How to ensure water security? Digitise the infrastructure

New York City recently played host to the UN’s first Water Conference in over 50 years. Over 700 pledges were made to promote transformation in the water sector, but the challenges to achieve these goals are undoubtedly immense.

Evident from the conference is that water sectors in many countries, including South Africa, face many challenges: ageing infrastructure, the impact of climate change, environmental degradation, the growing demand for water, and outdated water management solutions and strategies.

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However, and this is good news, the digital transition of the water sector can play a key role in accelerating progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean water and sanitation for all – while proactively addressing many of the abovementioned challenges.

Digital transformation provides visibility into water supply and demand patterns, identifying water usage inefficiencies and opportunities while reducing water losses, promoting water reuse, and circular economy principles at every scale. This all contributes to the development of an effective water management strategy.

That said, to realise digitisation, investment will have to be made. Upgrading outdated water systems to digital technology requires investment in sensors, monitoring equipment, and other tools to detect leaks and improve water efficiency.

Also, building technical expertise and engaging policymakers and regulators is important to support the adoption of digital solutions in the water sector. It is truly a team effort to build a water-secure future.

Deploying digital solutions

With the advent of the industrial internet of things (IIoT), a layer of intelligence – through the deployment of sensors and other monitoring equipment – can be added to every device in a water treatment and distribution system.

Then, by combining telemetry and cloud-based analytics with IIOT, water and wastewater (WWW) plants can proactively conserve water while taking steps to positively impact the environment and financial sustainability.

Listen/read: Nearly half of SA’s water is unsafe to drink

Digital transformation offers the following important benefits:

Real-time state of systems and processes: With digital tools, water professionals can access real-time information about the state of their systems and processes; this immediate insight allows for quicker decision-making and issue resolution.

Diagnosis and prediction: Predictive analytics helps utilities anticipate and prevent slowdowns and malfunctions, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Workflow and resource optimisation: By analysing data, utilities can optimise workflows and resource allocation, ensuring that operations run efficiently.

Energy efficiency: Digital systems enable utilities to fine-tune energy usage based on functional characteristics, reducing energy costs and environmental impact.

Peter Marumong is cluster WWW segment leader and Johan Potgieter is cluster industrial software lead at Schneider Electric.