- White Paper Highlights Digital Water Solutions, Challenges and Opportunities
- Four Policy Options to Help Promote Adoption of Digital Water Solutions Are Education and Outreach, Barrier Removal, Incentives and Regulations and Standards
- Paper Showcases Domestic and International Examples
TREVOSE, PA.-April 12, 2017-As water utilities begin to explore digital solutions as a conduit to water and energy sustainability, GE Water & Process Technologies today unveiled a white paper on “The Future of Water Management: A Menu for Policymakers in the Digital Industrial Era.” The paper showcases how digital water solutions are proving their potential to transform the way utilities manage water treatment, distribution and usage and provides guidance for governments looking to accelerate the adoption of these solutions.
Authored by Jon Freedman, leader of global partnerships and policy for GE Water & Process Technologies, and by Geoffrey Dietz, a R. Michael Gadbaw Global Law & Policy Fellow supporting GE’s Global Governmental Affairs and Policy team, the white paper presents the major types of policies that promote adoption of digital water solutions. These policies include education and outreach; barrier removal; incentives; and regulations and standards-offering a menu of policy options to help governments address their water resource and infrastructure needs through digital solutions. The paper also highlights examples of how various cities and countries around the world are beginning to adopt digital water solutions and technologies.
“With many utilities embracing the Industrial Internet to address acute water infrastructure challenges, this paper provides a valuable starting point for governments to evaluate the appropriate mix of policies that will best fit their respective needs,” said Freedman. “The white paper shows that a broad range of policies promoting the use of digital water solutions are being effectively implemented worldwide.”
Key takeaways from the paper include:
- Education and outreach are generally perceived as critical to advancing digital water approaches, not only to encourage their adoption but also to overcome public skepticism. Techniques outlined in the white paper include recognition awards and certification programs and strategic communications and education initiatives.
- Barriers to digital water management and technology adoption come in several forms including regulatory, financial, human capital and lack of collaboration and information sharing between organizations. The white paper discusses options frequently used to remove barriers such as new mandates and reporting mechanisms, improved financing models, public-private partnerships and the incorporation of digital water management into existing Smart City initiatives.
- Financial incentives have had success in facilitating changes in utility operations, as well as public attitudes, regarding digital water adoption. Governmental incentives most commonly take the form of subsidies, grants and tax breaks. Public banks and infrastructure funds also can play an important role in providing low interest loans and investment, which incentivize digital water adoption.
- Finally, robust data security regulations and standards play a crucial role in advancing the adoption of digital water solutions. The white paper shows how promoting open standards, data democratization and transparency, as well as safeguarding cybersecurity and balancing data privacy, are critical policy mechanisms.
To download a copy of the white paper, please click here.
About Water & Process Technologies
With operations in 130 countries and employing over 7,500 people worldwide, GE’s Water & Process Technologies applies its innovations, expertise and global capabilities to solve customers’ toughest water and process challenges. It offers a comprehensive set of chemical and equipment solutions, as well as predictive analytics, to enhance water, wastewater and process productivity. Water & Process Technologies strives to enable customers to meet increasing demands for clean water, overcome scarcity challenges, strengthen environmental stewardship and comply with regulatory requirements.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com
Beth Coffman
Soteryx Corporation
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