Growing population and climate changes sweeping across the globe have put untold pressure on water networks. According to UN, as of March 1st 2018, there were 7.6 billion human beings on the planet, and this number will rise to around 10 billion by 2035 – all increasing demand on precious water resources. An aging infrastructure that is overly stressed by a rapidly increasing population, heavy rains and flooding is the root cause of leaks and bursts in pipes. Many Indian cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and parts of Haryana are already facing these issues. Not only does this water loss and contamination affect an organisation by increasing operational costs and failing to provide 24x7 water but, it also has a huge impact on the environment. The solutions for putting an end to this water loss are being furiously sought.

With these circumstances in mind, smart city initiatives are at a crucial juncture. Intelligent water management systems are a critical foundation to making Smart Cities successful. Smart Cities will have to plan and implement smart water solutions that can provide clean water on a 24x7 basis. 

A smart water solution is a fully integrated set of products which collects real-time meaningful and actionable data from the water network. As smart water solutions are implemented, water utilities are generating the same amount of data in one day that they previously generated in a year. The issue that utilities currently face is that this data is stored separately and in different areas of the business for different purposes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already a hot topic at boardroom tables. The amplification of human intelligence with AI will help smart cities to flourish like never before. By investing in AI technology, water utilities can collect and correlate the real-time data from their water network to achieve real-time data-driven business efficiencies. This data enables the water utility to improve leak detection, pinpoint leak location, verify leak alarms in real-time, eliminate false leak alarms, enhance real-time monitoring of the network, react to network or water quality issues quickly, manage pressure to reduce bursts and improve customer service to provide water 24x7. 

Utilities and Governments must implement next-generation smart water solutions in order to achieve 24x7 water supply and smart city development. Additionally, treating wastewater to a high standard would provide an additional and vital source of a city’s water supply, and this reuse of water is important to minimise the pressure on traditional sources. Many global cities have already successfully implemented technology to save precious resources. It is high time to expedite water conservation measures in every possible way to retain, recycle and reuse water in India too. The time to act is now! 

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