LEAD AUTHORS
Andrew Smith, Anglian Water Services | Joukje Keuning, Vitens | Michael Karl, AECOM | Fionn Boyle, Anglian Water Services, Jacobs | Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Karmous-Edwards Consulting | Shayna Ramboz, SWAN Forum
CONTRIBUTORS
Alan Tucker, Fay Bastow, & James Leverton, AECOM | Youri Amerlinck, Aquafin NV | Greg Norby, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District | Amin Kassam & Marek Ratajczak, Metro Vancouver | Jenny Francis, Hunter Water | Cecilia Correia, Bentley | Adi Lev-Tov, Complex Change | Andreu Fargas, Consorci Aigües de Tarragona | Tim Sutherns, Eramosa Engineering Inc. | Ryan Pearson, Grundfos Utility Analytics | Aditya Ramamurthy, Kennedy Jenks | Bojana Jankovic-Nisic, Jacobs | Tom Woolley, SUEZ | Mike Denoma, Rockwell Automation | Aris Witteborg, Twinn Aqua Suite | David Fortune, University of Exeter
FEATURED CASE STUDIES
BIOFOS | Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona | DHI | Gruppo CAP | Idrica/Global Omnium | Kempner Water Supply Corporation | Public Utilities Board, Singapore | Romagna Acque Società delle Fonti S.p.A. | Royal HaskoningDHV | Specific Energy | VCS Denmark | Veolia Water Technologies | Waterschapsbedrijf Limburg (WBL)
Executive Summary
The global water sector is grappling with unprecedented challenges, ranging from water scarcity, pollution and poor water quality to ageing infrastructure affordability concerns and operational intricacies. Against this backdrop, the integration of Digital Twins has emerged as a powerful and unifying solution. By leveraging the capabilities of Digital Twins, utilities can make optimised, data-informed decisions that advance water management practices, leading to increased sustainability, resilience and efficiency across the entire water lifecycle.
This guide explores how digital transformation, driven by Digital Twins, can address these critical challenges and deliver transformative outcomes by optimising asset lifecycle management and creating value.
As illustrated above, Digital Twins play a crucial role in every stage of the water asset lifecycle, from planning and design to procurement, construction, operations, maintenance, renewal or decommissioning. By leveraging Digital Twins throughout this lifecycle, utilities can unlock valuable insights, enhance decision-making, optimise asset performance and increase resilience across water resources, water supply, wastewater, conveyance and stormwater systems.
Given the diverse water demands across regions, tailored approaches are essential for successful implementation. By integrating advanced analytics, real-time monitoring, simulation and predictive capabilities, Digital Twins provide crucial insights that cater to the unique needs of each utility.
Successful adoption of Digital Twins requires a strategic approach that includes engineering expertise, technology integration, robust data management, organisational readiness and workforce development. Utilities must foster a data-centric culture, invest in employee training and align digital initiatives with broader business objectives. Leadership commitment, change management and employee engagement are critical for driving the successful adoption of these technologies.
As Digital Twins mature and integrate with existing systems, they unlock significant value by improving service delivery, enhancing customer engagement and building trust with stakeholders. Integrating Digital Twins across sectors, such as energy and local government, creates a holistic view of interdependent systems, enabling collaborative management and improved community outcomes.
To secure investment, smart water professionals must effectively communicate the value of Digital Twins. As a minimum, a business case should demonstrate how digital transformation can overcome challenges, drive innovation and ensure a sustainable, resilient future for our most precious resource.
Building upon the SWAN Digital Twin Readiness Guide, this guide examines the transformative potential of Digital Twins in the water sector, focusing on their ability to address both regional and global challenges. This paper serves as a guide for smart water practitioners to articulate the “why” and benefits of Digital Twins while encouraging leaders to fully leverage innovative investments. In summary, this paper aims to answer:
- How can digital transformation and the use of Digital Twins overcome challenges and drive transformative outcomes for the global water sector?
- How can digital transformation unlock valuable insights, empower a skilled workforce, facilitate business transformation, and bolster resilience in water and wastewater systems?
- How can smart water professionals effectively communicate the value of smart water to secure investments for initiatives aimed at achieving strategic outcomes?
Digital Twin Definition: “A dynamic digital representation of real-world entity(s) and their behaviors using models with static and dynamic data that enable insights and interactions to drive actionable and improved outcomes.”
– Reginal Joseph, Assistant Commissioner for Digital Transformation, NYCDEPIntegrating digital technologies is not just an option, but a strategic necessity to achieve long-term success.
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