Facilitating access to clean water
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With water technology that we consistently develop to be safer and increasingly AI-embedded, we contribute to facilitate access to clean water.
We strengthen public water infrastructure by providing solutions for the management and treatment of water, as well as the data-driven reduction of water losses, for example for municipalities.
Clean water is an essential part of everyday life. At the same time, population growth, urbanisation and climate change are reshaping the demands placed on public water supply. Water utilities and local authorities face the challenge of reliably running complex infrastructure while using available resources efficiently.
Access to clean water begins long before it flows from the tap. Water must be extracted, treated, transported and distributed. After use, water must then be drained away and treated in order to recover fresh water. Each of these steps has its own requirements in terms of technology, operations and monitoring.
With our water technology and digital and AI solutions, we support a range of applications across the water cycle. The collection and analysis of operating data unlock additional possibilities to make facilities more transparent, manage operational processes more effectively and detect water losses earlier.
Identifying and reducing water losses
Operating data makes changes visible
Some of the treated water never reaches its intended destination. Possible causes may include leakage in pipes, changes in pressure conditions or faults within a network. The earlier such changes are detected, the more effectively operators can respond.
Digital records of pressure, flow and other operating data enable insight into the condition of installations and networks. Artificial intelligence can help to analyse large volumes of data, identify deviations and make anomalies visible at an early stage.
This enables more effective investigation of potential water losses and allows operational processes to be adjusted accordingly.
Case study: Thames Water – Water Safety and Optimisation, United Kingdom
Supplying water to more than 18 million people, Thames Water is one of Europe’s largest water utilities. The supply network in London and South East England comprises extensive and complex infrastructure that runs continuously and undergoes ongoing development.
As part of the Water Safety and Optimisation programme, Wilo is working alongside Integrated Water Services M&E (IWS) and other partners on the modernisation and digitalisation of pumping stations. Several thousand installations are being gradually upgraded and fitted with modern technical and digital solutions.
Using operating data increasingly opens up new opportunities to improve transparency around plant conditions, identify changes at an early stage and optimise operational processes more effectively. This project demonstrates the interrelation between the modernisation of water infrastructure, digitalisation and data-driven applications.
Transparency in water infrastructure operations
Digital technologies unlock new possibilities
A reliable water supply depends on operators knowing what is happening inside their infrastructure. Operating data can make changes visible and help operators understand technical systems more clearly.
Sensors and digital solutions capture various parameters across the water cycle. If this information is collated and analysed, operators can keep track of operating conditions continuously and investigate anomalies more effectively.
Artificial intelligence can help identify patterns in large datasets and point to changes or potential anomalies. This creates new possibilities for the data-driven monitoring and management of water infrastructure.
Practical example: Speaking Waters
Together with InstaDeep, we developed Speaking Waters, an AI-powered platform for water infrastructure applications. It links real-time data with artificial intelligence to analyse complex water systems, highlight anomalies and develop new approaches to their operation.
The stadiums and arenas of our sponsorship partners are a case in point, where a wide range of operating data can be consolidated and visualised clearly. This provides a more detailed picture of the water infrastructure and thus a basis for data-driven decisions and more targeted management.
Water infrastructure to meet growing demands
Bridging technology and digitalisation
Requirements for public water infrastructure are changing. Growing cities, new usage requirements and changes to climate conditions place additional demands on existing systems.
Water technology, digitalisation and artificial intelligence offer a range of approaches to operating and developing water infrastructure. They allow installations and processes to be examined in greater detail, operating data to be leveraged, and technical systems to be controlled more effectively.
Our solutions are deployed in a variety of areas – from water extraction and treatment to distribution and water management.
