World Water Day 2025

World Water Day 2025: How digital IoT solutions are revolutionizing water supply

On March 22, 2025, we celebrate World Water Day – a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of water for both people and the environment. This year’s theme, “Preserving Glaciers,” underscores a critical challenge: melting glaciers are not just symbols of climate change but also a serious threat to global water resources.

Many cities and communities are already experiencing the consequences of shifting water cycles. Rising temperatures, frequent droughts and increasingly extreme weather events make it more difficult for drinking water and wastewater associations to maintain a stable water supply. While some regions face water shortages, others struggle with heavy rainfall that overwhelms wastewater systems and pushes treatment plants to their limits.

"The challenges in water management are more complex than ever. It is no longer enough to react to problems – we must act proactively," says Andreas Feiler, Managing Director of PSsystec GmbH. "To do this, we need digital solutions that enable the early detection of disruptions and minimize water losses."

Digital Technologies for Sustainable Water Management

Monitoring drinking and wastewater networks is a critical task for water associations and utility companies. Traditionally, monitoring has been manual or based on outdated technology, making it time-consuming, costly and prone to failures.

A real-world example: A municipal water supplier responsible for providing drinking water to over 100,000 people struggled with an aging 1,900 km (1,180 miles) pipeline network. Manual inspections were inefficient, leaks remained undetected and operational costs soared due to unnecessary water losses.

With the introduction of SMARTsensor technology from PSsystec GmbH, the situation was completely transformed. The sensors now measure pressure, flow rates and consumption data in real time and securely transmit this data via the Deutsche Telekom mobile network to a central platform.

"Our technology makes it possible to detect anomalies such as leaks or unauthorized discharges immediately. This allows water suppliers to respond faster and prevent costly damage," explains Andreas Feiler. "This not only saves money but also ensures a more sustainable use of our most precious resource."

From Sensors to Intelligent Data Analysis: How Modern Water Management Works

The implementation of SMARTsensor technology in municipal water networks is a prime example of how digitalization is reshaping the water industry.

Key steps in the process:

1. Sensor Installation: 250 sensors were installed at critical points throughout the network, including pumping stations, wells and supply pipelines.
2. Real-Time Data Transmission via Deutsche Telekom’s Mobile Network: The collected data is securely transmitted via the Cloud of Things platform, ensuring reliable remote monitoring.
3. Automated Analysis with FlowChief: The software processes the data and identifies deviations that indicate leaks, pressure drops or system overloads.
4. Immediate Alerts: Automatic notifications ensure that technicians can intervene before major damage occurs.

This intelligent monitoring system has led to: A 30% reduction in operating costs, minimized water losses, and significantly reduced downtime

Water Associations: The Driving Force of Digital Transformation

Water and wastewater associations play a key role in implementing these new technologies. They manage massive networks, some of which are decades old and face the challenge of modernizing them with minimal disruption to existing operations.

The greatest challenge? Access to reliable real-time data. Many existing systems rely on outdated technology that does not provide live monitoring. However, with IoT sensor technology and cloud-based data evaluation, water associations can operate more efficiently and implement preventive measures before costly damages occur.

"Digital monitoring solutions are no longer a vision of the future – they are the key to a secure and sustainable water supply," Horst LANGE (Head of Sales of PSsystec GmbH) emphasizes. "Especially for water associations facing increasing cost pressures, the use of IoT technologies offers enormous advantages."

Partnerships for a Sustainable Future

The collaboration between PSsystec GmbH, FlowChief and Deutsche Telekom offers a holistic solution for water suppliers:

• IoT sensors from PSsystec GmbH provide precise real-time measurements of pressure, consumption and water flow.
• The Cloud of Things platform from Deutsche Telekom IoT enables secure, stable data transmission via mobile networks – eliminating the need for costly IT infrastructure.
• FlowChief processes the data, providing detailed reports and automatic alerts.

By integrating these technologies, water suppliers can not only respond to disruptions faster but also operate their networks more efficiently and sustainably in the long term.

World Water Day 2025: A Call for Digital Transformation

World Water Day 2025 serves as a reminder of how valuable and vulnerable our water resources are.

Digital transformation is the key to a secure and efficient water supply. Solutions like SMARTsensor enable water providers to minimize water losses, reduce operating costs and future-proof their infrastructure.

"We must act now," Andreas Feiler urges. "If we don’t modernize our water networks, we risk unnecessary losses and rising costs. The technology is available – it’s up to us to use it."

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Let’s take the World Water Day 2025 as an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation in the water industry – for a more sustainable future!

More information about SMARTsensor

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