Our colleague from ITG and representative of PTEA (Spanish Water Technology Platform), Juan Luis Sobreira Seoane, took part in the Water4All 2nd stakeholder workshop held in early June, to talk about the use of digital tools in water management.

Twenty-seven stakeholders and fourteen members from the Water4All consortium engaged in a discussion that provided deeper insights into:

• Drivers and barriers to the use of digital tools in water management.
• Current trends in the development of these tools.
• Data management considerations.
• Capacity building issues for enhancing the use and usefulness of digital tools.

For the workshop, Water4All partners worked diligently to gather representatives from academia, the innovation sector, and water users (such as water utilities and water management authorities) to ensure diverse perspectives and to facilitate communication between those facing challenges and those offering solutions.

The feedback gathered will be crucial for updating Water4All’s strategic agenda, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

LIFE RESEAU DIGITAL TOOL: SiiMS

LIFE RESEAU introduces a Smart Infiltration/Inflow Management System (SiiMS) designed to monitor and manage combined sewer networks. SiiMS assesses infiltration/inflow in these networks, helps to optimize operations and maintenance, and evaluates the impact of climate change scenarios on wastewater treatment plants and combined sewer networks.

Discussions during the workshop revealed that digital tools like SiiMS enhance decision-making by providing a better understanding of complex systems. However, their adoption is often constrained by capacity-building challenges, the need for organizational shifts, and data management issues, particularly concerning data ownership and security. Despite improvements in accessibility, data remains fragmented and lacks high-quality standards. There is also a pressing need to improve data interoperability due to the use of various formats, scales, and languages.

Challenges Ahead

The final segment of the workshop focused on identifying knowledge gaps. Participants emphasized the necessity for improved monitoring of water needs for different uses, particularly through remote sensing. The need for standardization and data sharing, integration of socioeconomic factors into integrated models, and the analysis of digital tools for monitoring and valuing ecosystem services were also highlighted. Additionally, it was suggested that Water4All should develop strategies to enhance the transferability of models and boost end-user acceptance of digital tools.