Member Spotlight
Alexander Ubl, Co-Founder & CTO – STREAMETRIC
STREAMETRIC revolutionises water & wastewater with intelligent monitoring. We offer an innovative cloud SCADA solution that empowers utilities to provide reliable and safe infrastructure to the people. Our turnkey solutions combine hosted software, integrated hardware, and AI capabilities into a package that is secure and obtainable for utilities of all sizes. With STREAMETRIC customers can reduce the effort to implement and maintain their SCADA system and overcome tomorrow’s challenges in the industry: I&I, overflows, leakages and labor shortage.
In your mission, you speak about empowering utilities for a smart tomorrow. Please describe your vision of what a smart tomorrow looks like for water utilities.
A smart tomorrow for water utilities is one where digital transformation allows utilities to be more proactive, efficient, and resilient in the face of growing challenges. Across the globe, utilities are facing a perfect storm of issues: an aging workforce with high retirement rates, increasing regulatory pressures, climate-driven extreme weather events, and aging infrastructure that requires more intensive monitoring and maintenance. A global macro-trend affecting utilities is the increasing difficulty in finding qualified labor. In the US, for example, there is an annual workforce reduction in the water & wastewater sector of 10% annually. In addition, utilities deal with aged infrastructure, extreme weather events and increased regulation. In STREAMETRIC’s of a smart future, utilities will leverage digitalisation, automation, and AI-driven insights to optimise their operations. Real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and intelligent automation will allow utilities to detect and address issues before they escalate, reducing equipment downtime and minimising costly emergency interventions.
Additionally, by streamlining traditionally manual tasks—such as field inspections, compliance reporting, and data analysis—utilities can free up their workforce to focus on higher-value activities. The future we envision is one where data-driven decision-making becomes the norm, allowing utilities to optimise their resources, enhance service reliability, and ultimately provide safer, more sustainable water management for communities.
Security is a key requirement in the water sector. How can utilities upgrade their digital infrastructure while ensuring resilience against evolving cybersecurity threats?
One of the biggest cybersecurity threats we observe in our industry is the implementation of remote access for systems that were designed to be fully offline on a local network. Remote desktop or VPN solutions are installed retrospectively that allow full remote access of the SCADA workstation. Shared usernames and passwords are still commonly used, which is a major security concern. To ensure resilience, utilities should take a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity:
- Adopt modern access control measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based permissions, to limit exposure.
- Ensure systems are continuously updated with the latest security patches and best practices.
- Leverage secure cloud-based SCADA solutions designed with built-in encryption and security features that surpass what most internal IT teams can manage.
- Conduct regular cybersecurity audits and employee training to stay ahead of evolving threats.
By integrating cybersecurity into the foundation of their digital infrastructure upgrades, utilities can reap the benefits of digital transformation without compromising system security.
Many small and mid-sized utilities struggle with outdated infrastructure, limited resources, and workforce constraints. What are the key steps utilities can take to transform their operations while improving efficiency and resilience?
For utilities with constrained budgets and limited staffing, digital transformation may seem overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to happen all at once. The key is to take a phased, strategic approach. We recommend utilities start by assessing their existing digital capabilities and identifying the most critical operational gaps. Here are a few foundational steps:
- Asset and Maintenance Management: Do I have a centralised system for tracking assets, scheduling maintenance, and managing work orders? Moving from paper-based or siloed tracking systems to a digital maintenance management system can significantly improve efficiency.
- SCADA and Remote Monitoring: Do I have a unified SCADA system that provides real-time insights to the right people across your facilities? Many smaller utilities operate multiple, disconnected SCADA systems, which can make monitoring and response times inefficient. Upgrading to an integrated, cloud-based solution can improve situational awareness and streamline operations.
- Digital Log Book: Am I leveraging digital tools for data collection, analysis, and reporting? For example, digitising lab data entry and automating reporting can reduce human error and improve compliance efficiency.
By starting with these core areas and gradually expanding their digital capabilities, utilities can modernise their operations in a manageable way—leading to increased efficiency, reduced downtime, and a more resilient infrastructure.
Collaboration is key to accelerating digital transformation in the water sector. How can organisations like SWAN support utilities in adopting innovative solutions, and what role do cross-industry partnerships play in driving progress?
There are many great (digital) innovations out there; however, without exposure to the new technology, their adoption will not happen. I believe organisations that provide a platform to learn, connect and create new touchpoints for operators, engineers, researchers and manufacturers can lead to finding better solutions for problems.
For young professionals looking to make an impact in the water sector, what skills or mindsets will be most valuable in the years ahead?
The water sector has many veterans. Although I don’t have the same number of years gathering industry wisdom yet, there is a general principle that I believe to be true for success in almost any sector: notice the key problems that your customers are facing and find ways to solve them. This applies to both those providing products and services to the sector and the utility employees responsible for ensuring safe water and wastewater management. Making it your mission to provide the best service to your customers will not only make you great in your job, but it will also bring you joy doing it.
