From reactive to proactive: Brabant Water’s transforms operations with Xylem Vue

As the speakers guided attendees through their experience — from strategic planning to live demonstration — they highlighted both the scale of ambition and the collaboration required to turn data into actionable intelligence. The result is more than a technical milestone; it is a fundamental change in how a water utility perceives, operates, and manages its network in real time.

From challenge to vision

Opening the discussion, Wouter Huisman placed the digital twin project in the context of Brabant Water’s evolving realities. “We have a limit to our water sources, and with an increasing population, we have a very big challenge to deal with that,” he said. Despite the Netherlands’ image as a water-rich nation, the province of Brabant has faced recurring droughts in recent years, forcing utilities to balance limited groundwater resources with growing demand. Add to that an ageing workforce and rising energy costs, and the case for digital transformation becomes urgent.

“From the start, we set a clear scope for the digital twin — that focus helped us avoid unnecessary complexity and stay on track” – Wouter Huisman

For Huisman and his team, digitalisation offered a path toward smarter, more responsive operations. “In 2025, Brabant Water has a real-time hydraulic model of the distribution network — and we call this the digital twin — and use this digital twin to be able to carry out data-driven interventions,” he explained.

That vision evolved into SOFIA — Smart Operations from Intelligent Assets, the company’s flagship innovation track within a wider modernisation agenda. Developed with Xylem Vue, SOFIA laid out a comprehensive blueprint for transformation. It defined every element needed to move from concept to practice — from the deployment of sensors and the design of IT architecture to the introduction of new competencies, training programmes, and organisational change.

By beginning with a holistic plan, Brabant Water ensured that its digital twin would not be an isolated technology project but a foundation for a new operational model — one where data, people, and processes are connected through a shared digital thread.

Building the digital core

After the strategic groundwork was laid, Ludo Beumer explained how Brabant Water turned its vision into a robust digital foundation. “One of the important decisions made in the project is where we’re going to host a data solution,” he said. The company chose Microsoft Azure for its reliability, security, and local hosting in the Netherlands, with full redundancy to ensure resilience.

“The most valuable part of the platform is that you can predict what will happen if a certain scenario takes place” – Ludo Beumer

Beumer described how an Azure Integration Platform now acts as the backbone of the digital twin, linking the utility’s systems — ERP, GIS, SCADA, and customer databases — with the Xylem Vue environment. “It’s the bridge that keeps everything working together,” he explained. Within this layer, Brabant Water manages authentication, data flow, and format changes without interrupting operations. “That gives us flexibility and control of our own data.”

His advice to peers was pragmatic: “Don’t integrate everything. Make wise decisions — dynamic data, of course, but not all the static asset data needs to be integrated.” By focusing on the information that changes most often — flow, pressure, and consumption — Brabant Water has kept the platform lean and adaptable. The result, Beumer said, is an architecture that can evolve with future technologies rather than be constrained by them.

Seeing the digital twin in action

A live demonstration, led by Wouter Huisman, showed how those technical layers translate into real-world insight. Using the Xylem Vue interface, Huisman simulated a valve closure within one section of the network. In seconds, the nodes on screen turned red, revealing the extent of the likely pressure drop and which customers would be affected. “Now we know which customers are likely to be impacted, we can connect this also with our customer systems,” he said.

“The goal was not to deliver Xylem Vue modules, but the digital twin for the smart operation … It’s not them or us — it’s us” – Maricruz Olivas

He then simulated a burst scenario to illustrate predictive functionality. The model recalculated in real time, allowing operators to visualise impacts and test responses before taking action. “These simulations and insights from the platform help us to get an overview,” Huisman noted. “They also support our new control room, which can advise field teams on how to respond to incidents.”

As Beumer added, “The most valuable part of the platform is that you can predict what is likely to happen if a certain scenario takes place.” From the IoT Core managing live sensor data to Unified Network Management dashboards, the system now enables Brabant Water’s teams to monitor, anticipate, and optimise operations — a true shift from reactive to proactive network management.

Organisational change and early outcomes

Beyond the technology, the speakers described a transformation in culture and structure. New roles have emerged — data scientists, IoT managers, test specialists — and new ways of working have taken root. “What we see with this project is that we are really breaking through silos,” Huisman said. “We are working together with colleagues from all these departments — production, distribution, customer — and that’s really working as one company.”

Be Agile’ really sums up this project — it shows how progress comes from moving forward, learning, and adapting in real time” –– Ruth Clarke

Training of users followed a hybrid approach: initial vendor sessions were carried out with “key users” who were in turn able to train other users. “When people start working with it, then they can train their other colleagues,” Huisman explained.

The project is already paying off: improved visibility, more control, and the ability to offer new customer services, such as early leak alerts or automated billing. But perhaps the most valuable outcome is mindset. “Be agile, and just take the step forward,” Huisman concluded. “You can sit for hours and days in meeting rooms discussing how things should look, but reality will always be different. Just take the step forward — and you will experience how it is to have smart water meters, sensors, this platform.”

Questions, reflections, and lessons

Moderator Ruth Clarke led an engaging Q&A session, drawing out insights on complexity, collaboration, and governance. Asked what made the project most complex, Huisman pointed to coordination: “You have so many pieces in the puzzle that you have to bring together … you have to bring everybody together and speak the same language in order to make it work.” Beumer added: “The landscape is quite complex … the backgrounds of all the partners involved were different. The part we did very well is to align all those parties to give them a common goal.”

Maricruz Olivas reflected on the alignment and flexibility needed to keep that collaboration effective: “The goal was not to deliver Xylem Vue modules, but the digital twin for the smart operation. It’s not them or us — it’s us.” She emphasised that success required planning with adaptability in mind: “It’s important to have a plan, but also stay flexible, keep the end goal in sight, and adapt to real conditions.” Her comments captured the cooperative, solutions-driven mindset that underpinned the entire programme.

The panel also discussed managing scope and user adoption. Huisman explained that the original blueprint served as a reference point: “If people have questions, can we do this or that, we go back to the blueprint — that’s the basis of what we are building.” Beumer noted that they also de-scoped certain features when effort outweighed value.