The era of water management

In just the last 100 years, global water usage has increased at twice the rate of population growth. Long-term drought conditions will come to define the lives of many around the world. Meanwhile, in an increasingly populated, industrialised world, water will become harder to come by.

As the United Nations marks World Water Day, a few basic facts put this stark reality into perspective. Most of the 3 billion people projected to be added worldwide by mid-century will be born in countries that are already experiencing water shortages. By 2025, two-thirds of the globe is expected to encounter water scarcity.

The systems waste water

While we must continue to improve access to water, societies must also focus on how to manage that water. Because in almost every case today, the systems designed to handle water - sewage, agriculture, industry - waste it. In some areas, up to 50 percent of the water flowing through a system is lost due to leaky infrastructure.

The problem is that for too long, water hasn't been measured and monitored. Until recently, in most of the world, there was little reason to take these basic steps. Water was a commodity. It was cheap. But now, the days of readily available sources of water are coming to an end.

Already, the water tables are falling in scores of countries, including China, the US, and India, because of widespread over-pumping for industrial, agricultural and residential use. One result could be a decline in food harvests in some countries, a consequence that will have a broader impact than in the past because of the tight links that globalisation is forging between economies and communities.

Transformation possible

With just a basic understanding of how water is being used, wasted, or contaminated, though, it's possible to transform the equation, to manage water in much smarter ways. Companies and government agencies around the world are starting to hammer out what the era of water management will look like. At the heart of these new systems is data. By monitoring and measuring water, we can analyse where it's being lost, how it's becoming polluted, and craft models for how best to use and protect it.

Waste- and water-management companies, for instance, are starting to use analytics, mapping technologies, and smart meters in homes and businesses to create systems that predict problems before they happen, rather than after the fact. These systems can rapidly pinpoint problems, such as a burst water main, a slow leak, or hazardous sewage overflow, saving precious water resources. We are working with the north-eastern Chinese city, Shenyang, on analysing data from the city's sewage and plumbing systems to determine where water is being wasted and how access to clean drinking water can be improved.

Deploying sophisticated systems

Other communities are deploying sophisticated systems for monitoring their sources of fresh water, plugging in information about changing weather, pollution levels, and even fishery data. Using wireless sensors and advanced metering systems, some are tracking the water as it flows through transmission pipes to distributors who provide water to businesses, homes and farmers. Providing each actor in the water system with real-time data about river and dam flows, water quality, and even weather reports, gives them the insight they need to begin to use water more efficiently and learn to prioritise water use at different times.

Information, after all, is power. The simple step of using smart meters in the home to provide consumers with insight on their water use can have a real impact. Once consumers get detailed breakdowns, they tend to change their habits and become more efficient.

Conservation, efficiency, protection

Because water has been so abundant for many societies, businesses and farmers, there's been little effort to understand the resource. This kind of behaviour is quickly becoming a relic of the past. In a time when demand for water is booming, the world must become more insightful about a resource that's becoming increasingly precious. Conservation, efficiency, protection. These are going to become the standard practices for managing water going forward. To put those practices into place, collecting data will become as essential as collecting water.