Applying AI to Reduce Sewer Spills

Discover how University of Sheffield engineers have developed an artificial intelligence system to detect sewer blockages and help reduce river pollution throughout Yorkshire.

This novel AI technique, developed in partnership with Mounce Hydrosmart, strategic partner Siemens and Yorkshire Water, predicts water depths using rainfall data. By comparing these predictions to measured depths within combined sewer overflow chambers, the system can alert the water utility to unexpectedly high levels that could lead to a pollution incident. The research has successfully resulted in a commercial, cloud-based solution – the Siemens Water Blockage Predictor – now in use across the entire Yorkshire Water region.