Hydroinformatics

KWR is committed to a water-inclusive and sustainable society. Our experts in hydroinformatics support the water sector with digital technologies and solutions to achieve that goal. To be sustainable and future-proof, we help the water sector with horizon scanning, identifying and developing pioneering digital science and technology, supporting planning and flexible solutions with models and artificial intelligence, and supporting implementation in all these areas in the form of water solutions that are smart from their very foundations:  technology that is deployed most effectively in a broader framework or larger system.

Hydroinformatics

Hydroinformatics combines technological, sociological and environmental perspectives in its application of digital technologies to water issues. We see the field as a philosophy that develops systems  to address worldwide water problems facilitated by information technology. An important question here, perhaps more than ever, is: how do we look at problems and how do we try to solve them? Which aspects of the problem, or the solution that is needed, do we adopt as a starting point? Models have long been the focus in hydroinformatics and they continue to be important. However, more attention needs to be paid to the quality of the data (reliability, correctness, accessibility) needed to make models useful. Data quality and availability are major challenges for the water sector but it is not enough to focus on them alone. Ultimately, what matters are continuity and resilience, the capacity of the water sector to provide their services in all circumstances, and risk reduction. Our approach to hydroinformatics is therefore based on three major guiding principles: a data-centric approach (with data quality, accessibility and methods for analysis and visualisation), a model-centric approach (with a particular focus on different methods) and a risk-centric approach (with a particular focus on systems and dependencies). Using data as a raw material, we apply our system understanding in models and AI towards the best decisions.

Working with uncertainties

Digital tools and solutions help to cope with the issues of our time such as population growth, urbanisation and climate change. Hydroinformatics helps to improve our understanding of uncertainties and consequences for the water sector that are associated with those major challenges. That is urgently needed because the demand for adequate supplies of good-quality water is continuing to increase. As a result of climate change and the associated prolonged droughts, the availability and quality of water are no longer a given. However, deep uncertainty about several of these developments makes it difficult to predict which infrastructure we will need in the future. Moreover, the rate of change in the future may outpace the capacity of the water sector to adapt its systems. Our approaches therefore also focus heavily on the concepts of resilience and flexibility.

At KWR, we use hydroinformatics to work with stakeholders and produce solutions that lead to improvements in the design, management and performance of water systems. The integration of electronic hardware, software and human expertise delivers optimal water management today and in the future.

Three working areas

KWR’s hydroinformatics research has a strong ICT component that produces generic techniques for several domains. Our expertise is broad and it is constantly evolving. For example, we have expertise relating to optimisation, artificial intelligence (AI), uncertainty studies, real-time control and data science. KWR’s working areas in the field of hydroinformatics focus on systems and certainty/uncertainty, artificial intelligence and technical implementation, three building blocks that are closely interrelated.

Systems and certainty/uncertainty

Modelling systems/subsystems and interacting systems at various levels has long been a core competence of the hydroinformatics experts at KWR. That work includes, for example, the optimisation of drinking water and sensor networks on the basis of hydraulic simulations and genetic algorithms, and the development and implementation of digital twins. The context (including climate change) and society are changing ever faster, making planning for the future increasingly difficult. But here as well, hydroinformatics provides useful tools. We are investigating the applicability of methods for decision-making under deep uncertainty in the drinking water sector (long-term uncertainty) and developing a software tool that simulates the uncertainty in the hydraulics of drinking water networks.

Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, KWR has focused on the development of conventional and modern AI models and technologies. By bridging the gap between artificial intelligence, research and day-to-day practice, we transform AI into a key enabler of scientific insights into the digitalisation of the water sector. Time series models, such as the Long Short-Term Memory and the Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous models, are applied to predict water demand, groundwater levels and water quality. In addition, reinforcement learning supports decision-making in the phased design of water distribution systems, while computer visualisation is used to assess the condition of pipes using images. AI technologies, and particularly machine learning, are also used for classification and regression work such as classifying microplastics and predicting concentrations in the Rhine. With these innovations, AI is becoming an essential component of KWR’s collaborative projects with water utilities, water authorities and other partners to tackle major challenges in the water sector.

Technical implementation

In recent years, KWR has developed a number of high-grade digital tools and applications, and this trend will continue. In this way, we build a bridge between information technology, research and day-to-day water practice. But it is not all about the software: we seek to support the entire implementation chain, including adequate data quality and setting up pipelines, and developing frameworks and strategies for the most effective application.

Digital tools are playing an ever larger role in projects in which KWR collaborates with drinking water utilities, water authorities, the government and commercial partners such as consultancy firms and industry to resolve relevant issues in the water sector. Examples include AquaPriori, Probe(/Dunes), DVR, Gondwana and Pangaea (under development).

A broader framework

A lot can be done with technology but it is no silver bullet. Ultimately, what matters is application in interaction with humans. That is why we always look at the bigger picture: how people use digital technologies in their own working environment and increasingly in the broader stakeholder context. We also take the broader impact of the use of technology — not only the benefits but also the environmental footprint — into consideration. This contributes to a carefully considered and balanced application of digital technologies for a water-wise future.