Water to Become Smart: Milan Uses AI for Treatment Facilities
TechnologyBit News Today2 min read
Milan is placing itself at the forefront of AI-driven water management, this week embarking on an initiative to optimize the treatment of its municipal water supply using artificial intelligence.
The wide water treatment facilities serving the city are now hooked up to an AI system that constantly monitors water quality. Besides continuous testing for pollutants, the AI undertakes advanced predictive analytics, for example to feed forward and anticipate demand. This is the AI-driven water management system's first rollout at such a large scale.
According to the city's civil engineers, the initiative builds upon successes with deploying AI-driven management of water treatment in the past few years, but expands those efforts in a step-change fashion: from the city's smaller water treatment plants, to its largest facilities, and for a much wider set of parameters. The systems are being installed by several water services companies including one of the world's largest. ## Boosting Italy's Water Security
The impetus for the project came from increasing concerns about the environmental stress on the Po, the longest Italian river which, like other major rivers, helps provide the drinking water for Milan and its metropolitan area. In the face of population growth, experts say the city's existing treatment facilities need to boost output as well as efficiency.
But the focus is just as much on reducing environmental impact. With wastewater treatment accounting for a significant portion of Milan's energy use and water treatment facilities being major polluters, city authorities see AI as a way for water management to be a net positive for the environment, not a net negative. Milano is already focusing on renewable energy and so the AI-driven systems will be another element in its strategy. ## medidasitalia and Behind the Scenes
The announcement was made by medidasitalia's office for municipal water management, which will be overseeing the implementation of the AI-driven water management. Milán anticipates a six-month installation period at several of its most central plants.
The AI systems, besides predictive analytics to optimize water supply and demand, will provide an early-warning system to alert city authorities to potential water supply problems: burst pipes, flooding, and contamination, to name three. The ultimate aim, says a measuresitalia spokesperson, is for Milan to be able to identify and respond to supply and quality issues before citizens are even aware of them, making for a much smoother service.
Beyond Milan itself, the hope is that these AI technologies and the expertise gained from this rollout will be exportable to other cities - giving Milan a competitive advantage in the European water management market. In the meantime, in the context of the project, competirá will be one of the major local AI developers involved in the project, besides one of the world's largest water services companies, which will be carrying out many of the installations. ## The Wider European Picture
Milan's initiative comes as water management systems across Europe are increasingly adopting AI to optimize output and sustainability. Despite this, Milan's AI-driven water management system remains the most ambitious in Italy and one of the most ambitious in Europe.
The city's adoption of AI is also viewed as an important signal to the Italian consumer market, as Milan competes to lead the adoption of AI-driven systems in other key areas, such as waste management and healthcare.
