, which would take the human-machine collaboration to the next level. With that on board, people get to work on higher-value performing tasks and validate the analysis produced by the AI.

• Satellite Remote Sensing

Water resource management today is a critical global challenge. Achieving water security and increased resilience requires a good understanding of water resources dynamics. Satellite remote sensing is being used as a reliable source of information in monitoring networks. Satellite‐based sensors are capable of making measurements of nearly all components of the water cycle. These include information on precipitation, evaporation, lake and river levels, surface water, soil moisture, snow, and total water storage. Sensors are, therefore, capable of providing crucial information in support of managing water and monitoring the hazards and their impacts.

Water utilities are looking for smart solutions to affordably and reliably extend their network to improve service delivery. For utilities looking for ways to automate water meter readings, detect water leaks, improve efficiency and control water quality, ORBCOMM deliver remote water monitoring and utility management solutions. Its remote sensing technology monitors water levels, flow rates, water quality, and pollution—sending automated meter readings to allow actual consumption to be billed in real-time. SkyWave Mobile Communications, a provider of wireless satellite and satellite-cellular data communications, is developing and deploying several satellite-based water level monitoring solutions. Its satellite solutions provide a cost-effective means to install the connection. It also offers flexible user notifications, informing any number of people of the critical information about water data.

There is a wealth of proposed missions that seek to expand the current capabilities of water resource management. Digital water technology vendors promise a transformation with improved water management. Now CIOs can decide between the best-tailored solution to drive effective water management.

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