Our DWC partners are working hard on demonstrating the potential of DWC’s digital solutions in our five demo cities. In Berlin, our project partners reached important milestones in testing sensors to reduce the environmental impact of the sewer network. They have also developed the beta version of our AR app for groundwater visualisation.

The Berlin water utility BWB is testing innovative monitoring methods to reduce environmentally harmful emissions from the sewer network. They have recently installed two types of sensors in the sewer network of the Fennsee area. These sensors identify the location of illegal wastewater discharges into the stormwater sewer system (sewer illicit connections). More notably, BWB is currently deploying the smart units developed by DWC’s project partner KANDO. This solution is based on multi-parameter sensors and machine learning algorithms to track illicit discharges.

In addition, since fall 2020 ten sewer overflows in the Wilmersdorf area have been equipped with low-costs temperature sensors for the detection of combined sewer overflows. This new solution, developed by ICRA and IoTsens, can be used in wide areas due to its simple and cost-effective design. In spring 2021 the measurement campaign will be extended to a further nine overflows. This will enable to monitor all overflow structures of the largest sewer catchment of Berlin for the first time. 

Finally, a beta version of our augmented reality application “Making groundwater visible” is already being tested. Our partner Vragments is developing it at full speed so that tests on Android and iOS devices remain on track.

Check out our Berlin video to see our partners in action!

Curious to know more about what they have done, and what they have learned? Here’s a snapshot of our ongoing activities in Paris, Sofia, Milan and Copenhagen.