The workshop on using Earth Observation information in water management is associated with the Horizon 2020 SPACE-O Project. This invite-only workshop was held on 6 December, 2018 at Hotel NH Danube City, in Wagramer Str. 21, 1220 Wien-Vienna, Austria.

The workshop in Vienna was the last end-user feedback event of the project. Since the project was nearly at the end at the time of this workshop (07.12.2018), the focus was on better understanding how the SPACE-O tools and services can be implemented in the workflow of end-users, their economic incentives to use our tools, and identification of gaps that need to be bridged in order to make use of those tools. For this purpose, four representatives of (drinking) water utilities gave short presentations on the issues they are facing, and how they relate to the potential of SPACE-O services. In a second round of end-user presentations, researches, representatives of the private sector, as well as international water governing institutions presented their perspectives, and reflected on the use and uptake of SPACE-O services.
Objectives:
1. To learn about SPACE-O and how the outputs can be used;
2. To compile information on the potential uses of SPACE-O products for water utilities and other users (e.g. satellite imagery and forecasting);
3. To identify future opportunities for collaboration using advanced technologies (such as SPACE-O) to improve water management.
Participants:
A total of 21 project external attendees from 12 different countries, including high level management and technical staff in utilities and water management organizations.

The workshop was held in parallel with the ICT 2018 Conference.

For more information, please contact us via info@www.space-o.eu

Using Space Enabled Water Quality Forecasting in Decision Making

See Press Release here.

Drinking water accounts for around 18% of total fresh water abstractions in the European Union, and is treated and supplied by almost 70,000 utilities. While freshwater resources are already limited, they face increasing pressures from drought, flooding, pollution, population growth, as well as demands for other uses including agriculture, energy production, recreation and ecosystem protection. Environmental and financial impacts have often been underestimated. Technological innovation is instrumental in addressing our increasingly complex and multidisciplinary water challenges. Space technology is part of promoting and supporting innovation by providing environmental information which can be used to improve preparedness and planning by water utilities and other end users. This event will showcase how satellite technology combined with local monitoring and advanced modelling can be used to improve operations and performance of service providers downstream, such as reservoir managers and water utilities. Developments from the SPACE-O project will be highlighted, the outputs incorporates Earth Observation data and the use of models to provide information on water quality and flows forecasting. The event will focus on the economic impact of turbidity and algal blooms on water operations and how such tools can inform decision making on preparedness for changes in water quality and quantity.

Objectives and outcomes

1. To learn about SPACE-O (https://www.space-o.eu/) and how the outputs can be used;
2. To understand how problems like algal blooming and high turbidity affect operations of water treatment plants and reservoir managers in the provision of drinking water;
3. To identify the economic impact of these problems in utility operations, and investments being undertaken to moderate or mitigate these impacts;
4. To demonstrate the significance of advanced science and technology innovation in developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient water infrastructure, contributing directly to SDG 9.1.

Programme

Moderators: Katharine Cross and Carolina Latorre, IWA

12:00-12:05        Setting the scene (Introduction to the topic)

How can satellite technology combined with local monitoring and advanced modelling be used to improve reservoir’s management and performance of service providers downstream?

By Apostolis Tzimas, EMVIS

12:05-12:15        Demonstration of the SPACE-O system: focus on water quality forecasting

Video (demo)

12:15-12:20        Mentimeter

Interactive audience feedback

• Who is in the room?
• Rate water problems in your area
• What was the most interesting part of the demo?
• What’s your willingness to pay for the tool?

12:20-12:30        Perspectives and opinions from utilities

Godfrey Masinde, Nairobi Water, Kenya

• What type of economic impact has algal blooms and turbidity had on operations?
• What forecasting information do you think would be useful to private operators, how would the information be used to make decisions?

12:30-12:45        Discussion with audience

• How can this type of technology reduce the economic impact of algal blooms and turbidity?
• How would you use the information provided by the tools in practice? Who would find it useful and how would they apply it?
• What type of investments have been undertaken to reduce or deal with algal blooms and/or turbidity?
• What information is missing and do you think such technology can fill this gap?

Convenors of the showcase *

International Water Association, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, EMVIS Consultant Engineers S.A., EOMAP GMBH & CO KG, EUROPEAN DYNAMICS BELGIUM SA, CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE, Organization for the Development of Crete S.A., Ente Acque della Sardegna.

Documents

Download the Showcase Presentation here.

Our partner EOMAP will contribute to this conference with a presentation on ‘Satellite-based measurements on water quality for governmental reporting – A Use Case from USA’

Training Workshop on using Water Quality
Forecasting in Decision Making

Heraklion Crete, May 17^th 2018

Workshop overview

One of the key tasks of Space-O is to demonstrate the applicability of the operational service line into the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) of each case study. The process of testing and validating the DSS involves stakeholders’ workshops where they will be introduced to test the DSS. For each component developed the added value to the operators will be demonstrated, including the benefits from the Early Warning System (EWS) forecasts to decision making on an operational level, the efficiency, in terms of energy and chemical usage footprint, of different process units in the WTP before and after the introduction of the DSS, the assessment of upstream risks, the engagement of citizens etc. After the workshop the users will be able to further explore and test the functionalities offered in view of the preparation of the reports related to EWS and foreseen actions and decisions making and Upstream Catchment Risk assessment for the particular case study.

Workshop agenda

Training Workshop on using Water Quality

Forecasting in Decision Making
Cagliari Italy, May 31st, 2018
Workshop overview
One of the key tasks of Space-O is to demonstrate the applicability of the operational service line into the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) of each case study. The process of testing and validating the DSS involves stakeholders’ workshops where they will be introduced to test the DSS. For each component developed the added value to the operators will be demonstrated, including the benefits from the Early Warning System (EWS) forecasts to decision making on an operational level, the efficiency, in terms of energy and chemical usage footprint, of different process units in the WTP before and after the introduction of the DSS, the assessment of upstream risks, the engagement of citizens etc. After the workshop the users will be able to further explore and test the functionalities offered in view of the preparation of the reports related to EWS and foreseen actions and decisions making and Upstream Catchment Risk assessment for the particular case study.

Workshop agenda

Use of Earth Observation Data for Improved Performance in Water Supply Services

During the Singapore International Water Week on July 10th, Space-O will gather with utilities and tech leaders in the region for a half day event on the Use of Earth Observation Data for Improved Performance in Water Supply Services. The session will facilitate dialogue to address needs and current approaches of water supply providers to further improve decision support systems and operations and identify potential areas for innovation.

This is an invite only event through the European Union Horizon 2020 SPACE-O (Space Assisted Water Quality Forecasting Platform for optimized Decision Making in Water Supply Services) project. The workshop will be focusing on the application and economic viability of a decision support system that will help water utilities dealing with algal blooms and/or turbidity in their surface water sources.

One of the key outcomes is a risk-based decision support system (DSS) to enable cost-effective and environmental sustainable operation of Water Treatment Plants (WTP). This will use Earth Observation data to provide information such as water quality forecasting (on reservoir sources), in-situ monitoring data and data collected through SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) systems in WTP for operation control.

The purpose of this event is to introduce the SPACE-O concept and gain better understanding of the needs and current approaches of water supply providers to further improve decision support systems and operations and identify potential areas for innovation We are inviting organisations from different countries across Asia in order to ensure a rich exchange of experiences and discussions. The event is an invite only session targeted to:

• Water Utilities
• Bulk water resources managers
• Water policy and regulation sector
• Reservoir administrators
• Industry
• Local Authorities/Water managers

Objectives of the workshop:

• Identify main challenges of water service providers’ operations;
• Identify applications of satellite technology and in-situ monitoring for forecasting of water flows and quality in reservoirs;
• Share experiences on the use of various data sources for optimizing performance of water service providers

Schedule:

12:30-14:00 Private Lunch Buffet
14:00-15:30 Part I: Priorities and Challenges for Asia; Group discussions
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
16:00-18:00 Part II: SPACE-O Portal demonstration; Group discussions
18:00 –19:00 Cocktail reception

This is a co-located event of SIWW. Organisers/participants in co-located events need not be registered with SIWW. However, registration will enable them to access all SIWW events. Non-registered participants may feel disappointed to be left out of exciting discussions at the Water Leaders Summit (WLS) and/or Water Convention (WC). The registration fees can be viewed from the SIWW website.www.siww.com.sg  

Presentations:

Algal blooms and turbidity – Intro presentation

Water Treatment Plant Optimization – Presentation

Early Warning System – Presentation

Water Information System – Presentation

Full report:

Singapore_Workshop_Report

Utilities consultation overview

SPACE-O wants to ensure uptake of the products and therefore involves end users (water utilities) from the initiation to create ownership and interest in application of the relevant tools to their operations. The consultation process will continue throughout the project. This will enable testing of the prototype to be delivered to the end users to ensure that is it compliant with their requirements, and that outputs are tested, shaped and customized against real operational conditions.

Objectives

The objectives of this consultation process with utilities include:

• To learn about SPACE-O and how the outputs can be used;
• To exchange challenges and success of application and implementation of EO products;
• To understand the methods/processes which stakeholders are currently using in monitoring and forecasting water quality and flows, and how SPACE-O can complement existing approaches
• To compile information on the potential uses of SPACE-O products (e.g. satellite imagery and forecasting).

Internal consultation overview

The end user consultation approach aims to give a comprehensive consultation procedure that will be deployed from the early stage of the project throughout the development phase, to consolidate user’s requirements into the system design, followed by an industry evaluation of the end product. This consultation process will help guide understanding of how the SPACE-O project can improve performance efficiency in water utilities.
SPACE-O wants to ensure uptake of the products so involving end users from the initiation will create ownership and interest in application of the relevant tools to their operations. It is essential to ensure continued engagement with continuous feedback and discussion as the products are developed so they are directly responding to user needs. The consultation process will continue throughout the project. This will enable testing of the prototype to be delivered to the end users to ensure that is it compliant with their requirements, and that outputs are tested, shaped and customized against real operational conditions.
The initial step will be an internal consultation process that will involve water treatment plant operators who are SPACE-O partners. There will be one workshop with the Organization for the Development of Crete S.A. (OAK) in Crete, Greece and one workshop with Ente Acque della Sardegna (ENAS) in Sardinia, Italy. The objective will be to understand the needs and expectations of the end users and ensure their requirements integrated in the SPACE-O service line from an early stage.
IWA’s main role is to facilitate stakeholder consultation and input (organising and shaping consultation workshops). EMVIS and the consortium partners will be highly engaged in this process to provide the content and an extensive analysis of the end user requirements.
Following from the internal consultations there will be an external consultation which will include utilities outside of the SPACE-O consortium. This will be also an opportunity to also exchange challenges and success of application and implementation of EO products.

Objectives

● Stakeholders are familiarized and endorse the objective of the project
● Project partners understand issues that the key stakeholders are facing around hydrological and water quality monitoring and response.
● To compile information on the potential uses of SPACE-O products (e.g. satellite imagery and forecasting)
● To understand the methods/processes which stakeholders are currently using in monitoring and forecasting water quality and flows, and how SPACE-O can complement existing approaches

Pictures

Internal consultation overview

The end user consultation approach aims to give a comprehensive consultation procedure that will be deployed from the early stage of the project throughout the development phase, to consolidate user’s requirements into the system design, followed by an industry evaluation of the end product. This consultation process will help guide understanding of how the SPACE-O project can improve performance efficiency in water utilities.

SPACE-O wants to ensure uptake of the products so involving end users from the initiation will create ownership and interest in application of the relevant tools to their operations. It is essential to ensure continued engagement with continuous feedback and discussion as the products are developed so they are directly responding to user needs. The consultation process will continue throughout the project. This will enable testing of the prototype to be delivered to the end users to ensure that is it compliant with their requirements, and that outputs are tested, shaped and customized against real operational conditions.

The initial step will be an internal consultation process that will involve water treatment plant operators who are SPACE-O partners. There will be one workshop with the Organization for the Development of Crete S.A. (OAK) in Crete, Greece and one workshop with Ente Acque della Sardegna (ENAS) in Sardinia, Italy. The objective will be to understand the needs and expectations of the end users and ensure their requirements integrated in the SPACE-O service line from an early stage.

IWA’s main role is to facilitate stakeholder consultation and input (organising and shaping consultation workshops). EMVIS and the consortium partners will be highly engaged in this process to provide the content and an extensive analysis of the end user requirements.

Following from the internal consultations there will be an external consultation which will include utilities outside of the SPACE-O consortium. This will be also an opportunity to also exchange challenges and success of application and implementation of EO products.

Objectives

• Stakeholders are familiarized and endorse the objective of the project
• Project partners understand issues that the key stakeholders are facing around hydrological and water quality monitoring and response.
• To compile information on the potential uses of SPACE-O products (e.g. satellite imagery and forecasting)
• To understand the methods/processes which stakeholders are currently using in monitoring and forecasting water quality and flows, and how SPACE-O can complement existing approaches

Pictures from the workshop