Anglian launches AI in water treatment and recycling pilot

Anglian Water has announced a 12-month pilot project with Norwegian technology firm Infotiles to trial AI-driven software in water treatment and recycling processes.

According to Anglian Water – which collects and treats used water from more than six million people – the initial trial will see Infotiles’ software both monitor the rotating arms of biofilters at 15 sites to assess whether they are operating when needed and measure sludge blanket levels in primary settlement tanks at a further 15 sites to ensure they stay within optimal ranges.

The data, collected from a mix of new and existing sensors through Anglian’s supervisory control and data acquisition control (SCADA) systems, will be combined with flow rates and publicly available weather data to build an overview of what is happening at water recycling plants in real-time.

Infotiles will also condense Anglian’s existing SCADA systems into a single event streaming platform that can aggregate, compare, and visualise equipment reliability, as well as both allowing Anglian to trial different sensor technology and compare the reliability and accuracy of different devices undergoing testing.

A key aim of the partnership is to enhance operational visibility and decision-making around anaerobic digestion asset management given the importance of biological processes in wastewater treatment.

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Transformative tech

The two companies were brought together through Waterstart, a US-based membership platform which seeks to remove barriers to the adoption of innovative technologies, and connects utilities and municipalities with solution providers across the globe.

According to Adam Jessop, optimisation technologist at Anglian, the partnership has the potential to “transform” the firm’s management of its water recycling sites.

“Collaborating with international companies through Waterstart has helped the team to work at pace to find solutions and ways to improve the service provided,” he said.

Nathan Allen, executive director at Waterstart, added: “Infotiles have proven the technology works in the Nordics, and Waterstart is thrilled to support the company’s expansion into the UK market.

“Effective data management is a global challenge for water utilities and it is exciting to see the outcomes of the pilot as the technology is expected to be broadly scalable among our global membership base.”

The news comes after Anglian confirmed the proposed location for a new £1 billion reservoir in Lincolnshire.

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