Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Fiware4Water (FIWARE for the Next Generation Internet Services for the WATER sector)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-12-01 bis 2022-05-31
Fiware4Water (“F4W”) project overall objective was to demonstrate the technical, economic and social feasibility for water stakeholders to use digital solutions to address their management issues. To reach this objective, the F4W consortium decided to create an open and free “Fiware4Water” online platform, based on the smart solution called “FIWARE”, an open source platform which creates and integrates standards easing the development of smart applications and services in different sectors.
In F4W project, it was intended to prove the feasibility to use FIWARE platform and whole ecosystem for the water sector for the benefit of both water sector end-users (cities, water utilities, water authorities, citizens) and solution providers (private utilities, SMEs, developers). The direct benefit was hence also to lever the barriers of digitalizing the water sector which is currently facing a low level of maturity in the integration and standardization of ICT solutions.
In F4W project, a Fiware4Water Reference Architecture (F4W-RA) was developped on the basis of end-users technical requirements, identified via interviews, surveys and workshops. BigData and AI tools were used to facilitate the machine learning analysis of the generated water context information. To do so, the Context Information Management API (NGSI-LD) specification from ETSI, based on JSON-LD format, was adopted. Once cyber-secured, this F4W-RA was deployed in 4 sites and allowed the development of more than 25 smart data models and data-driven applications answering water manager needs:
- DC#1: Raw Water Supply Conveyance system (GR)
- DC#2: Management of the Drinking Water Distribution Network (FR)
- DC#3: Improvement of the WasteWater Treatment Plant operations (NL)
- DC#4: Customers engagement in drinking water efficiency (UK)
An important non-technological work was also carried out to engage with the maximum of actors, ensuring the further adoption and replication of F4W digital solutions by all the actors of the Quintuple helix. F4W followed the ConCensus approach and allowed the creation of 29 Local Water Forums. Moreover, to engage with the maximum of stakeholders and boost SME innovation while supporting water managers, an intense work was carried out via the F4W three demo networks ("DN"): municipalities in DN1, water basin organisations in DN2 and technology providers and developpers in DN3. Finally, a F4W challenge was organised to prove the feasibility to develop innovative solutions using F4W-reference architecture and FIWARE technologies.
In F4W project, it was intended to prove the feasibility to use FIWARE platform and whole ecosystem for the water sector for the benefit of both water sector end-users (cities, water utilities, water authorities, citizens) and solution providers (private utilities, SMEs, developers). The direct benefit was hence also to lever the barriers of digitalizing the water sector which is currently facing a low level of maturity in the integration and standardization of ICT solutions.
In F4W project, a Fiware4Water Reference Architecture (F4W-RA) was developped on the basis of end-users technical requirements, identified via interviews, surveys and workshops. BigData and AI tools were used to facilitate the machine learning analysis of the generated water context information. To do so, the Context Information Management API (NGSI-LD) specification from ETSI, based on JSON-LD format, was adopted. Once cyber-secured, this F4W-RA was deployed in 4 sites and allowed the development of more than 25 smart data models and data-driven applications answering water manager needs:
- DC#1: Raw Water Supply Conveyance system (GR)
- DC#2: Management of the Drinking Water Distribution Network (FR)
- DC#3: Improvement of the WasteWater Treatment Plant operations (NL)
- DC#4: Customers engagement in drinking water efficiency (UK)
An important non-technological work was also carried out to engage with the maximum of actors, ensuring the further adoption and replication of F4W digital solutions by all the actors of the Quintuple helix. F4W followed the ConCensus approach and allowed the creation of 29 Local Water Forums. Moreover, to engage with the maximum of stakeholders and boost SME innovation while supporting water managers, an intense work was carried out via the F4W three demo networks ("DN"): municipalities in DN1, water basin organisations in DN2 and technology providers and developpers in DN3. Finally, a F4W challenge was organised to prove the feasibility to develop innovative solutions using F4W-reference architecture and FIWARE technologies.
Results obtained in the four demo cases:
DC#1: In order to upgrade the real-time operational management of the raw-water supply system, new sensors were installed (for water flow and turbidity) and 3 new applications customized to EYDAP needs were developed: a) advice provision for optimal sluice-gate (flow regulation structures) operation; b) early warning for high turbidity events and forecast of the level of turbidity at the downstream part of the systems, and c) analysis and forecast of the water volumes conveyed by the system on daily basis.
DC#2: 4 nanostations were installed in the drinking water network of SICASIL (T°, conductivity, UV254, TOC, free chlorine, pH and turbidity) and configured to allow communication of data with the legacy system. 4 smart models were developed to: forecast water availability, forecast water demand, detect water leaks and detect abnormal water quality events.
DC#3: in order to reduce their climate footprint, mainly caused by nitrous oxide emissions, the wastewater treatment plant of Amsterdam West introduced new sensors and created a combination of a unique sensor setup together with AI techniques used for cleaning data, for virtual sensors, for a digital twin and for a control algorithm with the objective to improve sustainability.
DC#4: around 100 smart water meters were installed in households in order to provide extracted analytics to customers via a smartphone application and to drive positive changes in water use behaviour, reduce consumption and reduce the customer’s water bill. Further benefits from the data were explored, looking at the use of this data by the utility provider, South West Water, to detect customer leaks and manage the repair/replace work lifecycle using an interactive web application linked to the FIWARE system.
F4W business model and exploitation were developed using the approach of creating a canvas focused on the F4W value proposition: 1 main product created, the F4W platform, and several associated services. At the end of the project, 26 Key Exploitation Results were identified and are presented in individual factsheets in the exploitation plan (delilverable D5.6). 7 KER have been uploaded on the EC results platform, to support the missions: “Adaptation to climate change” and “Oceans, seas and waters”.
It is not possible to write an exact number of kWh saved in WWTP management in Amsterdam or to indicate the money saved thanks to the mobile app developed in Great Torrington, but upscaling and replication possibilities of all the smart applications developed for the four water utilities involved in F4W are discussed in the series of deliverables of WP4: D4.1 to D4.5.
DC#1: In order to upgrade the real-time operational management of the raw-water supply system, new sensors were installed (for water flow and turbidity) and 3 new applications customized to EYDAP needs were developed: a) advice provision for optimal sluice-gate (flow regulation structures) operation; b) early warning for high turbidity events and forecast of the level of turbidity at the downstream part of the systems, and c) analysis and forecast of the water volumes conveyed by the system on daily basis.
DC#2: 4 nanostations were installed in the drinking water network of SICASIL (T°, conductivity, UV254, TOC, free chlorine, pH and turbidity) and configured to allow communication of data with the legacy system. 4 smart models were developed to: forecast water availability, forecast water demand, detect water leaks and detect abnormal water quality events.
DC#3: in order to reduce their climate footprint, mainly caused by nitrous oxide emissions, the wastewater treatment plant of Amsterdam West introduced new sensors and created a combination of a unique sensor setup together with AI techniques used for cleaning data, for virtual sensors, for a digital twin and for a control algorithm with the objective to improve sustainability.
DC#4: around 100 smart water meters were installed in households in order to provide extracted analytics to customers via a smartphone application and to drive positive changes in water use behaviour, reduce consumption and reduce the customer’s water bill. Further benefits from the data were explored, looking at the use of this data by the utility provider, South West Water, to detect customer leaks and manage the repair/replace work lifecycle using an interactive web application linked to the FIWARE system.
F4W business model and exploitation were developed using the approach of creating a canvas focused on the F4W value proposition: 1 main product created, the F4W platform, and several associated services. At the end of the project, 26 Key Exploitation Results were identified and are presented in individual factsheets in the exploitation plan (delilverable D5.6). 7 KER have been uploaded on the EC results platform, to support the missions: “Adaptation to climate change” and “Oceans, seas and waters”.
It is not possible to write an exact number of kWh saved in WWTP management in Amsterdam or to indicate the money saved thanks to the mobile app developed in Great Torrington, but upscaling and replication possibilities of all the smart applications developed for the four water utilities involved in F4W are discussed in the series of deliverables of WP4: D4.1 to D4.5.
The F4W project has directly contributed to the acceleration of the twin – green and digital – transition of Europe. First because it has widely and deeply contributed to the extension and adaptation of the EU funded FIWARE platform to the digital water management domain, one of the most relevant sectors where the FIWARE technology was still not present. Moreover, important inputs to the digital standardization of the water domain have been proposed and developed under the F4W project umbrella in close collaboration with other water-domain experts belonging to the ICT4Water cluster or the DigitalWater2020 synergy group. In fact, the project has allowed to develop smart applications and models for different complex demo cases thanks to the close collaboration of different partners throughout Europe: these actions offer an overall vision in how to implement a set of smart applications for the overall water cycle in different locations.
To ensure the widest possible socio-economic impacts, the steps needed to integrate innovative smart solutions into already existing management systems (legacy systems) have been explained through the example of the four F4W demo cases and a methodology has been developed to engage with all the water stakeholders, hence ensuring wider societal implications. The ConCensus approach, with the creation of local water forum, permits knowledge transfer, cooperation and collaboration between local communities in numerous member states of the EU and beyond. Furthermore, the engagement of the Quintuple Helix at a local level in different countries, as opposed to one solitary member state has demonstrated the capacity of such approaches to enhance the dissemination of supranational challenges and solutions to a hitherto uninformed public, whilst also considering local water-based issues and idiosyncrasies.
To ensure the widest possible socio-economic impacts, the steps needed to integrate innovative smart solutions into already existing management systems (legacy systems) have been explained through the example of the four F4W demo cases and a methodology has been developed to engage with all the water stakeholders, hence ensuring wider societal implications. The ConCensus approach, with the creation of local water forum, permits knowledge transfer, cooperation and collaboration between local communities in numerous member states of the EU and beyond. Furthermore, the engagement of the Quintuple Helix at a local level in different countries, as opposed to one solitary member state has demonstrated the capacity of such approaches to enhance the dissemination of supranational challenges and solutions to a hitherto uninformed public, whilst also considering local water-based issues and idiosyncrasies.