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European CommissionDG Communications Networks, Content & Technology

Digital Society, Trust and Cybersecurity

Smart Mobility and Living

Action Plan for a Digital Single Market for

Water Services

DG Communications Networks, Content & TechnologyDigital Society, Trust and CybersecuritySmart Mobility and Living

Document Information

Full title Draft Overall Roadmap

URL https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/ict4water Project officer Aude Glenisson

ECDG Communications Networks, Content & TechnologyDigital Society, Trust and CybersecuritySmart Mobility and Living

Date of delivery Contractual 12/2017 Actual 10/2017

Nature Strategy Document

Dissemination Level Public X Private

Responsible Author Gabriel Anzaldi Email [email protected]

Affiliation EURECAT Phone +34 619 11 36 72

Version LogIssue Date Version Author Reviewer Change01/02/2017 1.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson First Version

08/03/2017 2.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson ICT4Water contribution Water Wise Conference

10/05/2017 3.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson Update

15/06/2017 4.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson ICT4Water contribution Water Innovation Europe Conference

13/09/2017 5.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson Update

20/10/2017 6.0 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson Version for community contributions

23/10/2017 6.1 Gabriel Anzaldi Aude Glenisson Version for community contributions (minor changes)


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https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/ict4water

Table of contents1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 4

2. A DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET STRATEGY FOR WATER SERVICES...........................................8

2.1 VISION AND UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES..........................................................................................................10

2.2 ADOPTION OF SMART WATER TECHNOLOGY................................................................................................11

2.3 IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART WATER TECHNOLOGY.....................................................................................12

2.4 OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND OPTIMIZING OF SMART WATER TECHNOLOGY.............................................12

2.5 METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................................13

2.6 OBJECTIVE.................................................................................................................................................14

3. ACTION PLAN............................................................................................................................... 15

4. DELIVERING THE ACTION PLAN................................................................................................22

5. CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................... 22

6. LIST OF ACRONYMS....................................................................................................................24


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1. Introduction

More than 1.8 billion people worldwide will be living in areas of water scarcity where more than two

thirds of the world’s population will face water-stressed conditions in the next decade. Water scarcity,

changing demographics and operational efficiency are top issues for the water sector, which are

amplified by the unpredictable impact of climate change. Demand for water continues rising, according

to The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), by the middle of the century

water demand will increase by 55 percent compared with 2015 levels1. This increase will mainly be

driven by population growth, the United Nations (UN) estimates that it will further increase by another

2.4 billion people between 2015 and 20502, with the world’s total population reaching 9.7 billion in 2050.

Urbanization, dietary and lifestyle changes will also accelerate the growth in demand for water. With

rapid population growth expected in parts of Asia, which are already under water stress, these areas

face acute water scarcity problems. The intense competition between water users means that as early

as 2030, the planet may face a 40 percent water supply shortfall assuming business as usual3.

Declining water quality has also grown to be a global concern. It can directly influence the cost of

providing water by utilities, reduce the volume of water available for use, and indirectly affect human

health. Water pollution mostly occurs because of agricultural run-off, domestic sewage and industrial

effluents. The long-term impact of personal care products and pharmaceuticals, such as painkillers and

antibiotics, on water cycles is a new area of concern that is rapidly gathering interest among the

scientific community resulting in changes to public policy.

Water managers around the world are facing acute water and wastewater infrastructure challenges,

often resulting in pipe leaks, sewage overflows and other hazards that not only waste valuable water

but could also affect public health and the environment. Infrastructure issues including water main

breaks, sanitary sewage overflows, storm water overflows, and water pipe degradation will result in an

increase in costs to households due to higher water rates, and billion cost increase to utilities by 2020.

The long-term impact of climate change is unpredictable, but many expect it to exacerbate water

scarcity, watershed planning and make aging water infrastructure even more vulnerable to extreme

weather conditions. Therefore, the level of risk that climate change introduces is likely to make water

cycle, infrastructure and demand management even more complex and costly. The impact of climate

change will also differ significantly from location to location. Without a full set of data and insight into

networks infrastructure conditions, operators are trapped in a reactive cycle.

1 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002318/231823E.pdf 2 http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Publications/Files/Key_Findings_WPP_2015.pdf 3 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002318/231823E.pdf


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Gabriel Anzaldi Varas, 22/10/17,

Summarize or split?

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002318/231823E.pdf

http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Publications/Files/Key_Findings_WPP_2015.pdf

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002318/231823E.pdf

Planning for the effects of climate change is difficult, as historical statistics may not help in predicting

the future. While only a few governments are openly incorporating water-related risks into their plans, a

broad coalition of governments, river basin organizations and businesses established the Paris Pact on

Water and Climate Change Adaptation at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference4. The Pact aims

to implement individual adaptation plans, strengthening water monitoring and measurement systems in

river basins and promoting financial sustainability and new water systems management.

Ultimately, the world needs flexible and resilient water systems that anticipate and monitor changes in

circumstances. Sustainable management techniques need to be implemented to protect water cycles

and reduce the impact of human activity on them. These need to go hand-in-hand with optimizing water

and wastewater provision and consumption, and will require closer collaboration between utilities, users

and regulators to incentivize water conservation, reuse and recycling.

This future water shortage requires immediate action on development of resources, reduction of

demand and higher efficiency in treatment and transmission. In addition, future flood risk management

requires immediate action in risk assessment, defence and alleviation systems, forecasting and warning

systems and institutional and governance measures. Over recent years, technology has developed

greatly and has matured with mass production to allow a wider uptake of methods and devices. After

the development phase, technology is now entering an application and implementation phase that is

targeting several fields including environment. A relevant example is given by the European Union who

has defined a major priority for the next 20 years on “ICT for sustainable growth5” with the ambition to

lead innovation at the worldwide scale. In such context, Digital water solutions have the potential to

connect water operations, citizens and authorities with distribution supply, wastewater, irrigation, etc.

networks, to optimize the holistic treatment and delivery lifecycle for drinking and waste waters.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) can produce operational efficiencies that improve water quality and

availability for municipalities and consumers worldwide. Using data and analytics, digital industrial

companies can work with utilities and consumers globally to solve the challenges of water distribution,

storm water and wastewater collection. Municipalities and water utilities worldwide can use a seamless

software solution set built on industrial internet platforms to put their data to work, addressing aging

infrastructure, manpower constraints, and water conservation .

The current situation in the digital water domain is characterised by a low level of maturity concerning

standardization of ICT solutions and business processes and their materialization in the legislative

framework. The massive and rapid spread of IoT devices within the society and their application to the

industrial sectors is not coordinated. The only relevant angle for the development of these technologies

4 http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lpaa/resilience/ press-release-lpaaresilience-1-paris-pact-onwater- and-climate-changeadaptation- announced/ 5 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sustainable_growth/index_en.htm


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http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sustainable_growth/index_en.htm

http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lpaa/resilience/press-release-lpaaresilience-1-paris-pact-onwater-and-climate-changeadaptation-announced/

http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lpaa/resilience/press-release-lpaaresilience-1-paris-pact-onwater-and-climate-changeadaptation-announced/

(M2M) within the water domain has to be based on the identification of the benefit provided in each

business process by the introduction of the new solutions.

Water actors, such as business, operators, authorities and consumers, are key in driving this process.

Local, regional and national authorities are enabling the transition, but the EU also has a fundamental

role to play in supporting it.

The sector is also starting to explore the power of data analytics. Data-driven insights have great

potential to transform the way consumers, the government and utilities think about water. Driven by

regulatory requirements and their users’ experiences, water utilities are now starting to focus on the

customer. Water and sewerage companies across the world are coming under pressure to do more with

less, putting operational efficiency measures to the top of their agenda. This also opens up new

opportunities for businesses with a focus on providing solutions for more efficient or sustainable water

provision or use.

As the impact of climate change and pollution on hydrological cycles becomes better understood, a

number of countries may look to tighten water regulatory standards on the provision of water and

sewerage services. With more interest from governments and businesses to adopt water stewardship

principles, utilities may also explore innovative financing solutions to fund infrastructure investments.

Their aim is to ensure that the right digital water strategy framework is in place.

This strategy will set the needed steps for the development of digital water services in the single

market, and provide clear signals to water stakeholders, operators and society on the way forward with

long-term targets as well as a concrete, broad and ambitious set of actions, to be carried out before

2030. Action at EU level will drive investments and create a level playing field, remove obstacles

stemming from European legislation or inadequate enforcement, deepen the single market, and ensure

favourable conditions for innovation and the involvement of all stakeholders.

The Action Plan for a Digital Single Market for Water Services focusses on action at EU level with

high added value. Making digital water services a reality will however require long-term involvement at

all levels, from Member States, regions and cities, to businesses and citizens. All water community is

invited to play their full part in EU action, integrating and complementing it with national actions. Digital

water will also need to develop globally. Increased policy coherence in internal and external EU action

in this field will be mutually reinforcing and essential for the implementation of global commitments.

A set of roadmaps leaded by the European Commissioning focused in Emerging Topics and

Technology Roadmap for Information and Communication Technologies for Water.

Managementwere presented in 20156 and 20167:

6 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/ict-water-management-roadmap-2015

7 http://www.widest.eu/images/downloads/roadmaps_downloads/ICT4WaterRoadmap2016_final.pdf


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http://www.widest.eu/images/downloads/roadmaps_downloads/ICT4WaterRoadmap2016_final.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/ict-water-management-roadmap-2015

Roadmap 2015 Roadmap 2016Focused on Water Management

Technological, social and organizational

challenges:

• - Cost/Benefit analysis of ICT

• - Synergies across sectors

• - Data sharing

• - interoperability

• - Standardization

• - Indicators

Focused in Water Management

Main Gaps and Challenges to be addressed:

• - Big Data

• - Data infrastructures

• - Link with Smart Cities

• - Nexus, Water–Food-Energy

• - Standardization

• - Lack of reliable field trials

The ICT4Water cluster Roadmap 2016 remarks the main digital gaps and challenges that need to be

addressed in the future development of the ICT for water management sector and the enabling

technologies that have to be further developed: Big Data and Data Analytics; Data Infrastructures; links

with Smart Cities Water-food-energy nexus; Standardization and lack of reliable trials. Other roadmaps

also remarks Systems for Smart Water Management; Geographic Information Management; Smart

Sensors Technology, Cybersecurity, among others, which have been considered for the action plan too.

In addition, collaborative work with several associations working groups such as the BDVA 8, AIOTI9,

WssTP10, EIP Water11 have been also carried out.

As follow up to the roadmaps, The Action Plan for a Digital Single Market for Water Services is

focused in a wider approach including Water Management, Treatment, Reuse, Circular Economy and

every field where ICT can contribute. It propose the creation of a borderless Digital single market for

water services, emerging from the inputs/discussion gathered from FP7/H2020 research projects -

grouped in the ICT4Water cluster12 and taking into account other relevant reports from water related

initiatives13.

8 http://www.bdva.eu/

9 https://aioti.eu/

10 http://wsstp.eu/

11 https://www.eip-water.eu/

12 http://www.ict4water.eu/

13 http://wsstp.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/102/2017/01/WssTP-SIRA_online.pdf


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http://wsstp.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/102/2017/01/WssTP-SIRA_online.pdf

http://www.ict4water.eu/

https://www.eip-water.eu/

http://wsstp.eu/

https://aioti.eu/

http://www.bdva.eu/

This initiative contributes to the Connected Digital Single Market and the Resilient Energy Union

objectives by promoting energy efficient smart ICT technologies in the water sector. The innovation

potential includes the shift from pilot scale initiatives to wide market uptake to end up with the creation

of a European Digital Market for energy efficient water services.

“Prompted by European Commission (chiefly DG Connect), they have formed a cluster for the

alignment in the application of digital technologies in the water sector: the ICT4WATER cluster

(www.ict4water.eu). By the date of publication of this Action Plan, 30 EU funded projects have joined

this cluster, bringing together over 300 institutions and businesses.

The ICT4WATER cluster is a hub for innovative activities contributing to strategic views, organizing and

participating at major exhibitions and scientific events, and disseminating results through major

channels. Mainly it collaborates and contributes in drafting the European Digital Single Market Strategy

within the water sector.

2. A Digital Single Market Strategy for Water Services

The Digital Single Market for Water services will provide the water business community, particularly

SMEs, with new opportunities to scale up across the water sector. Immediate action is therefore

required to break down digital barriers to cross-water cycle operational improvement, information

exchange, digital water educational outreach, adoption of digital water solutions, promote direct

financial incentives and investments, promote open water sector standards adoption and development,

etc. Part of building water actors trust requires affordable and high quality cross-domain delivery

services, which do not exist today.

The Digital Single Market of Water services must be built on reliable, trustworthy, efficient data

infrastructures and analytical services that safeguard data integrity, privacy and protection while also

encouraging innovation. This requires a strong, competitive and dynamic ICT4Water sector to carry out

the necessary research and innovations to exploit new technologies such as Semantics, Cloud

computing, Big Data tools, Artificial Intelligence or the Internet of Things.

Currently, most economic activity will depend on digital ecosystems, integrating digital infrastructure,

hardware and software, applications and data. Digitization of all sectors will be needed if the EU is to

maintain its competitiveness, keep a strong industrial base and manage the transition to a smart water

services economy. Digitization also offers unprecedented opportunities to:

The free flow of non-personal data as pre-requisite for a competitive data economy within the

Digital Single Market.

Merge physical and virtual worlds, creating smart environments bringing together people,

infrastructures and data to solve problems in a faster and more predictive way.


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Join Various Data Sources - Streamlined data management – device agnostic data aggregation

Improving the quality and speed of decision-making throughout the organization.

Improve trust in the data and communication security, as well as the protection of intellectual

property

Shift to technologies, cheaper and more efficient.

…

The water sector needs a range of measures to ensure being at the forefront of developing and

exploiting ICT, automation, sustainable production and processing technologies to serve the water

markets of the future. A digital water economy can also make society more inclusive. Citizens and

prosumers are not currently getting the full benefits from digital services (from water distribution, supply,

wastewater treatment, recycling, etc.) that should be available seamlessly across the whole water

domain.

Big data, cloud services and the Internet of Things are central to the EU’s competitiveness. Data is

often considered as a catalyst for economic growth, innovation and digitisation across all economic

sectors, particularly for SMEs and for society as a whole. Big Data and High Performance Computing

are also changing the way research is performed and knowledge is shared, as part of a transition

towards a more efficient and responsive 'Open Science'.

In the digital economy, interoperability means ensuring effective data exchange between digital

components like devices, networks or data repositories. It also means connecting better along the

supply chain or between industry and services sectors. It means more efficient connections across

systems, between domains and between services and stakeholders.

Standardization has an essential role to play in increasing interoperability of new technologies within the

Digital Single Market. It can help steer the development of new technologies such as 5G wireless

communications, digitization of manufacturing (Industry 4.0) and construction processes, data driven

services, cloud services, cybersecurity, e-health, e-transport and digital water. The EU Rolling Plan for

ICT Standardization is an essential instrument in this regard. However, an increased effort is needed to

ensure that standardization output keeps pace with changes in technologies. Currently, industry

stakeholders decide 'bottom-up' in which areas to develop standards and this is increasingly taking

place outside of Europe, undermining our long-term competitiveness. We need to define missing

technological standards that are essential for supporting the digitization of our industrial and services

sectors (e.g. Internet of Things, cybersecurity, big data and cloud computing) and mandating

standardization bodies for fast delivery.

In the digital economy, standard essential patents (standards that are based on patents as proprietary

rights) are an increasingly important feature in standardization and an important element of the

business model for many industries in terms of monetizing their investment in research and innovation.


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There is a need for a balanced framework for negotiations between right holders and implementers of

standard essential patents in order to ensure fair implementation conditions.

Moreover, availability of standards is often not sufficient to ensure interoperability, if existing standards

are not integrated by suppliers in their solutions. Public procurement plays an important role in

promoting standards and the water sector needs to create catalogues of ICT-standards and

interoperability specifications to guide public procurers and accelerate standards adoption on water

markets. Integrating these catalogues into European catalogues would avoid market fragmentation at

EU level

In line with The Digital Single Market Strategy, the new digital water services have to be aligned with its

three pillars:

Better access for consumers and businesses to online goods and services across Europe

Creating the right conditions for digital networks and services to flourish

Maximizing the growth potential of our European Digital Economy

2.1 Vision and underlying principles

New digital technologies in an all connected world (smart sensors, drones/robots, satellite technologies

for earth observation and environmental monitoring) will provide detailed and capillary insights into

water availability, use and quality, up to the level of each individual user, similar to data (“Digital

Water”). An ubiquitous network of smart sensors throughout the water-system from river basin up to the

smaller “water grid” cycles, will swell the gigabytes of data being generated today by utility infrastructure

to thousands of terabytes in the future, with other estimates suggesting smart meters could generate

around 1,000 petabytes of data a year globally once full rollouts are complete. A holistic approach to

digital systems applications at various scales (industrial, urban, rural, regional, international river basin)

will be exploited by the joint stakeholders to manage our water-system.

Utilities will be reinvented to become big-data related service providers leveraging on the Open Data

paradigm. They will have high-quality forecasting capabilities, using new mathematical modelling

systems and visualization applications, and unforeseen levels of real-time knowledge and decision

support. The widely diffused network of sensors, metering and advanced modelling and software

systems will monitor quality and quantify water flows in the economy and the environment. This will

allow a much smarter, more dynamic and adaptable near real-time water allocation management and

governance system that is robust, more resilient and less vulnerable against external events.

Digital by Default: water operators should deliver services digitally (including machine readable

information) as the preferred option (while still keeping other channels open for those who are

disconnected by choice or necessity).


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Openness: water authorities should share information/data and enable citizens and businesses

to access control and correct their own data; enable users to monitor administrative processes

that involve them; engage with and open up to stakeholders (such as businesses, researchers

and non-profit organizations) in the design and delivery of services.

Cross-Sectorial by default: authorities should make relevant digital public services available

across sectors and prevent further fragmentation to arise, thereby facilitating information flow

within the Digital Water Single Market.

Interoperability by default: digital water services should be designed to work seamlessly across

the Single Market and across organizational silos, relying on the free movement of data and

digital services within the whole water sector.

Trustworthiness & Security: All initiatives should go beyond the mere compliance with the legal

framework on personal data protection and privacy, and IT security, by integrating those

elements in the design phase. These are important pre-conditions for increasing trust in and

take-up of digital services.

Focus on people: The biggest challenge of water leaders isn’t technology - it is the people, it’s

dependent upon the digital qualifications of the employees who need to roll out digital

processes and services.

2.2 Adoption of Smart Water Technology

In order to engage the interest of utilities, governments and the public in Smart Water Technology,

multiple strategies comprising of technical solutions, policy-making and awareness campaign and

education are required.

The first action is to ensure the specifications for interoperability and data sharing across services

(water, energy, etc.) and their infrastructures. This can be achieve through the development of

semantics tools to properly contextualize the business processes in the water domain (Water Uses and

Services, Environmental Management and Natural Hazards Management) by using and adapting of

existing ontologies (mainly sensors and real-time measures) and creating of new water-specific

ontologies for those that are not available. To support the development of semantics tools, it is

important to provide an open repository where all the ontologies are made available (free if possible).

The second action is to promote cross-domains data sharing (Water-Energy-Land Food-Climate Nexus)

by developing and providing Open Data interfaces and establishing Open Data policies.

The third action is to get the support for pilot projects on Smart Water technology. The outcomes of

these pilot projects will contribute to the establishment of guidelines and best practices for future Smart

Water Grids (SWG) implementation.


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For the governing bodies, besides offering the financial support, there should also be legislative

support to ensure the security of the data collection, transmission and storing across all

domains.

For the utilities, proposed pilot projects should be self-financing within 3-5 years. The pilot

projects should start with a small-scale implementation (SSI) carried out within the 1 year of the

project. This will enable the utilities to make use of the results of the SSI to learn, optimize and

re-engineering the processes in the project for the later phases. In addition, it will serves as a

validation checkpoint that will reduce the risks, uncertainties and implementation time of the

project.

For the public, awareness campaigns should be carried out by the government and utilities to

ensure customer buy-in. Such campaign can include seminars and conferences, printed media

and videos. This will smoothen the implementation of the Asset Management during the pilot

project, thus optimizing the implementation time of the project.

2.3 Implementation of Smart Water Technology

For the implementation of Smart Water technology to be a success, there should be development of

systems standards to ensure the interoperability solutions. Both the "inter" systems (like MDM, DSS)

within the water system and the water system itself should not only be able to operate individually within

its own set of operation protocols and standards, but also interact with other systems. In the case of the

water system, there should be interoperability among the other Smart City, Agricultural or industrial

systems. Recommendation includes:

Develop Open Data initiative by making Open Data should be made easily accessible and free

(if possible) to the researchers, as it will enhance and accelerate the development on the

interoperability solutions

Definition of the Water Information System for all common business processes models of all the

domains (Water Uses and Services, Environmental Management and Natural Hazards

Management) of the water industry, at least at a macro level.

2.4 Operation, Maintenance and Optimizing of Smart Water Technology

The challenge of smooth operation, maintenance and optimizing of the water and sewerage systems

can be overcome by developing performance benchmarking on an EU level. This can be built on work

by IWA Water Utility Efficiency Assessment Matrix and Effective Utility Management Collaborating

Organizations and extend the benchmarking to consider the processes involved in the smart water grid.

The following actions are recommended:

Identifying key performance metrics and indicators for SWG


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Develop a benchmarking framework and assessment methodology

Develop a supporting benchmarking tool

Test and validate the framework across the utilities in EU

Making the tool available to the water utilities and sector

Follow-up actions upon the development of the benchmarking framework and tool are:

Providing for cross-utility comparisons of utility targets and performance

Developing a process for future updates to the tool and self-assessment process

2.5 Methodology

In order to build the action plan the following methodology was followed in collaboration with several

funded EC funded projects grouped in the ICT4water cluster.

The approach is based on leveraging innovation in response to growing societal and sectorial demands.

In a holistic and consistent approach, the action plan addresses all the issues of the digital water, from

resources to societal changes, using a wide range of ICT solutions: data acquisition, data management,

real-time monitoring and field operation management.

The general methodology based around few steps which can be summarized as follow:

1. Step 1 - Water business processes and ICT solutions: identification of needs, challenges

gaps and expectations of the water domain professionals on ICT solutions (products /

services / technologies / business models / success cases…);

2. Step 2 - Identification and validation of innovative digital water technologies by the ICT

professionals with the objective to bridge the identified gaps during the Step 1;

3. Step 3 – Develop the “level of sharing” of each ICT solution in order to address

interoperability, standards, architecture and smartness for implementation issues;

4. Step 4 – . Prioritize the findings from the Gap Analysis exercise into a series of gap

closure strategies (Actions & quick wins & innovative solutions to be supported)

5. Step 5 – Discover the optimum sequence of actions (recognizing predecessor –

successor relationships)

6. Step 6 – Develop and Publish the Action Plan

The initial step was dedicated to the analysis of the business processes, both for the artificial cycle and

the natural cycle of water, and both for design and for operations. The business processes are

described at a macro scale, where the tiny differences between entities are not seen and where just the

common "backbone" is visible. These business models are used as "base maps" in order to show the

unequipped - or poorly equipped - steps in terms of ICT. A special attention is turned to the analysis of

added value of these unequipped steps. The diagnostic characterizes the added value not only on the

economic point of view, but also on sociological and ecological dimensions. In addition to the common


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To be Updated

map of the water business processes itself, the result of this step is the list of the steps / processes that

"deserve" to be equipped with new ICT tools. This effort of analysis according to the business

processes vision represents an essential input in the water domain. Until now this diagnostic was not

established for several reasons and especially due to the low maturity of water industrial domain

regarding ICT solutions and uses.

The second step consists in a technologic analysis of the needs and requests of water companies. The

step includes not only the assessment of the feasibility, the potential availability and the cost of the

requests, but it will also propose other tracks, unimagined or not foreseen during the previous step. The

water companies have a partial vision of digital solutions and they need a better knowledge of the

current trends on digitizing industry / market. Alternating the leadership of the steps between the "water

people" - water companies and other stakeholders - and the "ICT people" brings an efficient synergy.

In a final step, the production of the guidelines and specifications whose needs are identified in the

previous steps. According to the results of the previous step, these results can go from very generic

guidelines to more precise actions such as hardware requirement for sensors, software architecture,

strategy for implementation and deployment in water services, metadata architecture, business process

description and standards.

2.6 Objective

The action plan is based on gaps identified by the ICT4Water cluster. It propose actions relating to

R&D, market, business and possible regulation in the area of ICT and water. It will enhance emerging

digital water issues (current and future trends) in terms of services, data management, interoperability,

intelligence and standardization, including synergies between the proposed solutions and with other

related sectors (e.g. circular economy, water reuse, transport, energy, agriculture and smart cities).

The Action Plan provides for a dynamic and flexible approach, to keep track of the fast changing

environment. Beyond the actions identified in this Action Plan, further actions may be proposed either

by the ICT4Water cluster members or by stakeholders.

The Action Plan will serve as a catalyst to coordinate public sector modernisation efforts and resources

in the field of digital water services.


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3. Action Plan

No. Actions Challenges Timetable Implementation tools

1 Reinforce better utilization and effective deployment of new technology enablers

Efective R&D and deployment of Big Data, IoT, Hybrid Infrestructures, Data analytics, Smart Metering, Smar Sensors, network communications.Standards and common schemas needed for cross-vertical interoperability. Promote quasi-real time data analysis, forecasting, visualisation technologies for advanced decision supportDeployment of tools for smart water digital value chains

2018-2024 H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Research and

Innovation actions Sector Investments European, National, Reginal

Funding schemas2 To develop an European

Catalogue of ICT4Water standards including: Adoption of a Priority and Feasibility of integration 14

To establish best practices and guidelines on Smart Water implementation so as to promote adoption of digital Water solutions.To provide guidelines for public procurements.To link water standards with the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation 15

2018 Procurement < 15.000€

3 Digital Single Market integration16

Liaise with the Commission initiatives on the ‘cloud’ and other initiatives related to ‘building a data economy’ of the Digital Single Market (as far as government services are concerned) and provide the necessary interoperability recommendations and specifications in due consideration of the Communication on ICT Standardisation Priorities for the Digital Single Market (COM(2016)176).

2018-2021 DGs

4 Promote new digital water skills

Foster the transference of knowledge and experience acquired for all the stakeholders through all the research and development stage.Currently, the digital revolution add a new complex paradigm, to fully realize digital water vision, increased capacities and competencies are needed, through sharing success stories, learning to work differently with new tools, pooling resources, and opening to other sectors’ approaches and methods.Definition of new digital water roles

2018-2025 Sector Investment Data-Water

Association/cluster working group

Digital Water Operator Award (Promoted by Water Association)

Dedicated Innovation Actions

14 https://ec.europa.eu/isa2/eif_en

15 http://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/2017-rolling-plan-ict-standardisation-released-0_en

16 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/building-european-data-economy


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Please, improve, complete or add.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/building-european-data-economy

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/2017-rolling-plan-ict-standardisation-released-0_en

https://ec.europa.eu/isa2/eif_en


5 Contribute to existing repositories

Improve collection, access and retrieval of coherent water related data. For instance, European Environmental Agency data and maps17; WISE18 portal ( Water Information System for Europe is the European information gateway to water issues)

2018-Onwards Currents funded activities European, National, Reginal

Funding schemas

6 Stakeholders Awareness (managing authorities, decision makers, water professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, operators, etc.).

To create awareness of the importance of Water Systems interoperability;To raise awareness among stakeholders regarding the use digital solutions in general. Mainly focusing on free flow of data among systems, smartness and open data policies.To Improve our understanding of value of water and value of data.To R&D in new models on water/health, water/energy/waste, nexuses, water cycles, value of ecosystem services, climate impact; etc.

2018-Onwards H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Research and


Funding schemas

7 To advance in digital water consumer awareness

To reinforce the value of water. Not only Smart cities citizenship, but also industrial and agricultural customers. To improve product water footprint citizen perception.To develop digital tools to improve consumer awareness, induce sustainable changes in consumption behaviour, and improve social perceptions for waterTo promote the innovative use of advanced ICTs for communication/disseminationcampaigns/ and public engagement including citizen scienceTo transform water and waste water operators and authorities digital portals to support increasing smart engagement and participation in EU programmes and policy making

2018-Onwards H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Research and


Funding schemas

8 Develop, maintain and use mechanisms and tools assessing the maturity, costs and benefits of interoperability.

To promote standardization and interoperability through the deployment and application of standards.

2018-2022 Data-Water Association/cluster working group

9 To upgrade policies including real-time mesaurements

Supported by technological innovations, e.g. smart sensors and IoT deployment, data is under a big expansion in terms of quantity and diversity. This poses new challenges and offers new opportunities to turn these data into understandable, usable information in real-time. Consequently, efficient quality standards are required in order to provide information to decision makers in periods not covered by water related directives. Distributed high performance computing

2018-2021 DGs

17 https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps

18 http://water.europa.eu/


page 16 of 25

http://water.europa.eu/

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps


infrastructures such as Grids or Clouds appear as promising supporting technologies.

10 Provide review analysis and guidelines for the ICT solutions and systems in Smart Cities, particularly Smart Water Grids

To promote the established standards and best practices obtained from the pilot projects and their relevant experiences and research on operating and maintenance.

2019 Procurement < 15.000€

11 Develop recommendations for ensuring interoperability and data sharing across services

To define, develop, improve, operationalise, maintain and promote interoperable services and tools, standards and specifications.To promote standardization and interoperability through the deployment and application of standards.

2019-Onwards Cross European Data-Water Associations working group

H2020 Funding Schemas

12 Promote a Digital Water Innovation Hub

Groing and support of a thriving and interconnected Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the Water Community.Contribute to advance in the consolidatio of the ICT4Water community.Share knowledge and experience among EU digital water funded activititiesPromote data-intensive and cost-efficient models. Link digital need by providing services related to overcome the main gaps and challenges that need to be addressed in the future development of the Smart Water Sector-

2019 - 2021 European, National, Regional

Procurement < 15.000€ H2020 Funding Schema

13 Development of common languages to properly contextualize the business processes in the water domain (E.g. SAREF19, HyFeatures20, etc.)

To ensure the specifications for interoperability and data sharing across services (water, energy, assets, etc.) and their infrastructures.

2019- 2021 Digital water interoperability award

Dedicated research and innovation actions

14 Further develop digital water bussines models for differente Smart aproaches (Smart Cities, Smart Agriculture, …

As a service bussiness modelsPlatformsData drivemIPR Based

2019-2021 Data-Water Association/cluster working group

15 Improve efficiency and circularity in digitalization

Smart Cities Linkage, Leakage detection, sustainable reduction of elastic water consumption, increased user awareness, usage of grey water and cascade use of

2019-2023 H2020 Funding Schemas Sector Investments

19 https://sites.google.com/site/smartappliancesproject/ontologies/reference-ontology

20 http://external.opengis.org/twiki_public/HydrologyDWG/ModelRelationships


page 17 of 25

http://external.opengis.org/twiki_public/HydrologyDWG/ModelRelationships

https://sites.google.com/site/smartappliancesproject/ontologies/reference-ontology


of water use and reuse water, optimisation in the use of water in agriculture..Retrofitting existing water infrastructure creates challenges in terms of how to adapt existing infrastructures with new technologies at least cost for the community in order to meet current and emerging demands

European, National, Reginal Funding schemas

16 Development initiative for free flow of non-personal data and promote Open Data

To promote and accelerate the development on standards and ontologies on dataTo facilitate the integration of different systems

2019-2023 H2020 Funding Schemas

17 Development of performance benchmarking

To identify key performance metrics and indicators in order to develop benchmarking framework and assessment methodology.To Provide benchmarking tool available to the water sector

2021-Onwards Cross European Data-Water Associations working group

18 Development of information exchange water standards

To identify and develop interface standards essential for the integration of systems.

2021-2023 Promote in the framework of standardization bodies

19 Data sharing and privacy management policies

Special effort should be put into improving legislation and providing common sets of terms and conditions to be used. Including open data clauses in contracts between local authorities and WDN operators may be also an important step forward. Furthermore, identify potential privacy risks and propose privacy-‐preserving solutions (at the technical and policy levels) to facilitate data sharing.Technology entities should also provide the tools to secure the channels and anonymise the data transmitted through the entire ICT platform.

2021-2023 Cross European Data-Water Associations working group.

20 To develop ICT4Water Cybersecurity schemas

To develop secure schemas that permit the trustable sharing of information among sensors and other type of data management services, which fully cover all the data value chain, assuring that security tools arrive to the consumer, To full fil the security faults in the adoption of interoperable open technologies.

2021-2023 Cross European Data-Water Associations working group.

21 Promote the links with the existing and future water legislation by deploying

Push for Water Standards which could help the development of the European Digital Single Market for water services.Apply INSPIRE21 Directive for Geospatial data in digital public services.

2021-2025 Sector Investments H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Innovation


page 18 of 25


ICT4WATER use-case(s) Develop 'building blocks' for re-use INSPIRE data models to in other applications and improve current legislationReduction of Stakeholders Fragmentation, Water is a fragmented domain where decision-making legislative responsibilities in some cases are overlapped or unclear;

Actions European, National, Reginal

Funding schemas

22 Development and support for pilot projects, living labs and procurement schemas.

To establish best practices and guidelines on Smart Water implementation so as to promote adoption of digital Water solutions.To raise awareness in digital water among the stakeholders (utilities, governing bodies and end-users)

2021-2025 Sector Investments H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Innovation


Funding schemas23 Reducing Total Cost of

Ownership for Water ICTStrengthening R&D to deliver:a) cost-effective technical solutions addressing water consumption monitoring b) technical synergies and business models with energy consumption monitoring, Smart Cities, and smart home ecosystems, smart agriculture, smart industriesc) Improvement of Water ICT towards leveraging the circular characteristics of water

2021-2025 H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Research and


Funding schemas24 Smartening of the water

system2021-2025 Smart Water awards

H2020 Funding Schemas Dedicated Research and


Funding schemas25 Development of cross-

domains data sharing mechanisms (Water-Energy-Food - Land use – Climate Nexus)

To develop and provide cross-domain alignment Open interfaces and establishing Open Data (or meta data) policies to facilitate the data flow between different systems and domains.

2021-2025 Dedicated Research and Innovation actions

26 To develop and deploy Decision making tools able to apply new decision schemas considering

To reduce heterogeneity among decision-making implementations. To Increase comparability, promote comparison and interoperability of knowledge.To advance in near-real time decision support


21 http://inspire.ec.europa.eu/


page 19 of 25


To be completed


More focus on WFD

http://inspire.ec.europa.eu/


competing objectives and multi-stakeholders’ governance models

To improve To develop and deploy a knowledge base and ICT tools for resource recovery and recyclingTo improve deployment and integration of DSSs and communication technologies and toolsTo develop new methodologies for climate impact analyses and decision-making.

27 To Implement decentralised smart water systems deploying digital water services including health monitoring;


28 To contribute in Cybersecurity by developing ICT4Water Anonymization methodologies and procedures

To deploy and develop reliable standards and procedures that anonymize data regarding the source and the destination.


29 To integrate digital water component into water eGobernance (new or existing urban plans; emergency plans; infrestructures plans; etc.)

Initiatives have to promote the usage of effective data management infrastructures including hybrid approaches supporting data-intensive services and evidence-informed policy-making.Contribute to manage gobernance complexity, uncertainty, divergent economic and political interests and cultural discourses. Contribute to effective incorporation of diverse actors and the quality of decision-making processes. Ensure information is easily accessible and understandable for all types of stakeholders, adapted to the decision-making context and time frame, and traceable.

2025-2030 Sector Investments Dedicated Innovation


Funding schemas

30 Examine options and actions for a more coherent policy framework of the different strands of work of EU product policy in their contribution to the digital single market for water services

Improve water related framework of directives by including digital water advances and contribritions.

2026-2030 DGs


page 20 of 25


To be completed

2018

2021

2025

2030


page 21 of 25

4. Delivering the Action Plan

This Action Plan includes actions to be launched between 2018 and 2030. Further actions may be

needed to achieve the objectives set out within each of the above priorities, and in order to adapt to the

rapidly changing technological environment.

New actions may be proposed by the Water Community and the Commission in order to implement or

to initiate new emerging technologies. Stakeholders may also propose actions for implementation under

the dihital water services Action Plan.

Delivering on the measures proposed in this Action Plan will be possible only through a joint

commitment and joint ownership between the Water Community, the Commission and the Member

States, at all levels.

5. Conclusion

The Action Plan intends to set out a concrete and ambitious strategy to support the deployment of

digital water and the transition towards a digital single market for water services in order to better

address the following needs:

Guarantee water resources including both, natural and manufactured water

Intelligent control of water flow using bi-directional communication in water infrastructure.

Risk-minimization for assets in the water infrastructure.

Energy efficiency in operating and maintaining water infrastructure (legacy adaptation)

Infrastructures obsolescence

Work force, asset and operational management improve

Need for low-cost water monitoring solutions

Effective feedback mechanisms to accurately and timely inform consumers for their water

consumption

Sustainable behavioral changes (all actors)

Synergies across sectors

Real-time decision making and monitoring

Highly detailed water consumption data

Efficient and scalable data management and analysis services

Evolve Water Demand Management (WDM) and pricing strategies

Data sharing, Interoperability and Standardization

Data privacy and security

Digital change management (new skills, training & technology)


page 22 of 25

Advance Low cost and reliable sensors/transducers (Physical, Chemical, Biological

characteristics)

Reduce water-wastewater sensors maintenance

Include real time monitoring in policies

Advance in self and remote sensors capabilities

…

The Action Plan for a Digital Single Market for Water Services describe a journey water actors are

taking towards a complete value chain transformation. At the end of this transformation process,

successful water/wastewater/agricultural/industrial companies and authorities will become true digital

water enterprises, with physical products at the core, augmented by digital interfaces and data-based,

innovative services. These digital water enterprises will work together with customers and suppliers in

industrial digital ecosystems. These developments will fundamentally change individual companies, as

well as transform water market dynamics across a whole range of industries related.

Water leaders have slowly started digitizing essential functions within their internal vertical operations

processes, as well as with their horizontal partners along the value chain. In addition, they are

enhancing their product portfolio with digital functionalities and introducing innovative, data-based

services. A continued, broader commitment from the Commission, EASME, Associations and all

stakeholders concerned will also be necessary. The ICT4Water invites the Digital Water community to

endorse this action plan and to actively promote its implementation, in close cooperation with all

relevant stakeholders.

Companies that adopt water stewardship strategies should be able to anticipate, manage and mitigate a

number of risks such as increasing water costs, changing regulatory landscape or disruption of physical

supplies. A Digital Single Market for Water Services is the 21st century opportunity in valuing water.

The strategy for a Digital Single Market is about transforming European society and ensuring that it can

face the future with confidence. The Commission invites the European Parliament and the Council to

complement this Strategy by completing the Digital Single Market for Water Services as soon as

possible and to actively engage in its implementation, in close cooperation with all relevant

stakeholders.


page 23 of 25

6. List of Acronyms

A/M Asset Management

BP Business Process

BU Business Unit

DSS Decision Support System

DW Drinking Water

DWNM Drinking Water Network Management

DWTP Drinking Water Treatment Plant

ICT Information and Communication Technologies.

IS Information System

IS/IT Information System / Information Technology

IS/IT Information System / Information Technology

IT Information Technology

MDM Meter Data Management

SSI Small Scale Implementation

SWG Smart Water Grid

SWM Smart Water Management

SWNM Storm Water Network Management

W/M Work Management

WssTP Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform

WW Waste Water

WWNM Waste Water Network Management

WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant


page 24 of 25


To be updated


page 25 of 25

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