Water & Wastewater Treatment

A digital revolution in water The Talk: opinion T he UKWP's recommendations are contained in a dra white paper and call to action: Digital Water – under- standing the commercial opportunities for UK plc, published for consultation on 3 December 2019. The plan includes calls for more focused research on the primary areas of com- mercial opportunity for the UK, increased collaboration across the UK water economy and more proactive marketing of UK digital water expertise. The white paper explains how digital "will impact every aspect of water, from management of sources, treatment tech- nology and efficiency, consumption and customer engagement, through to re-use, collection and recovery of economically and environmentally important resources. It has the potential to revolutionise the water sector and its interaction with customers and the supply chain in ways that were previously unimaginable." While the total global water market is thought to be worth $500 billion, figures in Digital Water suggest that the market for digital technology solutions in the water in- dustry is rising by more than seven per cent each year, reaching $30 billion by 2020. It describes "a host of digital opportu- nities for UK companies to significantly increase their global reach, through col- laboration between the water sector and the digital economy where the UK enjoys global prominence, in areas such as virtual reality and computer gaming." Digital Water explores digital opportu- nity across the wide spectrum of the water landscape, extending beyond the remit of municipal water and wastewater organisa- tions, to include agriculture, industry and the economy as a whole. According to Digi- tal Water, those opportunities include: Exploiting vast amounts of real time data to create enhanced actionable insight, which in turn leads to better decision making. Advances in sensor technology offers the potential for acquisition of data from a more distributed and diverse range of sources. Employing digital insight to improve business process performance by making individual steps more efficient, eliminating steps, or reconfiguring a business process as a whole. Professor Tony Conway: "We're looking to achieve engagement and consensus on these recommendations and to secure the stakeholder commitment needed to convert these plans into action. We're seeking diversity of thought and the widest possible involvement of everyone with a stake in the digital water economy and beyond. We would encourage everyone to provide their feedback to us using the response mecha- nisms contained in the document." The consultation period ends on 28 February 2020. For a copy of Digital Water, including details of the consultation process and how to participate, go to: www.theukwaterpartnership.org/ initiatives/digital-water The UK Water Partnership (UKWP) has launched a 10-point action plan to help ensure that UK plc wins its share of an estimated $30 billion market created by the digital revolution sweeping through the global water economy. As part of our Utility of the Future campaign, this article looks at what is being proposed. Combining developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics provides the means to reconfigure business processes, increasing efficiency. Utilising digital techniques to enable the creation of new markets, and hence the disruption of existing markets. Digital ap- proaches can create new markets by mak- ing information visible, doing so in a timely way, and enabling transactions. Enabling the creation of entirely new value adding products or services. Launching Digital Water, UKWP chair- man Richard Benyon said: "In an uncertain world, there are two things that we now know to be beyond dispute. Firstly, that our planet is facing a growing water scarcity crisis, and that urgent, coordinated action is essential if we are to successfully address it. "Secondly, that the digital revolution provides tremendous cause for optimism, that smart technologies, intelligently- applied at scale, can transform our ability to make real progress in the years ahead. The UK water industry is respected throughout the world and many of the digital innova- tions that have changed so much of our personal and working lives have originated here." The UK Water Partnership (UKWP) was established in 2015 and provides a strategic vision for the development and growth of the UK water industry. It brings together diverse water industry and related organisa- tions in a single coherent alliance, promot- ing mutual understanding, cooperation and coordination. Concludes Digital Water's lead author 8 | JANUARY 2020 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk Working alongside our sister brands Utility Week and Network, WWT is run- ning a year-long Utility of the Future campaign, which focuses on how companies can face up to the major tests they face on climate change, custom- ers, regulation, technology and skills & workforce. To achieve their targets, water companies will not only have to adopt new ideas and innovative technologies but to collaborate to identify solutions that can help the whole sector find the best route forward. This campaign will be brought to life at Utility Week Live in Birmingham from 19-20 May 2020. Visit www.utilityweeklive.co.uk

• Cover
• Contents
• The Talk
• In Focus
• The Knowledge
• Databank
• Watermarket
• The White Pages