Interoperability Unlocked: How Connected Systems Will Power Water's Future
By Dr. Frank Schlaeger
The full potential of smart water infrastructure is within reach — if our digital systems work together and share critical data.
Over the past decade, the water sector has made huge strides towards digital transformation. From smart meters and advanced leak detection to AI-powered forecasting and real-time monitoring, utilities have access to more data, tools, and technologies than ever before.
Yet for many, the full promise of smart water networks remains out of reach. Why? Because many of these systems don’t yet talk to each other.
Interoperability — the ability for different technologies, devices, and platforms to seamlessly share and use data — is the missing link in delivering truly smart and responsive water infrastructure.
Without it, utilities are left juggling isolated systems, unable to realize the efficiencies, resilience, and customer benefits that a connected network should provide.
The Foundation Of A Smart Water Network
At its heart, smart water infrastructure is about visibility and control. Sensors track flow rates, pressure, water quality, and reservoir levels. Forecasting tools provide insight into future supply and demand. Customer metering systems feed back on consumption patterns.
In theory, bringing all this information together should allow utilities to optimize their operations in real time. But these advantages depend on one crucial factor: The data generated across the network must be easily shared, combined, and analyzed.
When devices use proprietary protocols or when platforms are built as closed ecosystems, this becomes difficult or even impossible. The result is a patchwork of isolated systems that fall short of delivering the holistic, data-driven decision-making that defines a smart network.
What’s Holding Us Back?
There are several reasons why interoperability remains a challenge in the water sector.
First is the legacy of existing infrastructure. Many utilities operate equipment and systems installed long before the idea of a smart network took hold. SCADA systems and telemetry devices were often designed to work in isolation or within specific vendor ecosystems. Integrating these with modern, open systems can be technically complex, not to mention costly.
Second is the diversity of technology suppliers. The water industry works with a wide range of vendors, each offering their own solutions, often with unique data formats or communication protocols. While this diversity drives innovation, it can also create fragmentation. Without shared standards, integrating these different technologies can become a significant barrier.
Third is organizational culture and structure. Utilities are complex organizations, and data can sit in silos between departments. The wastewater team, for example, may use different tools and platforms than the drinking water team, with limited integration (or even conversation) between the two.
Without a clear strategy for data sharing and interoperability, the full potential of smart systems remains untapped.
The Cost Of Fragmentation
The consequences of poor interoperability go beyond inconvenience. They can have real operational and financial impacts.
When systems can’t share data easily, utilities lose time and insight. Operators may have to manually transfer data among platforms or rely on incomplete information to make critical decisions.
In emergency situations (such as responding to a major leak, flood event, or contamination incident), that delay can affect both service quality and public safety.
A lack of integration also increases the total cost of ownership. Utilities may end up duplicating monitoring equipment or investing in middleware just to get basic systems talking. A major challenge with evolving technologies is that the cost and complexity of integrating new devices and platforms increase, unless interoperability is prioritized from the start.
Towards A Connected Future
The good news is that the industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of interoperability and progress is being made.
Many technology providers are adopting open standards and protocols, making it easier for their systems to work alongside others. Examples include widespread support for MQTT, OPC UA, and other communication standards that enable data-sharing across platforms. Utilities themselves are starting to specify interoperability as a core requirement in procurement, pushing suppliers to design with openness in mind.
Collaborative initiatives, including those driven by industry bodies and regulators, are helping to define common data models and integration frameworks. These efforts not only make technical integration easier but also support a more competitive, innovative supplier ecosystem by leveling the playing field.
There is also growing interest in cloud-native platforms that act as central hubs for data from across the network. These platforms can bring together information from diverse sources (legacy systems, modern IoT sensors, external data feeds) and provide operators with a unified view of their infrastructure.
Crucially, they offer scalability, thus helping utilities futureproof their networks as technology continues to evolve.
The Human Factor
Of course, achieving interoperability isn’t just about technology. It requires leadership and collaboration. Utilities need to develop clear data strategies that prioritize integration and openness, breaking down internal silos and encouraging teams to work together.
Suppliers need to recognize that their customers increasingly value openness and long-term flexibility over lock-in. Regulators can play a role by encouraging or even mandating data-sharing practices that support resilience and efficiency.
The vision for smart water infrastructure is compelling: networks that can self-optimize, detect, and respond to issues before they become problems, and deliver better service at lower cost. But we won’t get there if we build systems that operate in isolation. Interoperability is the key that will unlock the true potential of digital transformation in the water sector.
By embracing open standards and prioritizing data integration, we can build smarter, more resilient water networks and ultimately deliver greater value to the people we serve.
About The Author
Dr. Frank Schlaeger is the head of enterprise solutions for the HydroMet Business Unit at KISTERS, with over 20 years of management experience. He has led major international projects across Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia and has been a key figure in the technical development of water quality modules within the WISKI software suite. Dr. Schlaeger holds a doctorate from RWTH Aachen University, where he specialized in water resources management and water quality simulation.