Smart Tech And Green Solutions: Driving Innovation In The Water And Wastewater Industry
By Ainsley Lawrence

Water and wastewater management is quickly moving to the forefront of sustainable innovation and waste reduction. In recent years, cities like Barcelona, Singapore, and Copenhagen have proven that investing in tech can reduce waste, improve water management, and detect leaks or faults.
The widespread adoption of smart technology has largely driven these changes. Smart tech — like water meters, IoT sensors, and smart irrigation — improves data availability and gives water management professionals access to real-time changes in usage and water availability.
Smart technology drives innovation in other areas of the water and wastewater industry, too. For example, firms that offer environmental testing services can use the data collected by water management companies to improve environmental compliance auditing and reduce the risk of pollutants entering waterways following a leak. These features boost the resilience of our wider water systems and reduce resource wastage in an era of droughts and deluges.
Smart Tech Solutions
Smart sensors have become increasingly common in the world of water and wastewater management. Today, IoT devices have reduced the costs associated with installing and maintaining a fleet of smart meters and provide real-time data, which are all but essential for water utility firms that wish to improve productivity and enhance operational efficiency. These tools test far more than flow and can also offer insights related to the following:
- pH value
- Conductivity
- Dissolved oxygen (DO)
- Temperature
- Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
- Total dissolved solids (TDS)
This enhances water and wastewater management efforts and empowers stakeholders whose fortunes are tied to the efficient management of water. For example, farmers can use smart tech for agriculture to reduce costs and improve water conservation efforts. This tech is essential in states like California, where low reservoirs have led to tightened water regulations. Farmers who use these tools to spot inefficiencies and improve their irrigation efforts can nullify the costs associated with periods of drought and will be more resilient in the face of water scarcity.
Water firms that are interested in mitigating waste and improving sustainability can invest in emerging trends and innovations in the water industry, such as:
- Membrane technology that improves separation during secondary treatment.
- Microbial fuel cells that convert organic matter into energy and recover resources like phosphorus and nitrogen.
- Advanced oxidation processes that tackle pollution and can be customized to target particular impurities in the water supply.
These tools can increase the efficiency of water treatment plants, improve environmental compliance, and enhance water quality. They have had a knock-on impact on sustainability, as cost savings and enhanced productivity can help more water firms budget towards investing in sustainable water grid solutions.
Building Sustainable Water Grids
Cities like Barcelona and Singapore show that creating a sustainable water grid is possible. They utilize IoT sensors to stretch water resources and mitigate the risk of loss and waste due to mistreatment, leaks, and spillages.
Today, utility companies can build more sustainable water grids using low-power, wide-area networks (LPWANs) to connect a fleet of IoT sensors at minimal cost. This approach has already reduced water bills by 22% for firms like Costco, which piloted the technology in 2018 before rolling it out to all their stores and sites.
Leveraging technology like smart sensors and the IoT can empower efforts to create a true circular economy in wastewater management. Of course, all water eventually recirculates into the water supply via natural processes. However, this can be costly to firms that need to treat the sewage and bodies of water like reservoirs. Wastewater management firms can use cloud computing to reduce waste and improve efficiency by:
- Improving continuous monitoring and data collection efforts that produce automated reports for regulators.
- Enhancing access to historical data to identify trends and issues in the treatment process.
- Alerting wastewater managers to sudden changes due to leaks that may cause non-compliance.
- Allowing for remote surveillance and management so off-site managers can respond quickly to emerging threats.
- Offering access to AI programs that can complete predictive analysis.
The increased availability and visibility of data mean that wastewater managers are in a better position to reduce waste and optimize operations. As the population strain on the water grid becomes heavier over time, these efficiency boosts will become increasingly essential.
Partnering With Sustainable Stakeholders
Tactful partnerships with innovative, sustainable businesses offer some of the most innovative, cost-effective solutions for water and wastewater management companies. For example, in Tel Aviv, the Shafdan Water Treatment facility has partnered with Shafdan Europe to convert sludge into biogas that can be used to fuel vehicles and reduce CO2 emissions. Water utility firms can follow suit by installing green production methods that reduce waste and combat climate change, including:
- Waste Recycling: Sludge recycling is just one example of productive, sustainable partnerships in the world of water management. Today, water firms can explore green recycling solutions like the groundbreaking ROFUS system utilized by Denver Water’s Administration Building.
- Renewables: Gradually shifting to solar and wind power to generate the energy used to treat water can help more water firms achieve carbon neutrality and minimize their emissions.
- Renewing Machinery: Smart sensors can reduce the risk of machines going to scrap when they could have been refurbished. Partnering with the right maintenance suppliers is key to waste reduction efforts and will lessen the amount of waste that water treatment facilities produce.
Forming partnerships is an easy way to tap into the potential of green solutions without causing continuity issues. For example, water firms that begin using renewables can get the ball rolling by using solar panels or wind power to generate energy for non-essential equipment like lighting or HVAC units.
Conclusion
Investing in smart tech can empower efforts to reduce waste, mitigate carbon emissions, and combat water scarcity during droughts. Utilizing smart tech can improve the ROI of emergent technology like membrane technology and sludge treatment. This is key, as utility firms will need to increase their efficiency and find new ways to raise funds as global warming continues to change the world of water and wastewater management.