Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Efficiency and Sustainability in the Water Industry

In municipal water management, maintaining aging infrastructure while predicting and meeting the ever-evolving needs of communities presents an ongoing challenge. Traditional approaches often struggle to keep pace with the complexities inherent in such a dynamic environment. These approaches frequently rely on the use of spreadsheets, physical filing cabinets, knowledge of experienced but aging workers, and siloed systems. However, amid these challenges emerges hope in the form of artificial intelligence (AI). Communities that embrace an AI strategy will witness the coming together of their knowledge bases, resulting in unified data repositories. These unified data repositories, combined with AI, provide insights and access to data that were previously difficult to achieve. Leaders will gain the ability to make informed decisions, leveraging the full spectrum of data to drive strategic initiatives and propel their water systems forward. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore the potential of AI to revolutionize the water industry, starting by laying the foundation with a primer on AI basics. By equipping ourselves with this knowledge, we aim to discern how AI can be effectively applied within our water utilities and municipalities. Then, through a lens of identifying assets, data analysis, and data-driven predictions, we illuminate how AI can reshape the future of water management and offer opportunities for improved efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. © 2024 New England Water Works Association. All rights reserved.