Water Technology Company of the Year
Grundfos
What is it?
The world’s largest pump manufacturer, with a growing digital and water treatment portfolio.
What has it done?
Driven by the company’s biggest organisational change in 75 years, Grundfos in 2023 was relentless in transforming its customers’ operations in water distribution, wastewater collection and industrial water treatment as it transitions to become more than just a pumps company. A packed pipeline of R&D products like remote control systems for chemical dosing and a high-recovery RO system show a company in full flow.
What makes it special?
One of Grundfos’ masterstrokes has been combining water treatment expertise with its unrivalled pump knowledge to optimise critical treatment systems. The Smart Filtration Suite, a patented set of algorithms designed to optimise membrane filtration systems, is benefiting multiple customers across Europe, the Middle East and India, increasing recovery, lowering energy consumption and dramatically reducing chemical costs. Five new systems in India are expected to save 45,000m3 of water a year.
On the utility side, the acquisition of Metasphere in 2023 formed a key component of Grundfos’ mission to change the paradigm in wastewater collection, with the firm peerlessly implementing digital solutions to prevent sewer spills and create more liveable cities. It has rapidly rolled out its Demand Driven Distribution controllers for intelligent network pressure management, which has demonstrated 35% fewer pipe breaks, 25% less energy, and 15% fewer issues about loss.
Very few companies are as committed to the business of decarbonising its customers; with ambitious goals to reduce even Scope 3 emissions, Grundfos’ portfolio of energy saving products make it the perfect enabler and partner for its customers to achieve their sustainability goals.
Distinction
Siemens
What is it?
A German automation and digitalisation giant.
What has it done?
Siemens was at the sharp edge of water’s digital future in 2023, unlocking ever more possibilities for clients in their digital journeys. It acquired leak detection firm BuntPlanet to further boost its AI prowess, particularly for non-revenue water reduction.
What makes it special?
Siemens brought its digital technology acumen to the forefront of some of the most innovative projects in the world in 2023. Its digital twin capability is set to drive the world’s first carbon neutral wastewater treatment plant for Severn Trent in the UK, modelling the treatment process through 60,000 data points to closely monitor energy use and emissions. Meanwhile, it is managing the project to enable fellow UK utility Northumbrian Water to operate Europe’s largest integrated network of water quality sensors, leakage management and analytics software.
Siemens is at the vanguard of the machine learning revolution in water, applying AI-based technologies across the board. Using cloud-based AI systems to achieve 90% accuracy in detecting sewer blockages plays a pivotal role in reducing river pollution, while application in leak detection reduces non-revenue water by up to 50%.
The firm’s Digital Business Platform cements its commitment to supporting the digital transformation of water utilities at a time when they are more exposed to environmental, financial and social pressure than ever. The Xcelerator ecosystem offers the go-to place to find all the right solutions and tools for a utility to take forward its digital journey.