Water supply is also becoming an increasingly important issue in Germany.
(Photo: dpa)
munich In times of climate change, water scarcity is becoming a growing threat. “Water will become as important as carbon dioxide is today,” said Anja Eimer, head of Siemens’ global water management business.
In Germany, they didn’t bother with this for a long time – after all, water flows reliably from the tap. But now that Europe also faces the threat of a longer dry spell, the topic has drawn attention. This is also shown in the National Water Strategy announced by the federal government.
1. Problem: Too much potable water is lost through leaks
In some parts of the world, up to 70% of treated drinking water is wasted. Even in industrialized countries with more modern infrastructure, large numbers are at risk. For example, VA Syd, the Swedish water company that provides drinking water to more than half a million people in southern Sweden, was addressing the problem and found that the company had lost about 10 percent of its water to leaks.
Larger leaks were found relatively quickly in a network of more than 5,000 kilometers long. With smaller holes, water will slowly escape through the hole, making it more difficult, if not impossible. Digging into the ground and looking for leaks is usually not an option.
2. Solution: AI to identify abnormalities
“We want to make the existing infrastructure even smarter,” said Siemens manager Aimer. To do this, artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be trained using past flow and pressure data. The cloud-based application Siwa Leak Plus then monitors the data in day-to-day operations and can automatically detect anomalies, identify the location of the leak and pinpoint the most likely cause.
Now you can spot smaller leaks that lose half a liter of water every second, says Va Syd development engineer Victor Pelin. According to Siemens, water loss can be reduced by 50%.
>> Read here: Drought and its aftermath: These graphics document the scramble for water
The economic aspect is also taken into account, says Siemens manager Aimer: “The system makes a recommendation as to when it is worthwhile to fix the leak.”
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The Siwa clogging predictor is designed to predict pipe clogging to improve the performance of sewer networks. Example: Yorkshire Water in the UK operates 55,000 kilometers of sewers. One problem so far is that when it rains, the water overflows due to clogged pipes.
With the help of artificial intelligence, the company now hopes to cut the number of accidents in half by 2025. The software should announce impending jams two weeks in advance. “This allows our teams to intervene before harmful wastewater is released,” said Yorkshire Water Manager Heather Sheffield.
3. Outlook: Huge economic potential
This topic will continue to gain in importance in the coming years due to the climate crisis. The United States alone wants to invest $55 billion in water infrastructure improvements. Modernization also plays a central role in Germany’s water strategy, which lays out 78 specific measures up to 2030.
The industry has high hopes accordingly. “This topic is of high priority for Siemens,” Eimer said. Customer demand is already very high.
Siemens is also convinced that the results of research on water management can also be used in other areas, such as oil pipelines and industry. “Your imagination has no limits,” Aimer said. AI is already being used for agricultural irrigation.
more: Technologies, suppliers, advice – how to invest in solving future water scarcity