About the project
Future City Water is an innovation project that secures our most important commodity. Our goal is to increase the pace of development of a smart network for drinking water supply from water source to tap.
The challenges
Water scarcity is one of the biggest challenges facing the world. Long periods of drought, leakage, pollution and quality disruptions put major strains on the drinking water supply in our cities. Digital solutions are needed in order to gain control over the entire water chain to ensure that every drop of water reaches the customer.
- Flow and water pressure are typically measured at a few points, which gives a limited picture of the water supply network. Some municipalities have started installing connected water meters, but these are installed mainly for billing purposes. Using data to get a better overview of the supply chain is still unchartered territory.
- Today, there is no overall picture based on data from different parts of the system, which makes it difficult to connect to the a fully integrated smart city. In the future, we will have access to a digitized drinking water supply network from source to end customer with safe and efficient delivery of high-quality drinking water. System-wide planning can be achieved when the network is fully integrated in the smart city. This also enables the development of new services.
The entire drinking water chain in one system
Future City Water delivers solutions for managing water supply by using digital technology – a complete solution from source to tap. With the help of real-time measurement and processing large amounts of data, the entire drinking water chain is optimized, which provides a better overview of water quality, consumption and possible operational disruptions. The benefits are reduced leakage, better forecasting and preparation for a crisis such as prolonged drought, as well as more energy-efficient water supply.
Data-driven decisions for an optimized system
With the help of smart measurements, AI and real-time control, data-driven decisions are made to optimize operations and facilitate long-term planning. Results from calculations and simulations are used to find leaks, identify quality problems and increase the energy-efficiency from source to customer. Residents can quickly receive information about consumption and operational disruptions, which in the long run enables behavior change and reduced consumption.
Future City Water contributes to the development of a smart drinking water supply network by collecting data – from historical data from existing sensors to drone technology at the water source. The project also develops an IoT platform and a decision support system for analyzing extensive amounts of data. Within the project, we work with the development of tomorrow’s business models and cross-sectoral innovation on how energy and water sectors together can achieve synergies in the smart city. We include property owners and end users in the development of tomorrow’s smart drinking water supply network.
Scaling up!
From 2020 to 2022, FWC’s models will be scaled up and tested in collaboration with water companies, service and development actors and universities. In Lake Mälaren (Test Zone 1), an operational model is being tested that can, among other things, forecast favorable conditions for algae bloom. The test is based on technology developed by Globhe Drones through their Vinnova-financed project IdentifAI Tomorrow´s Disasters.
In Laholmsbukten (Test Zone 2), solutions within groundwater optimization are tested, and in Test Zone 3 (Skåne) control strategies are tested for optimized operation of the distribution network. The work includes a merger with local water companies VA SYD, Sydvatten and NSVA’s models to be able to monitor and optimize the drinking water pipeline network on a large scale. In Testzone 4, the focus is on end customers. Residents monitor their consumption of water in real time, which together with information efforts constitutes a powerful tool for behavior change.
A tool for water suppliers
FCW’s tools can be used by municipal water and sewerage companies in order to gain control of the entire water supply chain and more quickly identify operational disruptions. Today, there is a need to get a better overview of the drinking water supply chain from groundwater water sources, via distribution networks to end users. The aim of the project is to contribute to significantly increasing the digital maturity in the water and sewerage sector and increase the pace of development of a smart network for drinking water supply.