Research: AI for Water Sustainability

Non-Revenue Water (NRW) refers to water that is produced but lost before it reaches customers, making it unbillable. According to estimates, NRW cost India $5 billion in 2019 and the global economy $39 billion. India also faces other water challenges like groundwater depletion, river pollution and growing demand. The root causes include ineffective planning, malfunctioning systems, and ineffective utility operations. Although national policies have attempted to integrate technology, they have not been successful. However, AI offers a powerful tool the government can use to help solve the problems related to these issues and reduce NRW. Moreover, India has a rare chance to capitalize on the momentum being created globally and apply AI to revolutionize its water and sanitation industries.