Programme

At the very core of digital twins and models, the two families ‘knowledge driven’ and ‘data driven’ models do their work. Our industry can be quite confused when it comes to understanding these concepts. This will be an educational talk that outlines the different frameworks and their respective applications.

This presentation explores how Aigües de Barcelona (AB), in collaboration with Cetaqua, is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to transform water management through its Digital Lab initiative. We delve into two impactful projects utilizing computer vision and digital twins, showcasing their real-world applications in AB’s operational activities. Discover how computer vision is enhancing process monitoring and enabling early problem detection in both wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. Furthermore, we explore the successful implementation of digital twins for predicting water quality issues and optimizing asset management. Join us to learn how these cutting-edge technologies are driving efficiency, sustainability, and informed decision-making in the water sector.

As the sector strives for Net-Zero we will see a push for new low-carbon technologies being implemented across our WasteWater infrastructure. Integrating these into the existing system will be essential in meeting the targets whilst minimising costs and ensuring environmental compliance. Whilst modelling and simulations are not new to the Water sector, applying them across a full system to understand the CNZ performance is. Water companies will need to understand the emissions performance of the integrated system and balance this against Opex and effluent compliance. This will require the capability to measure and monitor Net-Zero performance, predict future performance under different scenarios, and optimise the overall system, in near real time, to balance the different drivers. Is this where the Digital Twin comes in, delivering these capabilities in a consistent, efficient, and useable way?

In this presentation, we will focus on the practicality of using smart water solutions to build digital twins powered by real-time data. Instead of focusing on innovation, we’ll delve into how these tools provide useful information—the data we need to understand what’s happening right now in our waterways. By integrating continuous monitoring into digital twins, we gain a clear, accurate picture of current water conditions, which equips us with the facts necessary to make informed decisions for long-term water management.

Digital twins allow us to see how water systems are functioning in the present, offering a direct, grounded view that helps us identify issues as they arise. This immediate knowledge empowers us to take practical steps to improve water quality and resource management. To predict the future we must see the present clearly, it’s the foundation for making smarter, more sustainable improvements, quickly.

In 2015, the United Nations defined Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) to ensure safe water access for billions of people by 2030. By 2024, it was widely acknowledged that we are significantly behind on this goal. There are multiple challenges, one of which is how to scale up the development of distributed water production units. A key factor in this effort is optimizing operations. Digitalization and real-time monitoring using LoRaWAN technology provide one solution that can aid in scaling up. During this presentation, we will review two examples of real-world deployment in rural areas in Cambodia and refugee camps in Africa, exploring the challenges faced, the benefits realized, and the lessons learned.

The presentation will highlight the transformative power of AI and machine learning in optimizing water distribution networks, enhancing water quality monitoring, and enabling predictive maintenance strategies.

This presentation will focus on the identification of the key challenges that affect the rapid adoption of digital innovative technologies and solutions by water utilities in South Africa.  More importantly, it will illustrate the results of a recent digital maturity assessment study that was completed and how through the model of piloting and testing of digital innovative solutions the organization has been able to improve its digital maturity.

Arup and SCALGO have been working in collaboration to combine years of experience in designing NbS and state of the art data analysis algorithms to build a new web-based opportunity mapping and hydrological modelling software package, NatureInsight, that puts the design and planning of NbS in the hands of those seeking to implement schemes. This talk will present the technical development behind NatureInsight and parallel lightweight hydrological modelling software to demonstrate how NbS can be more readily assessed on schemes and business cases can be developed for the implementation.

This technical session introduces a qualitative knowledge-based method, which has been used to plan the renewal works of some Iranian networks comprising pipes with unreliable operational data. The results of this session will indicate that using the qualitative knowledge-based method proposed, it is possible to determine the effective criteria for renewal planning of the water pipes in the networks where the use of data-based methods is limited. In addition, it will be revealed that the plans for renewal works of pipes with imprecise numerical operational data can be improved by using the qualitative-based method, which has been implemented in 6 case studies of Iran.

The presentation will showcase Isle’s research on digital solutions in utilities, focusing on two main areas:
1. The Digital Utility Maturity Assessment (DUMA) identifies the current digital maturity of utilities ( from where a utility’s digital stands today to where it wants to be) analyzing gaps in people, processes, and technologies. DUMA provides global recommendations to help utilities achieve their digital goals, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
2. One of the areas that DUMA researches is customer service and the use of smart meters. Indeed many water utilities have reduced non-revenue water significantly through smart meters, with countries like Australia, the USA, and the UK leading the way. The study that will be shown proposes a framework, in collaboration with Water Research Commission, to address water loss through smart metering. It aims to understand the key drivers and barriers specifically in South Africa to support a strategic approach to smart metering in the country.

This presentation delves into how Catchment Monitoring as a Service (CMaaS®) is revolutionising continuous water quality monitoring (CWQM) in response to the UK’s forthcoming river health monitoring regulations, with a focus on leveraging IoT, modelling and artificial intelligence (AI). We’ll provide a technical demonstration of CMaaS® – created by Additive Catchments, Siemens, AtkinsRealis and Galliford Try – to showcase its end-to-end turnkey solution that integrates advanced IoT sensor networks, real-time data analytics, and AI-driven insights for risk management and decision-making. By highlighting case studies from our pilot with Anglian Water, we’ll illustrate how CMaaS® employs AI algorithms for real-time data analysis, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance, achieving up to 30% cost savings while ensuring compliance with stringent regulatory requirements. As similar regulations are anticipated across Europe and other markets, attendees will gain valuable insights into overcoming technical challenges in deploying scalable, AI-enhanced CWQM solutions, and positioning their organisations for future regulatory readiness.

The use-oriented digitization of water systems is limited above all by the lack of reliable spatial rainfall data. Without such rain data, for example, an essential input variable is missing for the (predictive) determination of inflow volumes, which are of particular importance for control tasks. NIVUS RAIN is a digital service that is able to make an important contribution here based on a swarm measurement network of precipitation sensors and hybrid AI-supported forecasting technology. With the near street-level forecast in the last 60 minutes, NIVUS RAIN enables effective alerting and hazard prevention by emergency services and provides fundamental support in improving flood protection. In addition to the technology, this presentation will also present the experiences from three pilot projects and discuss the possibilities for further use of the data.

In the global water sector, reliability and energy efficiency often appear to be at odds. With challenges like aging infrastructure, an aging workforce, rising energy prices, and water scarcity, it can seem that enhancing one aspect might compromise another. For instance, optimizing pumps to operate them near their best efficiency points (BEPs) could conflict with achieving desired flow rates during high demand periods.
In this presentation, we’ll explore how proactive asset management, supported by continuous condition monitoring, effectively addresses these challenges. By integrating real-time data analytics, utilities can simultaneously improve operational efficiency and reliability, demonstrating that these objectives can complement each other. Through practical case studies and expert insights, we’ll show how modern condition monitoring systems enable data-driven decisions that increase asset lifetime, reduce failures, enhance energy efficiency, and lower operational costs.
Join us to discover how adopting a proactive approach can transform your asset management practices, steering them toward more resilient, sustainable, and efficient operations.

Through Fiber Optic Sensing, optical fibers can used to sense acoustic signals and temperature changes inside any pressurized pipeline, in real time and spatially accurate across entire networks. By analyzing and combining the acoustic and temperature signals, a wide range of monitoring applications have been and are being developed: Leak detection, illegal tapping detection, situational awareness around networks, steel-reinforcement breaks, remote asset control and data communication,.. with more to come.

In an era where data is abundant yet often fragmented, DouroECI’s approach transforms raw data into actionable insights, empowering informed decision-making in infrastructure asset management. By bridging data gaps, integrating cross-data analysis, and leveraging machine learning, DouroECI helps water utilities gain a comprehensive view of their assets. This methodology not only supports efficient asset planning and management but also optimizes investments and promotes sustainable development.

Qatium visualizes water networks and connects intelligence for faster decision-making. We give utilities full visibility to run and optimize their networks in an open, digital environment. Whether managing a small-town network or overseeing a vast regional system, Qatium’s user-friendly platform has customizable options and plans to fit unique needs.

Based on an integrated vision of infrastructure asset management, from operations to strategic decision-making, and operating exclusively in the water sector, DouroECI today offers a variety of services and tools to water utilities. The services provided include hydraulic engineering projects, which encompass the development of hydraulic models for water supply and urban drainage networks, consulting services, providing technical assistance to water utilities (in various aspects), project management, and the development of technical studies and plans focused on water efficiency and inflow and infiltration (I&I) in sewer systems. The aim of this presentation is to present the software solutions offered by DouroECI: ION (asset management tool), OBI (data integration and reporting tool) and WIT (advanced analytics).

The presentation will address the Digital Product Passport (DPP) which allows users to access all product information easily, streamline spare part ordering, and improve customer service response times. The European Commission plans to mandate DPPs for various industries by 2030, which will help operators manage assets more efficiently. Smart products with intelligent automation modules and app control enable data collection and monitoring, supporting a range of water treatment applications. When combined with the DPP, these products offer significant advantages such as easier asset management, reduced manual processes, and continuous access to documentation.

AI, and its evolution toward Generative AI, is poised to revolutionize the way data is analysed and valuable information is generated. Water digitalization is no exception to this trend, and data management technology platforms are enriched with AI to generate value for operators. MonoM will present how it is using AI and Machine Learning to solve use cases in the water cycle, from a holistic perspective that covers virtually all the analytical needs of operators, and how Generative AI enhances recommendation processes, positively impacting operators’ return on investment.

By using GIS and hydraulic models, live data and other data sources, water utilities are empowered to make informed strategic and operational decisions such as targeting the best mains for replacement in clean water network, investing in a combined sewer system to reduce floodings and CSOs or monitor their networks and detect leaks in real time. But how to ensure that these decisions are optimal considering a range of competing objective and constraints such as cost, level of performance, risk, etc? Let’s explore how Suez help water utilities in addressing these challenges through its dedicated suite of software solutions: Optimizer, Asset Advanced, and Aquadvanced Water Networks.

AQS Leak Management technology provides an advanced solution for continuous daily monitoring of your water network. Strategically installed on fire hydrants and valves along the pipeline, these sensors offer high accuracy in suspected leak location, with a precision of ±1 m. AQS sensors are compatible with various pipe materials and diameters, ensuring versatile applications across the water network. Key dirretentiations are: 1. Advanced Acoustic Monitoring, 2. Human-as-a-Service and In-Depth Analysis Integration, 3. Environmental Impact and 4. Long-Term Value and Cost-Effectiveness.

Vassar Labs is an MIT alumnus-founded climate tech company- that has developed aquaWISE, a cloud-based platform that empowers key policymakers, utilities and industries with advanced tools for real-time monitoring and predictive water management. By integrating IoT, AI/ML, satellite data, and digital twins, aquaWISE optimizes reservoir operations, water distribution, reduces non-revenue water, and enhances operational efficiency with ready decision support. The platform is ideal for addressing gaps in water management, climate change and related risks. Further, ensuring regulatory compliance, water security and supporting sustainability goals. aquaWISE delivers cost benefits by improving asset management, reducing operational expenses, and extending infrastructure life—making it a competitive solution in the rapidly evolving digital water market.

Join us for a live demonstration of Purecontrol’s innovative platform, PureConnect, showcasing its real-time AI-powered predictive control solutions designed to optimize energy or chemical usage and enhance water treatment processes. Through real examples from WWTP using Purecontrol, we will explore how our self-learning platform predicts critical parameters and optimizes phosphorus removal dosing strategies, or the planning of aeration cycles. Discover how Purecontrol’s technology offers real-time visibility, predictive insights, and ultimately manages to reduce energy costs, chemical injection, and provide unparalleled transparency in operations.

Imagine that you have a unique tech solution, customizable and agnostic, where you can integrate all the data from SCADA, GIS, LIMS, all the sensors and IoT in one single place, controlled by you, in real time. Imagine that at the same time, you can gather all the operations in a seamless interface that people in the field use and like. And imagine that the platform enables efficient operations and intelligent informed decision-making. Your vision is our platform, this is NAVIA. In the session, we’ll show some incredible live examples.

Designed for comprehensive monitoring, AQS-SYS Platform automates the detection and analysis of leaks, making it easier to proactively safeguard your water network infrastructure. With its powerful features and user-friendly interface, this system enhances water savings by improving leak detection performance by up to 50% and allows water utilities to repair leaks up to five times faster than traditional methods, ensuring quicker resolutions and minimizing water loss for a more resilient and efficient network.

Experience the application of Digital Water Management developed by Vassar Labs. One Stop Solution powered by aquaWISE that aggregates data from IoT sensors, satellite data, AI/ML algorithms, GenAI, scientific modeling etc. for monitoring, prediction, planning and management of water in the supply and demand cycle. This ensures sustainable utilization of water resources and maximizes water use efficiency. The platform combines science and data to support decisions on the entire cycle of water. These include large-scale river basins, reservoirs, dams, canal systems, lakes and groundwater. Further, aquaWISE does real-time monitoring of water utilities, urban water  supply and distribution networks, water accounting & allocation, sectoral water use, analytics on weather patterns, flood early warnings and water-related risk assessments.