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Pressrelease | 2021-05-11
Vattenreningsverk

Innovative digital systems will ensure a more secure drinking water supply

Climate change and urbanization are ramping up the pressure on drinking water production. The IVL-led project DigiDrick has developed innovative digital systems that will leverage safer drinking water and prepare production facilities for the challenges the future may hold.

– We have launched operational and decision support system pilots that leverage completely new opportunities for production optimization regarding quality, environmental goals, and capacity. This means that production facilities can react more quickly to both short-term disruption and long-term change, says Johan M. Sanne, project manager at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

The project has made it possible for WWPTs to develop new systems and methods for systematically analysing historical data in combination with real-time data. This means that they will be better able to handle the challenges facing the industry.

– To ensure that these systems are relevant and user-friendly, water facilities have been involved in the development. From the very start, we have relied on IT security as a cornerstone for creating trust in the increased use of digital support systems, says Johan M. Sanne.

The project has created several adaptive digital solutions with market potential. Among other things, the project has developed methods to improve the evaluation of operational data over the long-term, something that can be used, for example, to optimize membrane and chemical precipitation control. The project has also evaluated various sensors, new data sources gathered from environmental monitoring, early warning systems and developed a decision support system that can be used to carry out maintenance safely. The inbuilt decision support can also share information with the municipality and supervisory authorities.

– DigiDrick’s strength has been the collaboration we have had with several water producers and our willingness to work with others to find saleable solutions that can easily be distributed. Using the Swedish water and wastewater industry as a springboard, we will be able to reach a world market, says Johan M. Sanne.

Download the report: Digitization of drinking water plants for safer water supply Pdf, 4.9 MB, opens in new window.

For more information, please contact:
Johan M. Sanne, johan.sanne@ivl.se, +46 (0)10-788 66 59

DigiDrick – Innovative digital systems for safe drinking water – a project under the auspices of the Vinnova Challenge-driven innovation programme. In addition to IVL, the following have participated: IT Automation, Purac, Sectra, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Trollhättan Energi AB, Vivab (Varberg and Falkenberg), Borås Energi och Miljö (Waste management services in Borås) and the municipality of Växjö.

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