Building on the work for our Digital Utility Group on artificial intelligence and machine learning in water more broadly, we explore how these advanced analytics tools can benefit wastewater treatment processes, where huge energy requirements, ever-more stringent effluent regulations and fluctuating treatment needs, bring significant costs and operational challenges to utilities.

We discovered that:

• Wastewater treatment is a rich opportunity for AI solutions, with large amounts of easily available data, complex biological process, and large numbers of assets to optimise

• Savings of 30-40% of aeration energy are possible, equivalent to $1 opex/PE, or 30-40% greater nutrient removal while also saving 10-15% of energy, helping avoid upgrade capex

• There are almost 20 companies with commercial solutions, from start-ups to major players

• Solutions are shifting away from single asset, descriptive insights towards entire plant, predictive and prescriptive capabilities

• It is from these prescriptive solutions, which forecast the future and offer control, where the greatest value comes from.

How optimization can be achieved

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Amane’s close engagement with utilities, technology vendors and industrial experts brings us first-hand understanding of the needs and challenges of the water sector, making us the preeminent advisory firm in the digital water sector.