Examining the Economic Feasibility of Digital Twins

By Sandra DiMatteo

From aging infrastructure and changing environmental regulations to funding gaps and climate-fueled natural disasters, water utilities around the globe face a range of problems in their effort to deliver reliable and affordable water to their communities. Their potential solutions are similarly wide-ranging, from stimulus grants and conservation programs to smart water technologies.

Utilities are employing a variety of digital strategies to address urgent risks as well as meet the requirements for digital transformation aligned to strategic investments in water systems. One very compelling digital strategy that water utilities are adopting is a digital twin. Digital twins of water infrastructure can help utilities get the most out of their data to improve their decision-making. Most utilities have the key building blocks in place to make digital twins economically feasible as a short-term strategy with long-term benefits.