Machine learning offers a proactive path to water infrastructure resilience

North America's water infrastructure stands at a crossroads.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' latest Report Card gives drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems very low grades, ranging from D to C-minus. Canada's Infrastructure Report Card shows that about 30 per cent of the water infrastructure across the country is at or near the end of its service life.

Aging pipes, climate impacts and funding gaps threaten the backbone of smart city resilience. The consequences are real. Catastrophic failures — major water main breaks, sewage spills — disrupt lives, harm the environment and cost billions of dollars.

But there is a proactive path forward. Machine learning and advanced analytics software is transforming how cities manage water infrastructure.

Real-time and historical data can be integrated to create a priority map that informs future operations and maintenance work. The model can predict the way the system would respond to hypothetical precipitation events.

Why wait for the next crisis? The tools for resilience are here today. With machine learning, water utilities can ensure safe, reliable water infrastructure for generations to come.

First published on the infinitii ai blog. infinitii ai is the company behind infinitii flowworks.