Royal HaskoningDHV And WBL Win Innovation Award In Digitalised Water Management

Royal HaskoningDHV, in partnership with Dutch water authority Waterschapsbedrijf Limburg (WBL), were last night announced as winners of an Innovation award in Digitalised Water Management at the Water & Energy Exchange conference (WEX) 2023.

The award was won for the implementation of a digital twin based on Twinn Aquasuite software that oversees nearly a thousand pumping stations to provide clean water and prevent impending failures. WEX award recognises best-in-class digital infrastructure projects and AI initiatives within the water industry. It also highlights how the digital transformation of water management helps to establish the models and living systems needed for a thriving planet and ecosystem.

The digital twin of WBL’s wastewater transport system uses a big data platform and machine learning models for problem detection and predictive maintenance. This early detection based on Twinn Aquasuite application allows operators to take action to prevent the impending failures, improve performance and reduce leakages providing essential clean water.

WBL produces purified water and converts sewage sludge into valuable raw materials and energy. The wastewater comes from 500,000 households and 30,000 companies in the province of Limburg. The digital twin implemented by Royal HaskoningDHV helps the Dutch water authority to oversee 17 sewage treatment plants, 5 sludge dewatering plants, 144 sewage and 800 municipal pumping stations.

“In the future, WBL plans to extend this solution to 3,000 municipal water stations to gain real insight into how the water chain works as a whole”, said Léon Verhaegen, Senior Project Leader of ICT and Innovation at WBL.

“We are happy to make a positive impact on society, helping to solve some of the most pressing challenges in water management,” said Melchior Schenk, Twinn Aquasuite Business Development Director. “This is a testament to Royal HaskoningDHV`s expertise in the water treatment industry and our innovative thinking in the field of digitalised water management.”

Twinn Aquasuite software uses machine learning to detect at a very early stage that pumps are beginning to deteriorate or that the pressure in pipes is reducing, indicating a danger of a blockage. The digital twin then relays these warnings to the central control room, whereupon the operators take action to prevent failures.

The WEX Global Awards showcase the best examples of circular economy strategies in the water sector, which are necessary to protect the planet and our future resources. The project between Royal HaskoningDHV and WBL demonstrated the connectivity between digital and physical world and showed excellence in the innovative application of technology, while supporting social and economic challenges. The winners were announced at the WEX Gala Dinner and Innovation awards ceremony on 28 March, 2023.