IoT: An Opportunity for the Water Supply Network
The 21st century is often referred to as “the information age.” As a result of the technological boom that began in the 1980s and the widespread adoption of the Internet in the 1990s, the world has achieved an unprecedented level of connectivity. Today, information and data circulate constantly across the globe at breakneck speeds, underpinning many facets of human activity.
But, curiously, the digital revolution that has given rise to hyperconnectivity has not yet reached some of our critical infrastructure: unlike the telecommunications and electricity sectors, for example, the public water supply network remains rooted in the analog world, cut off from the benefits of digitization.
The consequences of this technological stagnation are directly reflected in the system’s operational efficiency. Data from the regulatory agency (ERSAR Report 2024) is revealing: the national water supply network lost 163 million cubic meters, which is equivalent to wasting the water from 178 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day.
It is characteristic of this underground infrastructure, as we know it, that many of its problems remain persistently hidden. When we factor in the significant aging of these facilities, inefficiencies become inevitable. They remain alarming, but they no longer surprise us.
Naturally, the solution lies in replacing and upgrading infrastructure (pipes, branches, etc.), but this investment is only economically viable if it is carried out judiciously. And to decide where, when, and how to act, data is needed that provides accurate and up-to-date information. It is precisely in this area where the Internet of Things (IoT) can prove to be an extraordinary asset.
Equipping the supply network with sensors capable of providing regular, real-time updates on the status of the infrastructure offers enormous advantages, among which I would highlight the following:
i) Early detection with an alarm system, enabling an immediate response to anomalies and significantly reducing the volume of losses.
ii) Optimization of operating parameters, particularly pressure, results in significant energy savings and preserves the integrity of the assets, reducing the likelihood of leaks.
iii) It combats revenue loss by reducing fraud and unauthorized use, which translates into direct financial benefits.
In short, thanks to the introduction of IoT sensors into the water supply network, we have been able to accurately and strategically identify the critical areas requiring attention, thereby preventing losses resulting from problems that have accumulated over the years.
Efficient management of the water supply network goes beyond the logic of economic profitability. Protecting this scarce and essential resource - which is so often dangerously taken for granted - is an ethical imperative, for the sake of both the present and future generations. Given that the technology needed to substantially reduce waste already exists, it is now “simply” a matter of getting “down to work.”
Miguel Allen Lima
Arquiled CEO