There is no future without water. This statement may sound like a self-evident truth. Still, the fact that we often treat water as an inexhaustible commodity could make this statement a dire prediction of the risks we face when we do not treat water scarcity as an existential challenge.
Over the past months, the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) and the Water Services Corporation (WSC) teamed up with US-based company NOAH Global Solutions to run tests on an artificial intelligence (AI) model that constantly monitors crucial data, like water usage, groundwater levels and weather patterns.
This initiative is a step in the right direction as long as water management policymakers do not assume that AI is a silver bullet that can replace the need for strategic thinking to optimise how we use this finite resource.
As the popularity of AI has surged in recent years, people are becoming more comfortable with using AI and actively seeking a way to use it to their advantage. As AI technologies continue to revolutionise various industries, the AI market is contributing to helping resource management by making it a less daunting task for policymakers.
The water industry faces significant challenges due to the changing climate and strained resources. Malta has no rivers or lakes that can provide a constant water supply for domestic, industrial and agricultural use. We rely on expensive reverse osmosis industrial processes to convert seawater into potable water. We also have limited water recycling facilities to help farmers irrigate their fields.
Malta’s economic development is increasingly tied to increased population and a tourism industry that still targets mass tourism. The strains these factors have on managing our water resources and other essential infrastructure facilities cannot reasonably be addressed by relying mainly on algorithms that enable systems to analyse vast amounts of data. Nothing can replace the need for judicious human input in learning, planning, problem-solving and decision-making.
AI technology could revolutionise the future of water and wastewater systems and ensure the long-term viability of the industry if policymakers set the right priorities for a sustainable and resilient water sector.
For instance, more must be done to identify and prevent leaks in water distribution systems. AI technology can help us detect water flow and pressure anomalies, indicating possible leaks. However, this information must then be used to define an action plan to upgrade the water distribution system that has suffered from underinvestment for too long and at a time when the local population has grown substantially. A proactive approach is needed to save significant amounts of water and reduce the costs of repairing leaks.
Another essential requirement is the need to monitor water quality constantly. AI is continuously used in many Western countries to monitor water quality in real-time. By analysing data from sensors placed in water bodies, AI algorithms can detect changes in water quality and identify potential contaminants or public health hazards.
The government must also ensure that fiscal policies that subsidise the cost of water and electricity to consumers do not encourage waste.
Of course, those living in financially distressed circumstances must be helped to procure their water and electricity needs at reasonable and affordable prices. The rest must be made to understand that the wasteful use of water and electricity has a cost that the community must bear.
Technology can indeed help us address the challenges faced by water and wastewater systems as long as the human input in the decision-making process of water management is motivated by a commitment to treat water scarcity as a threat to our well-being.