Tackling water security with tech and data-driven insights

It’s time to talk straight about water scarcity. Our waterways are in danger—you know it, I know it, everybody knows it.

Around the world, we are witnessing the devastating impact of rising global temperatures, resource depletion, and extreme weather events. This is no small challenge we’re up against.

Governments and organisations around the world have spent billions over the past several decades in an attempt to address the challenges at hand. There have been several successes in this area—A case in point is the island-state Singapore.

For over two decades, Sinapore’s National Water Agency, PUB, has successfully added large-scale nationwide rainwater harvesting, used water collection, treatment and reuse, and seawater desalination to its portfolio of conventional water sources, to achieve long-term water sustainability.

Notably, by 2060, they are seeking to make Singapore more self-sufficient by supplying 30 per cent of desalinated water to the country as opposed to importing water.

More recently, we’ve seen Cape Town taking some drastic measures to face the water crisis by implementing daily limits on the use of freshwater and imposing fines on misusers.

As time passes, we can expect more and more countries to succumb to the weight of rapid urbanisation and human activity, resulting in many of their conservation efforts going in vain.

The question must be asked: What can be done to protect an irreplaceable resource that all of mankind depends on?

It is obvious that, at this stage, we need pretty big solutions to tackle this crisis. And today, technology most naturally is the answer to many of the world’s problems—including that of water scarcity.

Not only can it improve the availability and accessibility of clean water, but it can also significantly reduce water waste commercially and across homes—which is the most basic yet important premise of water security. And this is where utility providers have a critical role to play.

In recent years, the development of sensors, connected devices, and communication networks has revolutionised the industry at large. However, the uptake in the water space has been riddled with legacy and infrastructure issues in many parts of the globe.

What utilities need to understand is that by implementing intelligent, data-driven systems on a commercial scale, they have a real opportunity to stay ahead. Having a complete overview of the water network and gaining access to critical data sets can mitigate water loss issues across the transition line efficiently, as they provide insights in real-time to ensure accurate water accounting, and reduce non-revenue water loss – which is one of the biggest challenges to water security and contribute to an estimate of physical water losses at 32 billion cubic meters each year.

Beyond that, adding layers of AI to digital control systems, leveraging machine learning and virtual reality, and applying advanced data analytics to water management can create decision intelligence. This can initiate better system-level choices today and make recommendations to improve future operations, maintenance, and capital planning — helping utilities make dramatic progress on the problems that matter most to the communities they serve.

As we move forward, especially in a world where water is critical for each and everyone’s survival, there is an urgent need for the fundamental re-wiring of the way we approach the water scarcity issue. Without a doubt, no one government, organisation, or individual has the answer, but by leveraging the technology, building collaborations, and driving a sincere commitment to tackle this evidentially gargantuan problem, there is hope to make a sustainable difference for the better.

 Naji Skaf is the managing director of Xylem Middle East and Turkey