WATER PAGES
The top eight technological trends set to shape water management in 2025
The report Water Technology Trends 2025 - Revolutionising Water Management through Digital Transformation, recently published by Xylem Vue, identifies the emerging trends set to revolutionise the sector.
According to a recent World Economic
Forum publication, 2025 is set to be a year marked by two key milestones: on the one hand, an increase in water stress for two- thirds of the world's population, and, on the other, absolute water scarcity for 1.8 billion people. This, together with the threats posed by climate change and the poor state of infrastructure in regions such as Latin America, where an average of 40% of the drinking water produced is lost, underscores the urgency of action. Accordingly, this organisation has advocated for greater investment in water resilience. And this is where digital transformation has a vital role to play.
Digital transformation, spearheaded by technology, will continue to be the cornerstone for tackling the water challenges facing the world today. According to Jaime Barba, General Manager of Xylem Vue and CEO of Idrica, it is essential to “adopt smarter, more resilient and sustainable approaches to holistically address these global challenges—whether urban, rural, or industrial—in order to achieve more robust system management focused on
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safeguarding water sustainability”. Likewise, Barba insisted that the technological transformation of the sector “will largely depend on the ability of the public and private sectors to work together effectively. This is crucial for enhancing end-to-end water cycle management”.
Xylem Vue has pinpointed eight technological trends that are set to shape the course of this year in its newly released report, Water Technology Trends 2025 - Revolutionising Water Management through Digital Transformation.
The first trend highlighted by the report is the growing use of artificial intelligence and operational intelligence in water management. In this context, operational intelligence, backed by advanced artificial intelligence technologies, is set to redefine water resource management in 2025. These solutions offer organisations a clear competitive advantage, from centralising data to optimising operations through predictive algorithms. Utilities will be able to improve sustainability, optimise resources, and ensure reliable service in an increasingly challenging environment by leveraging these tools.
Another essential aspect will be cybersecurity in critical infrastructures. Strengthening cybersecurity in the water sector will be crucial this year due to the increase in digital threats. Technological
| April 2025 |
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modernisation, together with strategies such as network segmentation and multi- factor authentication, will be key to protecting critical infrastructures. In addition, continuous monitoring, security training and the implementation of resilience plans will guarantee operational continuity and ensure public trust, positioning utilities as innovation leaders.
Meanwhile, non-revenue water will continue to be a key issue. As a result, digital solutions for controlling water loss are among the trends identified in this report. The need to optimise water distribution systems and minimise non- revenue water (NRW) is paramount for boosting efficiency, ensuring sustainability and reducing costs. Future innovations in real-time data analytics and sector management for water loss control will bring more accurate, faster and cost- effective tools in 2025. The use of technologies such as AI, IoT, digital twins, advanced metering infrastructure, improved sensors and digital platforms will lead to better management and protection of water resources, optimising their use to meet growing demands for sustainability and resilience, as indicated in the Xylem Vue report. In this sense, robust data exploitation will continue to be one of the main challenges hindering progress in water loss control. As Manuel Parra, Vice President of Strategic
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