Water utilities, charged with caretaking and providing the public with one of our most critical resources, are facing increasing pressures from climate change, population growth, retiring employees and aging infrastructure. It is no longer a question of whether we should implement transformative solutions, but when and how quickly we can integrate them.
A Digital Twin is a dynamic model that digitally mirrors real-world systems, using both static and real-time data to provide insights and enable interactions. It supports every stage of the water asset lifecycle — from planning and design to operations and decommissioning — helping utilities optimize performance, enhance decision-making, and boost resilience across water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
This webinar explores the “what” and “how” of digital twins. The three speakers recently published a report for the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN); Digital Twin Values Guide – The Smart Water Professional’s Guide to Communicating the Value of Digital Water. During the webinar, they share advice on how water utilities can start or enhance their digital transformation, along with case studies from the Guide.
Meet the speakers:
- Mike Karl, VP, Global Digital Lead, Water. With over 20 years’ experience, Mike steers the digital transformation initiatives within AECOM's water sector. His expertise lies in harnessing digitally enabled solutions to boost organizational efficiency, underscored by his deep expertise in smart water, automation, digital twins, and advanced analytics. A recognized industry leader, Mike chairs the SWAN Americas Alliance and has previously co-chaired the SWAN Digital Twin Holistic Architecture Committee.
- Joukje Keuning PE, Program Manager, Vitens. Joukje has a passion for drinking water. During her career she has held various positions at several Dutch drinking water companies. She started as a process technologist, has been a project manager, manager, business change manager and is currently a program manager at Vitens. Her program encompasses several data and digital initiatives, including the development and deployment of three digital twins: one for monitoring water quality at production plants, another for managing water distribution across a wider region, and a third for overseeing direct water delivery to customers.
- Andrew Smith, Director Smart Water, Anglian Water. Andy is the Head of Smart Water within the Water Business Stream at Anglian Water, which provides water and water recycling services to almost 7 million customers in the East of England. Over the past 40 years, he has worked both within the UK and on several overseas projects specializing in Non-Revenue Water and network management. His current role combines his core strengths of disruptive thinking and tenacity to drive digital transformation within the water sector, with the aim of creating the water utility of the future.