The IE Expo is Asia’s leading trade fair for environmental technology and is regarded as the most important platform for practical solutions in the areas of water supply, sewage, waste disposal, recycling, air pollution control, environmental technology and renewable energies. Due to the soaring demand for new environmental technologies and solutions and the increasing support of this industry by the Chinese Government, the business potential in the environment industry in China is very large. Thus, the IE Expo is a must for international companies, if they want to conquer the Chinese market. The fair is held annually in Shanghai and is authorized to trade visitors only. Key points of the fair are water and wastewater treatment, waste management and remediation, air purification and air cleaning. The IE Expo is an offshoot of the IFAT in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management and is accompanied by a first class technical-scientific conference program. Here the transfer of knowledge, the exchange of ideas and the networking between national and international exhibitors and visitors are in the foreground.
On the whole the organisers welcomed on the 3 days of the fair, from 06. May to 08. May 2015, about 1085 exhibitors and 40046 visitors on the IE Expo in Shanghai.
The IE Expo will take place on 3 days from Thursday, 03. May to Saturday, 05. May 2018 in Shanghai.
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018
March 14, 2018 | spaceo2017
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The EGU General Assembly 2018 was again a great success with 4,776 oral, 11,128 poster, and 1,419 PICO presentations. 666 unique scientific sessions together with 68 short courses and 294 side events created an interesting programme. At the conference 15,075 scientists from 106 countries participated, of which 53% were under the age of 35 years, 15,000 copies of EGU Today distributed, keen media presence and reporting, and thousands of visits to the webstreams as well as to the EGU blog GeoLog.
SPACE-O participated with an interactive PICO session, which aimed to bridge the gap between science and practice in operational forecasting for different water-related natural hazards. Operational (early) warning systems are the result of progress and innovations in the science of forecasting. New opportunities have risen in physically based modelling, coupling meteorological and hydrological forecasts, and ensemble forecasting. However, once a system is operational, the development often continues more in the field of applied research or consultancy. Furthermore, development of these types of systems is usually performed within one field of expertise. Forecasting warning research can be more effective when these efforts and experiences are combined.
The focus of this session was on bringing the expertise from different fields together as well as exploring differences, similarities, problems and solutions between forecasting systems for varying natural hazards. Real-world case studies of system implementations – configured at local, regional and national scales – were be presented, including trans-boundary issues.
Our input to the EGU2018 included:
a) An oral presentation in the PICO session HS4.5/NH1.14 Operational forecasting and warning systems for natural hazards: challenges and innovation with the title:
Operational short-term water quantity and quality forecasting in reservoirs intended for potable water production.
by Evangelos Romas, Apostolos Tzimas, Kyriakos Kandris, Ilias Pechlivanidis, George Boultadakis, Alkiviadis Giannakoulias, Karin Schenk, Claudia Giardino, and Mariano Bresciani
b) A poster in the session HS6.2 Assimilation of hydrological and phenological remote sensing and in situ data with the title:
The added value of combining Earth Observation in a data assimilation scheme to develop water information systems
by Rafael Pimentel, David Gustafsson, Claudia Giardino, Mariano Bresciani, Evangelos Romas, Apostolis Tzimas, Karin Schenk, and Ilias Pechlivanidis
WssTP – Water Market Europe 2018
March 14, 2018 | spaceo2017
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Digital Edition Award to Space-O at the WssTP Water Market Europe 2018
The conference ‘Water Market Europe 2018’ took place in Brussels, 21st March 2018, gathering large companies, problem owners and solution providers tailored to address the most pressing water challenges. It was also venue for the presentation of the Water Market Europe – Digital Edition Award 2018, this year awarded to our project SPACE-O and received by our
lead coordinator Apostolos Tzimas. Read more
About the WssTP Water Market Europe 2018 as a solution provider
Water Market Europe is the new event cycle that WssTP has set up to create a unique innovation and business environment, where state of the art water knowledge and research results can meet with market actors within and outside the water sector to create value and new business opportunities.
Solutions contributed by SPACE-O:
A fully operational service line for generating short-term water quantity and quality forecasts in reservoirs, has been developed in SPACE-O project (https://www.space-o.eu/) by integrating satellite technology with state of the art hydrologic and water quality modelling. Hydrological forecasting is performed by HYPE model which is an open-source, semi-distributed hydrological model that provides 10-days forecasts of river discharges, water temperatures, nutrient and sediment loads entering the reservoir. Hydrological input along with local weather forecasted parameters are fed into the hydrodynamic model (Delft3D Suite) which is used to estimate velocity fields, water elevations and temperature in the reservoir domain. Hydrodynamic output is then coupled with the water quality model in order to estimate the spatial and temporal distribution of critical water quality parameters for the next 10 days (e.g. various algae species, nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, suspended sediment).
Main innovative elements:
Satellite imagery of water temperature, turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentrations obtained from Landsat 7&8 and Sentinel 2 missions are operationally assimilated into the modelling chain using advanced data assimilation techniques. An ensemble of coupled hydrodynamic and water quality members with random noise both in forcing data and model parameters is constantly evolved through time and is used to correct the model state when earth observations are available, using the Ensemble Kalman Filter. Furthermore near real-time observations of reservoir water levels from in-situ monitoring stations are assimilated in the hydrodynamic model in order to keep simulated water levels as close as possible with measured.
Kind of problems to Solve:
Forecasted water quality parameters produced by the modelling chain are used to support proactive informed decision making in reservoirs used for drinking water production. An early warning system has been deployed which uses results from the hydrodynamic and water quality models aiming to rapidly detect changes with high impact on the water quality of the reservoirs (e.g. harmful algae blooms, high turbidity events) and increase the adaptive capacity of the downstream services. Furthermore a water treatment plant optimization module is used to identify the best water abstraction depth for the next 10 days and also to provide to operators strategies for minimizing the chemical and energy costs of the coagulation-sedimentation and filtration units.
Find out more about the event under https://watermarketeurope.eu/
We are looking forward to meet you in Brussels!
Workshop on using Water Quality Forecasting in Decision Making
March 9, 2018 | spaceo2017
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Potential end-users from water utilities and water resources experts from across Europe were invited to test Space-O products, during our workshop on using Water Quality Forecasting in Decision Making last April.
Video is accessible on https://vimeo.com/268348646
Participants were able to engage with prototype tools and provide valuable feedback on applications that integrate satellite technology for water quality monitoring and advanced hydrologic and water quality modeling with ICT tools. They also provided information about the relevance of real-time, short to medium term forecasting of water flows and key water quality parameters (e.g. turbidity, algae) in reservoirs for decision making in water supply services.
The inputs of this group will be crucial to ensuring the development of functional and user-friendly tools, including a risk-based decision support system (DSS) to enable cost-effective and environmental sustainable operation of Water Treatment Plants (WTP).
Workshop overview & objectives
To learn about SPACE-O and how the outputs can be used;
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;
To identify the economic impact of these problems in utility operations, and investments being undertaken to moderate or mitigate these impacts;
To compile information on the potential uses of SPACE-O products (e.g. satellite imagery and forecasting).
Feedback & Results
Participants split up into small groups to test and discuss each component of the SPACE-O tools.
Most participants expressed to have experienced issues with algae bloom and turbidity, ranging from very severe cases –as to cause water supply shut-downs– to moderate impacts –like temporal increases in treatment costs.
During several discussions, the project team gained detailed insights into the demands of water utility managers and received detailed feedback on the user-friendliness and applicability of the software tools. The potential of water quality forecasting tools to contribute to water safety plans was highlighted by many participants.
Our partners EOMAP will be participating in this Conference, discussing about ”
Satellite Derived Products as Tool to Aid Coastal Zone Management and Engineering“. If you want to understand more about the use of EO applications to aid water management read our blog “Understanding Earth Observation“; if you want to know more about this conference, please visit the website.
SPACE-O at IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2018
January 8, 2018 | spaceo2017
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The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition brings over 5,500 water, environment and related professionals from more than 100 countries and offers new insights into how pioneering science, technological innovation and leading practices shape the major transformation in water management that is underway. 16th – 20th September, Tokyo.
The SPACE-O project will be represented in the Technical Session ‘TS – Asset Management using ICT Strategies & Informing Public Policy’:
Applying Satellite Technology To Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Operations: Optimization At Catchment Level
Performance efficiency in water utilities has traditionally been associated with good water quality production and reliability, providing customers a continuous supply of safe and clean water. While our freshwater resources are already limited, a multitude of mounting pressures and competing demands from other uses threaten supply. Water utilities’ treatment operations, costs, and consumer services are thus heavily determined by both the quantity and quality of water upstream in catchments and reservoirs. As water management evolves into an integrated evaluation of pressures and competing water needs, there is a growing need for all stakeholders involved to optimise and adapt decision-making concerning water. This paper will explore the needs and challenges for the operations of water treatment utilities, showcasing available tools for optimization, focusing on sharing information on the use of remote sensing for forecasting short and medium term water quality and flows.
For seven days, the City of Porto, in Portugal, became the European capital of water and innovation. A set of three major events gathered over 1000 participants, including decision makers and technicians of utilities, political leaders, regulators, industry and agriculture representatives, investigators, tech companies, startups, SME’s and investors.
International leading voices and thought-leaders on water and innovation discussed the key answers to the questions we now face in the water sector, under the EIP Water Conference 2017. Another conference, named Mayors & Water Conference 2017, focused on the Urban Water Agenda (2030) and showed the innovative and sustainable water solutions implemented in cities. For students and young professionals, Water Innovation Lab (WIL) Europe Porto 2017 offered 21st century skills to shape the water leaders of the future.
EMVIS and IWA were both in Porto.
SPACE-O partners, Apostolis Tzimas from EMVIS and Shona Jenkins from IWA meet at Porto Water Innovation Week 2017.
Broadly speaking, the event spoke to two key water challenges facing the EU:
(1) How to increase innovation uptake (financing of water management and uptake)?
(2) How can the true value of water be recognized?
During the EIP Water Conference 2017, SMEs, Horizon 2020 and innovative research projects within the EU and international water sector were showcased.
We saw innovation starting to take shape in how SMEs approach water treatment with nature based solutions and we saw many examples of decision support systems developed for improved water management and collaboration.
We heard loud and clear, the role of partnerships and collaboration cannot be overstated if we are to see innovation uptake scaled up throughout EU and on the international stage.
The role of policy and regulation was highlighted through the launch of Lisbon International Centre for Water, which will focus on public policy, regulation and management of water services and resources.
We heard wise words from many European cities, European bodies within the water sector and from industry on the way forward to realize an innovative water sector in Europe and beyond:
“In order to be innovative, we have to be green first” – Duarte Mata, Advisor of Environment & Energy Councillor, City of Lisbon, on his experience with planning and implementing green spaces in Lisbon.
On designing green spaces adapted to dry, hot climates: Green spaces will be brown in the summer and green in the winter when the rains come. What is important is, “we have to be clever designing landscapes adapted to the climate”.
“Cities need to transmit scientific knowledge to their citizens, then you get political will” – Bernd Gawlik, Scientific Project Manager, Joint Research Centre, European Commission on concerning the recent publication of The Urban Water Atlas for Europe.
Cities don’t like rankings; they want to identify priorities – The Urban Water Atlas for Europe shares challenges and examples of solutions implemented in European cities.
We must keep asking ourselves how inclusive are we? How interactive are we? – Richard Eleman, Head of Public Administrations at EURECAT CTM and Director General of NETWERC H2O, on strengthening stakeholder capacity to participate in multi-level, multi-stakeholder governance models.
“It’s not because you have smart tools that you are going to be smart” – Diane D’Arras, Suez Environment and President of IWA, on implementing smart water technologies.
Smart water technologies are key for smart cities, but smart technologies work best when they are thoughtfully designed and integrated into the city via a participatory approach with urban stakeholders
For more information on the outcome of the event, check out:
The latest EIP Water newsletter with all the wrap-up details of Porto Water Innovation Week 2017
An overview of the key topics discussed at Porto Water Innovation Week 2017 provided by Guido Schmidt, Head of Secretariat, EIP Water
A video recap of Porto Water Innovation Week provided by WaterWorld
WSSTP DEDICATES THE 2017 EDITION OF WATER INNOVATION EUROPE CONFERENCE TO ‘THE VALUE OF WATER: THE CASE FOR INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT IN WATER’
With over 200 participants from all around Europe, Water Innovation Europe is the landmark event for the European water sector. The event brings together all the aspects of the sector: scientists and technology developers, utility representatives, large water users, European and national/ regional policy makers and finance experts. Water Innovation Europe offers an open platform for information gathering and networking among the most influential stakeholders from within and beyond the water sector.
Singapore International Water Week Spotlight 2017
May 30, 2017 | spaceo2017
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Forging Alliances Amongst Water Utility Leaders
The Singapore International Water Week is pleased to host an exclusive event for water utility leaders and global water professionals.
Teeing off with a morning on the greens of the prestigious Sentosa Golf Club, the three-day programme will bring together 200 of the world’s leaders in water, with the aim of optimising utility performance.
This seminar-styled event – packed with strategic discussions, insights and case studies – will take a deep dive into four of the most pressing issues on the utility forefront: managing all water as one, improving network performance, guaranteeing water quality in every drop, and recycling and reusing wastewater.
