Water management: two innovations win CHF 10,000 thanks to the BlueArk Challenge!
Using artificial intelligence and a digital twin, the BlueArk Challenge uses artificial intelligence and a digital twin to guarantee the supply of drinking water in local communities and to encourage the infiltration of rainwater using an innovative infiltration box. These are the functions of the two innovations rewarded by the jury of the 6thBlueArk Challenge. The IG group / RWBconsortium and WSP|BG, the companies behind these innovations, have each won CHF 10,000 in cash. BlueArk will provide support for future commercial development. For their part, OIKEN and the VSA, who initiated the challenges, will be helping the winners to implement their innovations in the field. With this result, the BlueArk Challenge is fully playing its role as an accelerator of innovation in water management.
Organised jointly by BlueArk and The Ark Foundation, the BlueArk Challenge is a call for projects designed to use open innovation methods to solve water management challenges. Six challenges were put forward this year by players including the town of Monthey, OIKEN, the VSA, the Swiss Alpine Club, ALTIS, Téléverbier and the Valais Environment Department.
The specialist jury awarded the prize to the IAquaspy project, developed by Valais-based engineering firms IG group and RWB Valais SA. The project met the challenge set by the distributor OIKEN, which wanted a technical solution to help decision-making in the event of deterioration in drinking water networks. Network managers have to ensure that water is distributed, even in the event of a crisis. While network managers are familiar with how their network operates in normal situations, it is more difficult for them to know how it reacts in the event of an incident (for example, in the event of a power shortage (OSTRAL Plan) or a burst pipe).
To remove these uncertainties, IG group and RWB Valais SA are proposing to develop a decision-support tool based on artificial intelligence and the SVGW standard. The IT module will be able to simulate various types of incident and their consequences on the network. For example, it will be possible to determine the quantity of water to be delivered in the event of a crisis, and locate the appropriate supply points. This tool should also be used to improve the planning of preventive and predictive measures. Lastly, it will enable the necessary investments to be defined, so that water networks can be optimised accordingly.
This new module could be coupled with digital simulations of the network to propose more relevant solutions. This will enable water distributors to prepare better for periods of tension and take the right decisions quickly in the event of a crisis.
An infiltration box to better capture water from sloping land
The second project to win an award from the jury was that of WSP | BG Ingénieurs Conseils SA. Its aim is to encourage water infiltration on sloping ground. In this context, water management must take into account additional factors such as the risk of landslides, resurgence or run-off. The ‘classic’ concepts of collecting water through grids and then draining it through pipes are not ideal. WSP | BG is therefore proposing to develop a space-saving, lightweight and robust infiltration box. This will allow run-off water to be captured, passed through different layers of materials and then efficiently evacuated into the subsoil. The idea is to slow down the flow, ensure that the water is properly treated and facilitate its infiltration.
The boxes, which are around 40 centimetres wide and one metre long, are particularly suitable for roadside verges. A decision-making aid can be added to define the objective criteria and threshold values for implementing this type of solution. The VSA (Swiss Association of Water Protection Professionals) is behind this challenge. The association will be assisting WSP | BG with its implementation in the field, in collaboration with the Valais Environment Service and ALTIS. Switzerland, with its many hilly regions, offers a wealth of opportunities for experimentation and hence commercial success.
A cheque for CHF 10,000 and support for the winners
The two winners will take home CHF 10,000 in cash. They will also have the opportunity to co-create their ideas with professionals in the field and the challenge sponsors. They will also benefit from various forms of support to help them develop and implement their project. For its part, BlueArk will offer personalised coaching, particularly on the economic aspects of the project.
The BlueArk Challenge was created in 2018 to boost innovation in water management. It initially ran as a hackathon for two years, before taking the form of a call for projects for the next four editions.