Here are five ways AI is going to change the future of water and infrastructure in the U.S. and around the globe:1. Predictive Maintenance for W...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
1. Predictive Maintenance for Water Supply
AI can help predict equipment failures and maintenance needs, leading to improved uptime and reduced downtime. A number of local municipalities and agencies across the U.S. have implemented AI systems that detect potential equipment failures in real time, allowing maintenance teams to address issues before they cause a problem.
2. Future Flood Risk Prediction
Mother Nature can be extremely complex when it comes to flooding. The classical practice of future flood risk determination was based upon “past performance” or historical data.
AI has added new dimension to future flood risk detection for complex predictive modeling. Numerous pilot studies are being conducted nationwide where the AI can “learn” using previously completed modeling instead of just historical data and “predict” the flood risk for more complex areas with multiple risk factors. This allows the authority in charge to take preemptive measures to protect its infrastructure and citizens by helping mitigate flooding impact.
3. Water Quality
AI can analyze future water quality patterns using similar results and data from sensors to identify changes in water quality, which can be indicative of contamination or other issues. This enables the local agency to have preplanned action plans ready to respond to issues such as harmful algae blooms or other contaminants.
4. Sustainability and Energy Optimization
AI can optimize energy usage in water treatment and distribution, reducing costs and carbon emissions.
Water treatment and distribution require significant amounts of energy, making them an ideal candidate for optimization through the use of AI. AI can be utilized for predicting future demand in treatment and distribution network by analyzing historical water usage patterns. AI can also be used to optimize the distribution network itself.
By analyzing flow rates, pressure, and other data, AI can identify areas of the network that are over- or underutilized. This can serve as a decision support system to adjust the network and ensure that water is distributed efficiently, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
5. Asset and Water Resource Management
AI can help manage and prioritize infrastructure assets, ensuring their proper maintenance and replacement. It can also help conserve water by optimizing irrigation and reducing wastage.
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©DALL-E/RIFAT ALAM
Beyond just using pattern recognition or finding trends from historical data, AI has a lot to offer that will re-define the future of water infrastructure planning and management.
Time to Harness the Power of AI
The lack of data in many areas/sectors, and initial cost/benefit and adaptation for these AI technologies will be a major challenge. However, despite these challenges, now is the time to harness the power of AI with an open mind.
There is no doubt that AI is going to transform the water and infrastructure industry in a multitude of ways, from improving water resource management to addressing issues of climate and flood resiliency, AI has the potential to address many of the industry's most pressing challenges.
As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions emerge to help ensure a sustainable and efficient future for our water and infrastructure systems. WSP is currently involved in several innovative pilot projects for future flood risk assessment, the findings of which will be used in the future to train AI/ML based algorithms.
Based in Dallas, Rifat Alam is an assistant vice president and Texas water resources business lead for WSP USA. He is a licensed professional engineer and certified floodplain manager with experience on large-scale civil infrastructure and water resources projects.
SOURCE:https://www.wsp.com/en-us/insights/2023-artificial-intelligence-shaping-future-of-water
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