Member Spotlight

Richard Vestner, Vice President – Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems is the infrastructure engineering software company. We provide innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Our industry-leading OpenFlows water, wastewater and stormwater software solutions are used by professionals, and organisations of every size, for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of water systems

What is water’s role in smart cities and how do you see that evolving?

Water is an essential domain in cities – a city isn’t smart if water issues aren’t comprehensively addressed. Water is linked to other critical services such as energy and transport and must be considered holistically to ensure reliable and sustainable services. Growing populations and climate change require resilient water systems that ensure consistent access to clean water and safe wastewater management, even under stress. Smart water solutions help cities manage floods, reduce water losses (non-revenue water), and respond to extreme weather conditions. This aligns with the overall goals of climate resilience and sustainability. However, this requires integration with other urban systems to create cross-sectoral efficiencies.

I expect greater use of digital tools and services in the future. Digital twins, IoT sensors, and real-time monitoring enable cities to visualise, simulate, and manage water systems more efficiently. This creates a dynamic, data-driven approach to water management and enables collaboration across the entire lifecycle. Furthermore, advanced AI-powered analytics and predictive modeling enable cities to anticipate and prevent failures, shifting from costly, reactive maintenance to proactive and optimised (water) system operations. This is where Bentley’s commitment to enabling smart water infrastructure comes into play, providing software solutions that help water utilities design, operate, and optimise resilient water systems.

What do you see as significant regional water/wastewater challenges and smart water opportunities?

Obviously, many of the water challenges are global, as they originate from climate change or resource limitation. However, due to the physical nature and regional conditions, we also observe variations which call for different approaches.

In Germany, supply and disposal systems must be restructured, technically and dimensionally, for the coming decades. Therefore, public water management must be prioritised through sustainable investments in infrastructure. Adaptation to climate change and flood protection are a joint task. Germany needs comprehensive heavy rainfall risk management, which must be integrated into urban land-use planning. The same applies to the concept of water-sensitive urban development with a blue/green infrastructure. Finally, the revised EU Urban Wastewater Directive represents a major challenge for the industry because of nutrient removal regulations, requiring higher system performance.

In North America the challenges stem mainly from aging and deteriorating infrastructure. This requires large-scale rehabilitation, but the labor shortage is a huge concern as it puts pressure on how best to get the work done. We observe severe weather events like droughts and water scarcity in western states or the Colorado Basin. However, water utilities face tight budgets, so they are forced to prioritise investments, often postponing critical infrastructure upgrades.

To address these challenges, capital planning with digital delivery and use of asset management IT systems must scale, and the adoption of digital tools and digital twins has a big potential to get more done with less. AI-enabled analysis and integration of data can help create more accurate understanding of existing system conditions and help engineers anticipate future demands, optimise processes, and address risks. Smart water networks with predictive leak detection can reduce non-revenue water. Simulating, monitoring, and optimising operations, and ultimately enabling predictive maintenance, scenario analysis and emergency response planning can help make the most of public budgets.

What does “scaling smart water” mean to you?

It means making digital solutions for intelligent water management accessible, adaptable, and impactful regardless of the size of the utility so that it can address their specific challenges. It also means having the right technology partner to ensure smart water solutions can be adjusted to the needs of a city or a utility.

Businesses often refer to large implementations, empowering complex utilities and cities to manage vast networks through integrated solutions. However, digital solutions must also be valuable in smaller applications. Not every utility or city has the size, resources, maturity, or immediate need for a full-fledged smart water environment.

We often talk about democratising technology so that every utility regardless of size or sophistication can take advantage of data, digital tools, or digital twins, improving service delivery, protecting resources, and building resilience for the future.

What advice would you give to someone just getting started in their water career?

First of all: Congratulations! This is an exciting, rewarding, and purposeful industry. Stay curious and try to combine your strengths with the diverse opportunities and requirements. Be passionate and good at what you do today; then you’ll be recommended tomorrow and receive development opportunities. Make digital tools and AI technology your companions, making your daily work easier or more interesting and giving you more time for the creative aspects of your work.