Improving Remote Monitoring of Water Utilities

In this challenge, ADB aims to find smart water management solutions for water utilities that can monitor water operations, maintain service delivery, manage assets and staff performance, as well as identify vulnerabilities within service areas—all remotely. 

 

Water demand in urban and rural areas worldwide is increasing over time due to population growth and climate change. In today’s environment, the same challenges still exist but with the added complexities of the COVID-19 impact, such as continuity of services in light of fewer staff, lower ability to collect bills, and increase in water demand at the household level since people are at home more. Frequent handwashing, heightened sanitation, and enhanced disinfection have spiked the water demand significantly.

In times of crisis like COVID-19, service continuity for sustainable water supply is essential. Water utilities, along with local governments, need to ensure that there are enough workers to maintain assets, monitor water quality, report facility status, and identity leaks and disruptions. And even though there are no additional COVID-19–specific protections recommended for workers in wastewater management operations, treatment plants should still ensure that workers follow strict safe work practices to prevent exposure to wastewater. However, due to lockdown and physical distancing measures brought about by the pandemic, it has become a challenge to deploy workers at sites and maintain regular work schedules and capacity while still prioritizing safety. Staff shortage is one of the biggest concerns of water and waste management on top of increasing water demands from customers.

Given these issues, water utilities need smart water systems to monitor remotely every part of the water cycle—from sourcing to treatment to delivery to consumption—to respond faster to changing conditions, minimizing disruptions, and operating more efficiently.

 

How might we integrate smart water technologies like internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, and analytics to existing water systems to improve water utility asset management, monitor water supply operations, and manage staff remotely, especially in times of crisis like the COVID-19? 

 

Participants can explore the following areas of interests in this challenge: 

• Monitoring of water level and condition (through advanced telemetric devices, drones, or pressure sensors, among other)
• Demand forecasting or monitoring consumption to help manage the pressure and speed of water
• Asset management, detecting leaks and predictive maintenance
• Staff safety and operational performance including status reporting like workforce capacity and activities
• Tailored customer service, for example, real-time updates on closures and disruptions, hourly consumption, leak detection, and customer feedback

 

The selected solution will have potential seed funding of   USD 10,000  or more for selected pilots in ADB's developing member countries.