SCOREwater · Project

Smart Water Platform That Predicts Floods and Cuts City Water Management Costs

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Imagine your city's water system — sewers, drains, stormwater pipes — could actually talk to you and warn you before things go wrong. That's what SCOREwater built: a digital platform that connects sensors across a city's water infrastructure, uses AI to predict floods and track water quality in real time, and even analyzes sewage to understand community health patterns. They tested it in three real cities — Gothenburg, Barcelona, and Amersfoort — turning raw sensor data into actionable warnings and a data marketplace where water companies can buy and sell insights.

By the numbers

Large-scale city demonstrators (Gothenburg, Barcelona, Amersfoort)

Consortium partners

Countries involved (AT, ES, NL, SE)

Total project deliverables

SMEs in the consortium

56%

Industry partner ratio

Industry organizations in consortium

Demo-type deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities face growing risks from urban flooding, aging water infrastructure, and tightening environmental regulations — but most water management systems still run on manual monitoring and reactive responses. Without real-time data and predictive capabilities, municipalities waste money on emergency repairs and construction companies risk costly compliance violations. The gap between available sensor technology and actionable water intelligence costs cities millions in preventable flood damage and inefficient operations.

The solution

What was built

SCOREwater delivered a complete smart water management platform including: an early warning system for flooding using data-driven hydrological models; an integrated map-based GIS application for real-time water quality and quantity monitoring; a Data Market with API management, billing, and subscription capabilities; FIWARE-compliant smart water data models ensuring interoperability; and integrated hydrological and groundwater models connecting weather, rainfall, and flood alarm data. All tested in 3 real city environments.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal water utilities and city water departments managing urban drainageWater technology SMEs looking to sell data-driven services via a ready-made marketplaceConstruction companies needing water compliance monitoring for building projectsSmart city platform providers wanting to add water management capabilitiesInsurance companies assessing urban flood risk and prevention measures

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Municipal Water Utilities

enterprise

Target: City water management departments and municipal water utilities

If you are a city water utility struggling with unpredictable flooding events and aging drainage infrastructure — this project developed an early warning system using data-driven hydrological models integrated with real-time sensor monitoring. It was tested across 3 large-scale city demonstrators and connects directly to existing city GIS information systems, giving operators map-based flood predictions before damage occurs.

Water Technology & IoT

SME

Target: Water tech companies and sensor manufacturers seeking data integration platforms

If you are a water technology company looking to sell data-driven services but lacking a standards-compliant platform — SCOREwater built a Data Market with full API management, billing, rate limiting, and FIWARE-compliant smart water data models. The platform is open-source and interoperable, tested with 16 consortium partners across 4 countries, letting you package your sensor data or algorithms as sellable API services.

Construction & Infrastructure

mid-size

Target: Construction firms and civil engineering companies working near water bodies

If you are a construction company dealing with water resource protection and legal compliance on building sites — SCOREwater developed data-adaptive stormwater treatment monitoring and water-safe construction project tools. The integrated platform connects rainfall data, flood alarms, and groundwater models so you can prove regulatory compliance and avoid costly water contamination incidents during construction.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this platform in our city or organization?

The project does not publish specific licensing or implementation costs. However, the platform is built on open-source components (FIWARE, CKAN) which reduces licensing fees. The SCOREwater Data Market includes built-in billing and subscription tools, suggesting a pay-per-use model for data services. Contact the coordinator for deployment pricing.

Has this been tested at a scale relevant to a real city?

Yes — SCOREwater ran 3 large-scale demonstrators in real cities: Gothenburg (Sweden), Barcelona (Spain), and Amersfoort (Netherlands). In Gothenburg, the system was integrated directly into the city's existing GIS water information system. The Barcelona case study demonstrated full capabilities in a major European metropolis.

What is the IP situation — can we license or use this technology?

The platform is built on open-source foundations (FIWARE, CKAN) extended to the water domain. The consortium includes 9 industry partners and 6 SMEs, suggesting commercial exploitation paths exist. Specific IP arrangements for proprietary components like the AI models and Data Market should be discussed with the coordinator, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Does this comply with water management regulations?

The platform integrates standardized data models compliant with FIWARE standards and includes functional and technical guidelines for collecting and sharing data from heterogeneous sources. It was specifically designed to support legal compliance for construction projects regarding water resource protection. The system addresses SDGs 3, 6, 11, 12, and 13.

How quickly could we deploy this?

The project ran from 2019 to 2023 and delivered 47 deliverables including fully integrated demonstrators. The platform connects to existing city monitoring networks and GIS systems, which means deployment builds on your current infrastructure rather than replacing it. Based on available project data, the Gothenburg integration shows it can layer onto existing municipal water systems.

Can this integrate with our existing water monitoring systems?

Yes — integration with existing infrastructure was a core design principle. The Gothenburg demonstrator adds an information layer to the city's existing GIS system. The platform uses standardized data models and protocols to ensure interoperability with third-party systems, connecting heterogeneous data sources including sensor measurements, building information, and geospatial data.

Who built this and can they support commercial deployment?

The consortium of 16 partners across 4 countries includes 9 industry organizations and 6 SMEs, giving it strong commercial orientation (56% industry ratio). The coordinator is IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. The project explicitly aimed to create new business opportunities for water and ICT SMEs through its innovation ecosystem.

Consortium

Who built it

The 16-partner consortium across 4 countries (Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden) is heavily tilted toward industry with 9 industry partners and 6 SMEs — a 56% industry ratio that signals strong commercial intent rather than a purely academic exercise. Notably, there are zero universities in the mix; the research side is covered by 4 dedicated research organizations. The coordinator, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, is a well-established applied research institute. This composition suggests the technology was developed with real-world deployment in mind from day one, and the SME presence means there are likely companies already positioned to commercialize specific components of the platform.

IVL SVENSKA MILJOEINSTITUTET ABCoordinator · SE
FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE RECERCA DE L'AIGUAparticipant · ES
BARCELONA CICLE DE L'AIGUA SAparticipant · ES
WATER PLATFORM COMPANY BVparticipant · NL
UNIVERSEUM ABparticipant · SE
HYDROLOGIC BVthirdparty · NL
GOTEBORGS KOMMUNparticipant · SE
CIVITY BVparticipant · NL
FUNDACIO EURECATparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

IVL Svenska Miljoeinstitutet AB (Swedish Environmental Research Institute) — Sweden-based applied research institute. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service for direct contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See IVL SVENSKA MILJOEINSTITUTET AB profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how SCOREwater's smart water platform could work for your city or water business? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help you evaluate fit for your specific use case.

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