The Environment Agency is exploring the feasibility of using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technology to digitise, read and interpret 10,000 years’ worth of hydrological data on river levels and flows.

The risk of flooding and drought within England is a priority area of focus for the Environment Agency (EA) which strives to protect and enhance the environment, to contribute to sustainable development and to help protect the nation’s security in the face of emergencies.

Over the years, a vast amount of hydrological data has been collected through manual efforts, amassing an impressive physical archive of approximately 10,000 years’ worth of valuable river level and flow information. This vital data could be used to build more accurate climate and flood modelling and help forecast and minimise the impact of future adverse weather events.

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Meanwhile, industry body Water UK has highlighted the use of an AI tool to accelerate reduction in sewage spills, with the potential for environmental improvements and reduced costs.

From Water UK

At the end of June, Northumbrian Water unveiled plans for a £20 million AI project to drastically reduce the number of spills from its storm overflows across Tyneside. In a double pronged approach using thousands of miniscule sensors coupled with AI-engineered flow machinery, it will use storm forecasts to identify which individual pipes are most susceptible to overloading and re-distribute the flows among a broader network of pipes, removing the risk of spills due to overloading.

This exciting development is not unique. Companies are investing millions of pounds into tools and projects to remove overflow spills – and the impact they can have -from the environment. Southern Water for example has been piloting “Centaur Gates” in the Isle of Wight and Whitstable, which use AI to predict flow levels along the pipes and compartmentalize them using “gates” to prevent them from overloading; the pilot has seen a significant reduction in spills. In 2018, United Utilities became the first water company in the UK to embed AI into its operations, automating CCTV review for asset repairs; the project was a collaboration between the utility’s Innovation Hub and the Australian, female-founded, AI firm Vapar.

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