There has been much literature about how global demand for water will exceed our fresh water supply by 2030, that in a number of communities residents are provided with drinking water that does not meet safe health standards (Flint, MI and more), and that an estimated quarter of a million US water mains break, leaking over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water annually. Our infrastructure is crumbling and water management can use improvement; all during a time when fresh water sources are declining. Yet governments have less resources to spend for upgrades. What can be done to economically improve our water management systems?

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates fixing US water infrastructure issues (pipes, pumps, treatment, etc.) will cost close to $1 trillion. While this is important to maintain and upgrade, can smart water grid management address distribution and safety issues, saving money in the long-term?

While electric utilities and transportation systems are beginning to embrace and implement “smart” and more efficient generation, distribution, and management, the same approach applied to drinking water has not yet gained much momentum. The US needs smart water grid systems to efficiently and reliably manage safe drinking water.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is available to conduct regular testing of such potential contaminants as lead (a major concern for child development), copper, arsenic, chlorine, dissolved oxygen, silica, and nitrites. The relative safety of water along the supply and treatment chain can be detected and trends identified, resulting in better management of what the proper treatment of water is and where it should take place, ultimately providing safer water and managing and minimizing costs.

Similarly, AI should be able to regularly traverse even a complex set of pipes, pumps, tanks, and reservoirs, and detect changes in pressure and leaks and send appropriate alarms to pinpoint where the leak occurs for the utility to repair, again, saving taxpayer money and water costs.

A major concern is that most water utilities are local in scope, just covering a city, district, or county. Many technology fixes are expensive to procure, install and operate. Larger entities, such as states or regions, can bring together several water utilities to share and minimize upfront costs and allow consistent AI and approaches to implement interactive, smart water management systems with networks of sensors communicating with each other and management to deliver warnings of potentially unsafe water supply and of the actual or potential presence, degree, and location of leaks in real time. Trained professionals can then divert and treat water appropriately to bring a supply back to standard and can pinpoint where repairs should take place, avoiding major upheavals of the entire system.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 is a throwback to supplying more money to fix immediate problems. Let’s hope utilities and governments think more forward and use AI for long-term improvements in supply and reliability of our critical drinking water supply.

CCES can help your company assess your entire portfolio, including water, air and greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and other impacts. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or karell@CCESworld.com.