Digital OneWater
As a leader in pioneering the water sector’s digital transformation, we’re supporting our clients with integrated data solutions across the entire water cycle.
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Jacobs has been at the forefront of the global water sector’s digital transformation for over a decade. We pioneered the industry’s first digital twin of an entire wastewater treatment plant in Singapore. We harnessed smart sensors and AI to reduce sewer flooding for utilities in the U.S. and U.K. And, most recently, we formed a strategic partnership with Palantir to significantly reduce O&M costs at water and wastewater treatment plants.
Every day we’re using innovative digital technologies to improve how we plan, design, build, maintain and operate water and wastewater infrastructure. From improved flood prediction to reduced energy usage in facilities, we know better than anyone how data solutions are transforming the global water sector – and we’re bringing that deep domain expertise to our clients.
What’s next? Digital OneWater
Digital technologies are already disrupting how we manage the world’s water resources, but how do we make the most of these tools?
The answer is an integrated ecosystem of data-enabled solutions, which we call Digital OneWater. Our vision for water’s digital transformation is an extension of our OneWater approach. By taking a holistic view of our clients’ challenges across the entire water cycle, we can deploy integrated data solutions that provide comprehensive benefits. We recognize the importance of a complete system-wide digital approach that moves beyond optimizing assets and networks in isolation.
As water utilities respond to challenges on multiple fronts – climate change, tightening regulations, workforce shortages – adopting a Digital OneWater approach will be key. Here are the benefits:
- Data-driven insights: With tools like Digital Twins and machine learning, we can better understand our clients’ water systems in their current condition – and predict how they’ll perform in future.
- Enhance systems thinking: We’re not only focused on single assets. We can integrate data solutions across networks and catchments to better understand the entire water management system in real-time.
- Reduce risk and improve performance: Complete system-wide, lifecycle insight allows our clients to make better-informed decisions, optimize long-term operations and protect public health. Digital OneWater enables the shift from reactive to proactive planning and operations.
- Support operations staff: Data-enabled solutions help essential O&M staff perform their work more efficiently, from automated scheduling and operations to improved operator training and knowledge transfer.
- Maximize digital benefits: Digital OneWater avoids the silos created by separate products and isolated datasets. We help our clients look for common benefits and outcomes that maximize return on investment, incorporate system-wide cybersecurity practices and fully leverage existing information systems.
We identify Digital OneWater solutions across four key pillars of a utility’s operations:
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Customer interaction
Enhancing the customer experience, e.g. with improved billing and collection tools or automated customer alerts.
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Regulatory compliance
Ensuring water quality and compliance, e.g. with real-time contaminant monitoring tools or advanced controls for sewer flooding.
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Planning & investment
Implementing capital improvements that are resilient and cost-effective, e.g. with tools for demand forecasting, flood prediction, or process simulation.
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Operational performance
Optimizing the operational lifecycle, e.g. with predictive maintenance, automated operations, or reduced chemical and energy use.
Why Jacobs?
At Jacobs, we serve as a trusted digital transformation partner for water sector clients. Our deep domain knowledge across the entire water cycle and asset lifecycle — from planning and design through to operations — means that we have a unique view on where digital solutions are best applied. We recognize that every client will adopt digital technologies at their own pace, and we’re there to support them at every step of their journey.
We’ve also placed data solutions at the heart of our business and Boldly Moving Forward strategy. We’ve formed a new business unit, Divergent Solutions, which serves as the core foundation for developing and delivering innovative, next-generation cloud, cyber, data and digital technologies. As a company, we’re already responding to the rapid digitalization of our industry – and we bring that experience to our clients so that they, too, stay ahead of the curve.
“Digital OneWater represents our commitment to support clients at every step of their digital journey. Jacobs has been a trusted end-to-end partner on major water infrastructure initiatives for decades and we’re offering that same level of confidence and deep domain expertise for water’s digital transformation.”
Jennifer Baldwin
Our projects
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Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Wastewater Nutrient Control
Jacobs has been tasked with developing a predictive digital tool to optimize wastewater treatment operations. Read how artificial intelligence can help to protect aquatic ecosystems and drinking water supplies.
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Real-time Flood Forecasting for Climate Response
Jacobs partnered with the Environment Agency in England to develop a cloud-based platform that improves forecasting and decision-making during flood events. Read for the full details on this game-changing tool and how data-enabled solutions are shaping climate response.
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Machine Learning: Predicting the Water Quality Impacts of Major Forest Fires
Jacobs has successfully applied a machine learning tool – in partnership with the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) in Oregon – that predicts water quality impacts following forest fires. Learn more about how this tool is predicting performance of water treatment plants and optimizing operations.
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Jacobs Creating First Digital Twin of PUB's Changi Water Reclamation Plant in Singapore
Jacobs has partnered with PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, in an R&D project to develop and trial a whole plant simulation model for the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. The model, a digital twin of the plant, will be the first application of its kind and combines real-time data from SCADA historian with software simulation packages to help replicate plant operations and predict future performance in real-time.
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Atlanta Digital Transformation and Smart H2O Utility Assessment
The City of Atlanta has a vision: to create a Utility of the Future by leading with a Digital Transformation of the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) in service and value. DWM has created a Strategic Plan, which cites eight strategic priority areas including smart utility with the goal to leverage innovation, information technology, operational technology and process technology to optimize the use and management of investment and human capital to improve financial, operational, and customer service performance and resiliency. And, they chose Jacobs to put it into action.
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South East Water Smart Meter Data Analytics
South East Water (SEW) is planning the implementation of a Smart Network that will integrate existing infrastructure, introduce smart metering and increased Internet of Things (IoT) sensor density to deliver more effective decision making that will reduce leakage and improve operational efficiencies. SEW engaged Jacobs to be part of the trial, drawing on our best practices and experience to help pilot new technology.
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Using Innovation to Drive Efficiency on Britain’s Busiest Waterway
Thames Estuary Asset Management (TEAM 2100) was set up by England’s Environment Agency to create a long-term approach to managing 330-kilometers of tidal flood defenses in London and the Thames Estuary, including the iconic Thames Barrier. Jacobs is managing the first 10 years of the program, thriving on a culture of innovation to deliver the best protection and value for those who live along the River Thames.
“All water has value and should be viewed holistically and not in silos from the labels we’ve given water, such as wastewater, stormwater, etc. We consider this whenever we interact with a client or develop a solution. Digital OneWater is a subset of Jacobs’ overall OneWater approach. It’s about adapting to new technology, harnessing new data techniques and recruiting new analysis methods to deliver the OneWater message. The combination of domain expertise and digital innovation we’ve gained through acquisition and organic growth at Jacobs provides us with a unique market perspective.”
Gregg Kennedy
Our Digital OneWater ecosystem
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Aqua DNA
Aqua DNA, an intelligent digital solution that collects live data and improves wastewater network performance using smart sensors and AI-powered predictive analytics to reduce risk and make a positive societal and environmental impact.
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Replica
Replica is Jacobs' digital twin solution software platform, delivering intelligent solutions for our customers around the world for more than 20 years.
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Dragonfly
Dragonfly efficiently provides the accurate data and AI-driven recommendations your team needs to optimize decision-making and refine your system management and intervention strategies.
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Flood Modeller
Flood Modeller is an industry-leading flood modeling software which enables engineers and scientists to deliver faster and more accurate results by simplifying the modelling of river, surface water, and urban drainage systems, and removes the need to use other software.
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Intelligent O&M
Intelligent O&M is a powerful blending of Jacobs’ water subject matter expertise in operations, design and data science, with Palantir’s Foundry platform and user interface, to provide direct and predictive guidance to frontline operation and management (O&M) staff.
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Argon
Argon is an asset management tool for linear sewer and storm water assets that helps utilities manage field data and determine next steps. Argon has been refined with engineering logic and AI to provide accurate condition scores, risk scores, recommended next steps and costs.
Meet our team
Read more about the talent who make it happen every day.
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From our newsroom
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NewsIntroducing Digital OneWater
Jacobs’ Global Water Director Susan Moisio explains why data and digital solutions are central to our OneWater philosophy.
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NewsFuture-proofing the Success of Water Utilities with Talent and Technology
Our Vice President of the Jacobs Data Solutions Product Suite – Water Platform, Gregg Kennedy, explains how Aqua DNA and all the Digital OneWater solutions are perfectly positioned to tackle the world’s greatest water challenges.
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NewsJacobs and Palantir Pilot Successful Data Solution Suite; Announce Agreement to Expand Services
Jacobs' leadership in the water sector and proven Industrial AI and software solutions, combined with Palantir's best-in-class platform, are delivering innovative solutions that reduce O&M costs by 10-30% for water infrastructure clients, unlocking new opportunities to address the global energy challenge and create a more connected and sustainable world.
Podcasts + webinars
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WebinarsJacobs and Palantir: Digital OneWater Powered by AI
Join our global water experts in a special “In the kNOW” webinar series in partnership with Palantir as we discuss challenges and practical tips to making AI work in the field. Learn how we’ve translated our deep domain expertise of how to plan, design, build, maintain and operate water and wastewater infrastructure into digital solutions. We recognize digital transformation is a journey, so we’ll share our best practices in where to get started through how to leverage AI safely and securely.
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PodcastsIntelligent O&M: Giving Water an IQ
On this episode of If/When, we explored intelligent O&M with two experts from Jacobs - Digital OneWater Strategic Growth Lead Dr. Jennifer Baldwin and Joshua Registe, data scientist and environmental engineer. We discussed the concept of “OneWater” and how digital tools enable greater support for water management facilities and professionals, as well as the positive environmental impacts that digitally enabled water operations can achieve.
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PodcastsFlood Modelling: When the Rain Comes Down
Each year, flooding disasters have the potential to cause billions in negative financial impact, and more importantly can imperil the lives of many, many people caught up in their path. However, thanks to data science and advanced tools and technologies, scientists are now more able than ever to assess and contend with dangerous floodwaters. On this episode of If/When we are joined by two experts in flood risk management and mitigation: Roger Falconer, Emeritus Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering, at Cardiff University and Dr. Richard Crowder, Jacobs Director, Water & Environment. We discussed what they’re seeing in terms of flooding frequency and severity, especially with a view towards the impact of climate change; we also discussed how emerging technologies can help with flood risk management and the latest advancements in flood model accuracy and response.
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PodcastsDigital Water: Cool and Refreshing Technology
When you manage a life essential service, you can’t simply shut things off as you sort out how to deploy emerging technologies. You have to be agile in your approach while literally keeping things flowing. In the world of water management, that is literally the case, as operations managers are learning how to deploy tools such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and big data in exciting news ways to enhance how they provide water to their constituents without interrupting service or safety. On this episode of If/When, our guests are John Rickermann, Managing Director, Technical Services Group for Jacobs, and Gregg Kennedy, Jacobs Vice President, Water Platform.
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WebinarsIdentifying Smarter Solutions to Infrastructure Challenges Using Optimization
Infrastructure projects are becoming more challenging as we address aging infrastructure, capacity issues, climate change, population growth and conflicts with other existing infrastructure. Optimization technology employs sophisticated algorithms, enhanced computation and automation to assist water utilities in finding solutions to these complex infrastructure problems that maximize benefits and minimize costs. In this webinar, we will present examples from Anglian Water’s Strategic Pipeline Alliance, a CSO Long-Term Control Plan and others with our partner Optimatics.
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Webinars
Digital Twins: Enabling Data-Driven Water Reclamation & Reuse Solutions
In our technology-driven world, digital representations of physical assets, processes and systems – better known as "digital twins" – are rapidly becoming a preferred practice across markets. In this webinar you’ll learn how Digital Twin solutions enable optimal use of resources allowing solutions to be investigated and tested without putting equipment, public health or the environment at risk.
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PodcastsDigital Twins: The Imagery of Imitation
A new kind of twin is emerging on the landscape and helping to shape the cities of tomorrow. Called digital twins, these technological marvels seek to create extremely accurate virtual replicas of objects in the real world. And the application of digital twin technology is finding its way into a variety of sectors, including healthcare and manufacturing. In this episode of If/When, we discuss digital twins with Dr. Jonathan Reichental, founder and CEO of Human Future and Dr. Raja Kadiyala, Jacobs Global Digital Market Director.
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Webinars
AI for AI: How Artificial Intelligence and Technology Tools are Addressing Aging Infrastructure and Corrosion Control
In this webinar we’ll look at how new digital solutions are helping the industry better manage and maintain water infrastructure. Technology has replaced the proverbial “crystal ball” and is providing real-time maintenance predictions through more complete data, improved data consistency and faster data processing. Learn how Artificial Intelligence and digital innovations are being employed to enable more accurate management of these age-old issues.
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Webinars
Awareness and Vigilance Help Prevent Cyber-Tampering at Water Treatment Facilities
Cyber-tampering is on the rise. Awareness and vigilance can help thwart an attack. Intentional cyber penetration into U.S. water utility process control systems by rogue nation states, insider threats (through intentional and unintentional attacks), and a variety of criminal groups have been reported. Cyberattacks have disrupted critical process operations in all industrial sectors (e.g., energy, manufacturing, water, transportation, building management systems, etc.) Consequently, these attacks have the potential to disrupt, or even compromise production or service.