⎪ Water, wastewater and pumping solutions ⎪
Does water management need AI? Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager at Xylem Africa, summarises findings from the Xylem Water Technology Trends 2025 report and highlights how AI and digital systems are making water management smarter and more efficient. T he right combination of data and algorithms can produce astound- ing improvements in efficiency, speed, and oversight. While many
that adjusts processes such as reagent dos- ing and treatment line control in real time. Site operators define specific scenarios that automatically adjust operations based oninformationfromexternaltechnologies, such as water management applications and business intelligence systems. • Predictive demand and optimisation: AI systems predict conditions to manage demand and optimisation. Predictive maintenance systems rely on predictive analytics and AI-driven models that use performance data and digital twins to anticipate equipment maintenance needs. Similar technologies have expanded to help water managers forecast demand, such as consumption peaks. They also optimise energy consumption by adjusting operations based on demand. • Advanced metering infrastructure: Smart meters have radically improved water distribution's performance and efficiency, using digital technologies to gauge consumption and feed reliable data into water planning systems. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is the next step in that journey. AMI performs remote reading and integrates information into AI systems, reducing information intervals towards almost real-time monitoring and feedback. • Decision support systems: Water utili- ties are using decision support systems (DSS) to inform real-time, medium- and long-term planning and management. DSS tools use AI to analyse large datasets and information from different disciplines, including data from hydrological and me- teorological stations, expert knowledge and local inputs. This analysis models dif- ferent situations, from simulating water bodies to predicting usage patterns.
water utilities already use digital monitoring and analytics to manage operations, artificial intelligence builds on these capabilities by identifying patterns in large datasets, enabling predictive insights, and supporting more in- formed decision-making. Utility managers are taking note, with around 15% of large water utilities worldwide using artificial intelligence, projected to reach 30% by 2026, according to the Xylem Water Technology Trends 2025 report. By 2035, three-quarters of water utili- ties will use some form of AI. With ageing infrastructure, climate variabil- ity, and rising water demand placing increasing pressure on water systems, utilities are seeking more resilient and adaptive ways to manage op- erations. Data-driven and AI-enabled tools are emerging as part of this broader digital water transformation. Experts have good reason to be optimistic about AI adoption in the sector. Digital water management systems are already producing excellent results. For example, Yorkshire Water Services in the UK uses Xylem Vue digital ser- vices, which reported a 57% reduction in visible leaks and a 30% reduction in annual distribution main repairs. Similar digital and AI-driven capabilities are also expanding into industrial water and waste- water operations, where predictive monitoring and process optimisation help improve compli- ance, reliability, and resource efficiency. Such outcomes show the hidden capacity at every water management site, says Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager at Xylem Africa, WSS. "Water distribution and treatment sites produce far more data than they use. But that data gets neglected due to capacity constraints. It would take an enormous amount of time to organise and study the data for patterns and insights. Digital and AI systems are solving those problems. Digital systems record and share accurate and reliable data, which AI systems use to rapidly produce planning information, automation options and other improvements." Water management sites utilise smart data and AI services in several ways, including: • Real-time process adjustment: Water treatment is at its best when the system can maintain consistency, a laborious task since water flows keep changing. Intelligent water systems add intelligence
While these and other data-driven improve- ments sound very attractive, utility and infra- structure managers are not always sure where to start. Successful deployment depends on data quality, integration with existing infrastructure, and organisational readiness. Deploying digiti- sation can become complicated, which is why leading water technology OEMs develop and maintain extensive software platforms designed to meet water utility challenges. "Companies like Xylem invest substantially in developing water management platforms that are secure and simple to deploy, while ensuring the data remains with the utility," says Mistry. "They create interactive and customis- able dashboards and reports, which authorised staff and contractors can access on-site through smart devices and computers." The real advantage of using data-driven water management platforms is not just in the new features they offer. Still, it enables utilities to leverage information they already have: "Data that does nothing only takes up space. But data made useful through cloud-based management software opens additional dimen- sions for planning and predictive actions such as maintenance," concludes Chetan Mistry. https://www.xylem.com/en-za/
Approximately 15% of large water utilities worldwide are using artificial intelligence, with the figure projected to reach 30% by 2026, according to the Xylem Water Technology Trends 2025 report.
March-April 2026 • MechChem Africa ¦ 13
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