Introduction
The COVID-19 epidemic has had a detrimental impact on global economies. The water business was negatively impacted, experiencing an unusual slowdown and changes in working methods.
The epidemic, nevertheless, also accelerated good digital transformation. Data gathered from 12 interviewees who represented six water sector organizations were analyzed using a qualitative study methodology.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the water sector has worked around the clock to supply a critical service.
Much of the maintenance and operations work had to be done on-site, while many other activities were completed remotely.
As a result, managers have firsthand knowledge of the benefits of digital transformation.
Over the next years, utilities will continue to invest in digitally transforming all their processes. The goal is to keep optimizing a new remote, collaborative management style across all necessary parties.
Water efficiency and return to the environment are two challenges that must be addressed in any future developments.
Process and infrastructure digital transformation
2020 will be recognized as the year that kicked off the digital revolution of the whole water business, including administration and delivery.
The roadmap was drawn up by utilities and already has a digital transformation on its list of priorities. One of the most difficult hurdles along the way, but not the only one, is ensuring adequate investment.
When selecting the right technology, drivers of digital transformation in water utilities must not only be successful in the process of change but also be able to communicate the benefits to the entire team, convincing those who are most reluctant to innovate.
The benefits extend beyond managerial efficiency, as they promote efficient, environmentally friendly water use.
Catching disaster before it strikes with monitoring
Water operators can act more quickly to tackle problems than ever before thanks to automation and the capacity to collect insights from everywhere (in real-time).
As a result of the pivots that must be made to support Covid-19 regulations, digital transformation will likely speed up, which will enable utilities and companies to identify problems far earlier than they would have in the past.
Protecting revenue
Throughout all industries, many firms suffered financial losses because of the epidemic. For businesses as a whole, anticipating income was difficult due to anything from personnel shortages to supply chain problems.
Even in the absence of market uncertainty, businesses, particularly utilities, frequently hesitate to make significant investments in new technologies. In actuality, many people already have tight financial restrictions.
Predicting and reducing usage
The unexpected push for digital transformation in the water sector sprang in part from the need to improve adaptability to changing circumstances. Many businesses are now aware of how vulnerable their operations are to different crisis scenarios.
Additionally, it’s not only Covid. Companies have been forced to reconsider their usage strategies due to concerns about water shortages (caused by the persistent drought conditions in the west).
Digital water infrastructure assets can improve calculation, forecasting and usage reduction for businesses.
This emphasis on leveraging technology to predict and limit usage can help a company become more resilient while also making both immediate and long-term financial savings.
Accelerating the economy by investing in updated infrastructure
Communities have been compelled by the pandemic to reconsider their priorities and look for locally produced investment opportunities to boost economic growth and upgrade deteriorating infrastructure.
As a result, the government’s recent infrastructure law and possible Build Back Better legislation prioritize water infrastructure and security alongside highways and bridges.
As communities recover from the pandemic’s low points, there is a renewed focus on safeguarding them against other possible threats, such as water security and quality and the government has expressed interest in making significant investments in this area.
The national “American Jobs Plan,” for instance, proposes to invest $111 billion in water infrastructure.
Additional funding for local water infrastructure and utilities comes from the $35 billion “Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act” and different state-level initiatives.
Greater control over data quality
The first step toward successful digital transformation is having data that is easily accessible, secure and of high quality. It is not enough to just equip equipment with sensors; the data must be correctly processed for the information to be converted into knowledge.
The information must be collected about how facilities operate and about the results of any work done on the infrastructure.
The fact that water networks are placed underground complicates the task in our sector, especially when there is no full inventory available.
Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, no one disputes that the future rests in centralizing and linking all data, transforming it into a decision-making tool.
Remote management
During the COVID-19 crisis, water utilities have had to switch to remote management as a way of protecting their employees and customers.
The degree of digital maturity attained before this unexpected circumstance has primarily determined resilience.
Although remote management will become more common in the future, the issues associated with team motivation and team spirit are often disregarded.
Managers will need to devise new ways in the following years to ensure that personnel working in the field and telecommuting retain their team identity.
We must not lose sight of the fact that water is a limited and crucial resource. As a result, society expects businesses to settle situations as soon as feasible.
These teams ensure that the cause of the problem, such as a huge leak in the street, is identified and addressed as soon as possible.
The main disadvantage of this type of organization is the need for outside assistance when the work required exceeds the team members’ knowledge. In this case, specialists are needed to lend their expertise.
However, considering the increased resilience provided by solid, specialized teams, this is a modest price to pay and we will continue to rely on these teams in the future
Learning from mistakes to increase future resiliency
The water sector has discovered that adaptability is crucial and that depending on the “status quo” may only get a company or utility so far.
While Covid-19’s endurance and disruptive ability startled many businesses, it also exposed weak points that may be quickly fixed by adopting technology advancements like automation.
As more and more utilities and organizations look for interoperable systems that can test for water quality and monitor it, they discover a wholly digital environment that is ready to solve issues and streamline procedures.
References
[1] Schultz, G. A., & Engman, E. T. (Eds.). (2012). Remote sensing in hydrology and water management. Springer Science & Business Media.
[2] Hsia, S. C., Hsu, S. W., & Chang, Y. J. (2012). Remote monitoring and smart sensing for water meter systems and leakage detection. IET Wireless sensor systems, 2(4), 402-408.
[3] Bastiaanssen, W. G. (1998). Remote sensing in water resources management: The state of the art. International Water ManagementInstitute.
[4] Ritchie, J. C., Zimba, P. V., & Everitt, J. H. (2003). Remote sensing techniques to assess water quality. Photogrammetric Engineering & remote sensing, 69(6), 695-704.
[5] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/water-sector-net-zero-decarbonization/
