1.
Digitalization
in the Danish
Water Sector

2.
Agenda
 Building the terminology
 Achievements based on digitalization
 Preconditions: why do Danish
Utilities strive for becoming smart?
 Creating value at national level via a
central hub and decentral data spaces
 Innovation – opportunities and
barriers

3.
A
Digitalized
Society

4.
Digital
Terminology

5.
Once Upon
A Time

6.
Expectations
 Increased Efficiency, Increased Speed, Improved
Understanding, Better Performance, Better and more
Precise Results
 Increased automation, improved analysis, AI
solutions Improved Asset management, Field Staff
Management Operations and Customer Services
 Foundation for Increased Effectiveness, more data for
modelling, scenarios, planning, monitoring, evaluation,
 Leakage Reduction, Drinking Water Quality and
Improving Health, Reducing pollution events
 Towards Integrated Solutions and Increased Effect;
May lead to change of roles and responsibilities!
Innovation based on partnerships.

7.
Groundwater
• 99% groundwater
• Only simple treatment
• Mapping and protection
• Geophysical mapping
methods and database
• World-class data
processing tools and
protocols
• Innovative 3D
geological modelling
software

8.
Transmission
and
Distribution
Water Supply 24/7/365
NRW National average 7%
https://www.danva.dk/media/8746/5307102_
water-in-figures-2022_web.pdf

9.
Industrial
Water Use
Zero-Water Diaries
Breweries, Slaugteries
90% water use reduction

10.
Wastewater
Treatment
All WWTPs with
biological treatment due to
regulatory requirements
before digital era
Becoming Water
Resources Recovery
Factories

11.
Utility Case
VCS Odense
Key driver: energy costs

12.
Utility Case
VCS Odense

13.
Publications
Water &
Energy
Ressource check for selected
treatment plants - Water sector
resource utilisation partnership:
https://www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publ
ications/2021/03/978-87-7038-
282-3.pdf
Unlocking the potential of
wastewater:
https://www.danishexport.dk/me
dia/2x0puici/sog_whitepaper_wa
stewater_210x297_v04_web.pdf

14.
Climate and
Energy
Benchmarking
Energy Comsumption and
production
- Electricity
- Heat – oile, gas, district
- Biogasproduction
Methane emission
- septic tanks
- biogas production
Nitrous oxide emission
- Discharges
- Proces on WTTP
Nitrous oxide avoidance
- Cleaning
https://mst.dk/media/221807/reporting-for-a-climate-and-
energy-neutral-water-sector-in-denmark.pdf

15.
Performance
Benchmarking
Representing 85% of
Water Supply and
Wastewater Volume
• Operational Costs at proces and
costdriver-level
• Investments within categories
• Economics/Financial Report e.g.
debts
• Operational parameters e.g. Water
Leakage (ILI), water and
wastewater treatment, sludge
management
• Asset management
https://www.danva.dk/om-danva/the-danish-water-sector/

16.
Framework
Conditions
The Water
Sector Law
”Corporitization” in 2010: Ring-fenced
Economy - ensuring long-term perspective
Economic savings from utility investments
benefits the utility
Municipalities can not interfere in daily
operations or strategic decisions
Utilities can decide price-levels (but
regulator has to approve!)
Energy and Water prices without subsidies:
True cost of resources
Utilities decides solely on investments

17.
Getting
Investments
Right
https://cewp.eu/report-getting-investments-right
Operational conditions for utilities:
Tariffs cover both CAPEX and OPEX
Ring-fenced economy
Board of Directors: willingness to invest
Long-term perspective gives best NPV

18.
Asset
Management

19.
Digital
Twins

20.
AI and
Machine
Learning
@Utilities
Ambitions:
* Energy Positive
* Climate Neutral

21.
Staff is key
to success

22.
Securing
Long-term
Value Creation

23.
Constraints
regarding
digitalization
A matter of scale?

24.
A sector-wide
dialogue on
new ideas for
digitalization

25.
Innovation
National partnerships
European partnership
Water4All

26.
Water quality
at national
level
Building a Digital
Infrastructure: a national
hub for environmental
data combined with
decentral Data Spaces

27.
National
Water Quality
Monitoring
Program
Innovation

28.
2030 Look-out
Regulatory
Requirements
EU Green Deal
Zero Emissions Action Plans
EU Taxonomy – implications for utilities
5.1. Construction, extension and operation of
water collection, treatment and supply systems
5.2. Renewal of water collection, treatment and
supply systems
5.3. Construction, extension and operation of
waste water collection and treatment
5.4. Renewal of waste water collection and
treatment
Biodiversity

29.
Main
Challenges
Ahead
Innovation
Needed
 Contaminants in groundwater and surface
water: pesticide residues , PFAS, etc.
 Micropollutants: pharmaceuticals, chemical
residues in household waste water,
antimicrobial resistance
 Sewer Methane and Nitrous oxides
 Extend digitalization to all utilities
 Increase benefit from AI application and
advanced Digitalization
 Climate Change Adaptation
 Construction – Scope 3 – estimate 25-40%
of current emissions!!!

30.
Thanks for
your attention
Henrik Dissing
Ministry of Environment
Danish Environmental Protection Agency
+45 41782030
hedis@mst.dk