Smart Water Magazine welcomes 2024 with a new purpose: to enhance your reading experience by heightening focus on subjects we believe most captivating in the water sector. From this week onwards, we will be launching a new structure for our newsletters, delivering three specialized newsletters each week, centring on Water and Wastewater Treatment (Tuesdays), Digital (Wednesdays), and Utilities & Water Security (Thursdays). Our regular weekly newsletters will persist, arriving every Monday.
These themed newsletters will allow our readers to stay tuned to the most relevant news, and discover insightful interviews and in-depth feature articles across these various subjects. Concerning digitalization in the water industry, we will delve into the latest breakthroughs, and follow the digital transformation of this sector closely, speaking to international experts and leaders of this domain.
SWM’s most-read digitalization news in 2023
In a world increasingly focused on sustainability and resource efficiency, the digitalization of the water cycle is an imperative need. Last year, Smart Water Magazine was witness to this requirement and responsibility with companies and utilities introducing ever-more innovative solutions for increasing challenges, including the reduction of non-revenue water, the monitorization of water quality, and streamlining operating and maintenance costs in integrated water-cycle services and infrastructures.
The following are the 10 most-read stories regarding digitalization:
A water treatment plant in Hong Kong serving 7.5 million people implemented Envirosuite’s Plant Optimiser digital twin technology to reduce coagulant costs. The technology, applied to the coagulation process, provides automated recommendations for optimal plant settings, resulting in a 23.3% reduction in alum use.
VA SYD, one of Sweden's major utilities, tackled the global issue of water pipe leakage by implementing an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) project. The aim was to detect and eliminate water leaks, reducing non-revenue water from 10% to less than 8%.
Aganova's Nautilus System, developed in 2015, utilizes sensor-equipped spheres to identify leaks and anomalies without interrupting service. In 2022, the Nemo Platform digitalized data from field operations, and in 2023, Aganova introduced the Jabega System, an innovative solution for detailed analysis of water transport networks.
ACCIONA, a global leader in sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy, opened its first Middle East office in Dubai in 2008 and has since expanded its business activities in the Gulf region. Julio de la Rosa, Business Development Director for the Middle East, discusses ACCIONA's strategy, emphasizing a focus on sustainability, circular economy, and the water-energy nexus.
The United Nations' first Water Conference in 50 years, held in March in New York City, emphasized the urgent need to address the global water crisis. Over 700 pledges were made to achieve a water-secure world, with a focus on digital technologies like sensors and artificial intelligence to enhance water resource management.
Xylem and Idrica partnered to create Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua, a software platform addressing the challenges of disconnected water utility systems. It organizes data into a unified model, aiding utility managers in accessing information efficiently.
In 2025, about 3.5 billion people will live in water-scarce areas, with a 30% increase in water demand by 2050. The risk of flooding is also expected to rise. Water utilities are using technology trends like pre-emption, security, reuse, automation, optimization, and planning to address challenges from demographic growth, economic changes, and climate change.
The Water Innovation Living Lab (WILL) is a 16-week incubator supporting early-stage technology spin-offs and startups in the global water sector. Sponsored by Bonomi Group and managed collaboratively, WILL selected ten candidates focused on addressing water challenges.
Water and wastewater operators are embracing digital twin technology for efficient and cost-effective management of water cycles. Digital twins, powered by machine learning, provide real-time decision support systems, optimizing treatment processes, minimizing energy consumption, and ensuring water quality compliance.
Canal de Isabel II in the Community of Madrid is digitizing its water cycle and plans to offer remote reading services to its 1.5 million customers. Vodafone secured a 25 million euro contract to supply 315,000 water meters with integrated NB-IoT technology for automatic remote reading.
What we expect to see in digitalization in 2024
This year promises to be an exciting and eventful year for digitalization, as utilities worldwide are discovering the power of technology to address some of their most pressing challenges. Foremost, the growing water crisis. Nowadays, between two and three billion people worldwide experience water shortages. These shortages will worsen in the coming decades, has warned the UN, and will require innovative solutions and the latest technology to tackle them. Moreover, cybersecurity will continue to be a pivotal concern, reflecting the growing reliance on digital infrastructure in water supply services. Water reuse will also gain prominence, driven by the need to meet rising demand while ensuring public health, and we believe automation will take center stage for process optimization and improved cycle management.
An increase in funding as governments support these endeavors through plans and subsidies to enhance water efficiency and resilience, will present a significant opportunity for water utilities to leverage digital projects and foster a circular economy.
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