Smart Water Management addresses the necessity of a more advanced water management system in South Korea, and it has worked.

By Rosario Sánchez

I don’t know how, but the other day I ended up watching a video of a K-pop band (popular music from South Korea). I think it seeped into the videos I usually watch when I want to take some time to just rest from the daily grind.

I thought that South Korea has always been characterized as an innovator and a leader in infrastructure and technology. So, I wondered: What are they doing in terms of water care and preservation?

Smart Water Management

In 2009, the South Korean government introduced Smart Water Management, a new concept intended to address the need for a more advanced water management system.

This concept stands out due to its use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to provide automated water data in real-time and enable a more effective and efficient operation of hydraulic infrastructure. Smart Water Management can make water supply more efficient through an optimal water management system.

The service is based on the analysis of consumption patterns to properly improve the supply process. Smart Water Management is also capable of quickly identifying water leak incidents (Can you imagine how that would benefit if applied in Mexico?). Analysis of the data collected in real-time by smart devices shows where the leaks are.

Smart Water Management consists of three steps around data: collection, communication, and analysis and it consists of three aspects:

● Smart devices

● Smart solutions

● Smart services

Intelligent Water Management was put to the test in Seosan City, in 2016, due to the great droughts experienced in 2013 and 2015. The amount of water that entered the dam, its main source of water in the area, was measured and how is that it was reduced during the dry season. In addition, the key points where it was lost due to the old pipes were detected.

Tap water

And well, forget about tap water in Seoul, the country’s capital, which has a higher quality than the one recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, Seoul’s water management system obtained the quality certification of NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), as it is responsible for the safe and uninterrupted water supply.

The best part is that the South Korean government actively promotes projects to collaborate with other countries and share their experience, something that we all urgently need.