67% of the water sector already uses AI to reduce leaks and optimise infrastructure
The complete integration of Artificial Intelligence in the urban water cycle sector is emerging as a catalyst for redefining efficiency, profitability and sustainability.
It is precisely in the more sustainable and efficient management of water resources where Artificial Intelligence is already making a difference for 67% of companies, who claim that they are already using it to reduce leaks and optimise infrastructure. This is reflected in the latest Ascendant report from Minsait (Indra Group) which, under the title ‘AI: X-ray of a revolution in progress’, analyses its degree of adoption in private companies and public institutions.
The integration of AI is fundamental in the market due to the range of opportunities it opens up, both in terms of tools for designing and simulating complex systems and for optimising processes and generating solutions. In fact, 83% highlight that efficiency is their main motivation for using AI in their operations. In this sense, all the companies interviewed in the report affirm that they are focusing their efforts on developing specific use cases. An example of this is the growing interest in developing products and services such as optimising water distribution, flood management and improving water quality.
The study also reveals that improving customer operations through chatbots and sentiment analysis is another area where two out of three companies are applying AI. In addition, half of them mention support for data-based decision making as another reason for implementing this tool.
The water sector has been implementing use cases and solutions such as big data, machine learning and other variants of Artificial Intelligence for years, but decision making is still the responsibility of humans in all organisations.
In this line, Minsait (Indra Group) anticipates that the future will be marked by the development of new AI applications to aid decision-making, such as, for example, the early detection of pollutants, the management of risks related to climate change or the improvement of energy efficiency in water treatment plants. With the massive deployment of meters and sensors and the integration of systems, which come hand in hand with PERTE's digitisation of the sector, these solutions are expected to grow both to aid decision-making and to reduce costs.
The water sector still faces significant barriers to consolidating the digital transformation. The lack of specialised talent continues to be one of the main difficulties, mentioned by 83% of companies, while 67% point to the need for a clearer vision of the strategy for adopting AI. However, the expectation of growth in the coming years is high, with an expanding ecosystem that is generating new opportunities for innovation and collaboration between technology companies, regulatory bodies and institutions in the sector.
Another barrier accused by companies in the sector is regulatory uncertainty, mentioned by 17% of them. The entry into force of the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act has partly reduced this perception, although companies still face the challenge of translating its principles into practice in the operation of AI applied to their activity. According to the Minsait study, the use of AI in basic supply infrastructures implies certain specific obligations, but it is essential for water management based on efficient and safe AI that guarantees environmental responsibility.
AI and sustainability: a key alliance for the future of water
The capacity of Artificial Intelligence to optimise energy consumption in treatment plants, minimise water losses and improve the prediction of extreme weather events is key to guaranteeing the availability of the resource in the long term.
Juan Pérez de Cossío, Global Director of the Energy and Utilities Market at Minsait, explains that the use of predictive models and smart sensors ‘is enabling a significant reduction in unaccounted for water, facilitating more precise control of supply and reducing water stress in areas of high demand. This advance reinforces the sector's commitment to sustainability, aligning it with global objectives of efficiency and climate resilience’.
In fact, adds Pérez de Cossío, ‘one of the most notable trends in the water sector is the transition towards a circular economy, promoting the reuse and repurposing of water resources and by-products, with innovative projects such as the reuse of grey water and the recovery of nutrients from wastewater, which are gaining ground as sustainable and profitable solutions’.
