.png)
Water and wastewater utilities are grappling with aging infrastructure, climate uncertainty, and shrinking workforces. Traditional tools can’t keep up with today’s pace of change-or tomorrow. That’s where digital twins for water infrastructure step in.
At Trinnex, we’re helping utilities modernize with waterCAST, a modular, AI-powered digital twin platform built specifically for water and wastewater systems. From compliance to predictive maintenance, waterCAST enables real-time decision-making based on real-world data. It's a shift from reactive to proactive management, without overhauling your existing infrastructure.
Let’s explore how digital twins are shaping the future of water systems, and how waterCAST is leading the way.
What Is a Digital Twin, And Why Does It Matter for Water Utilities?
Digital twins are dynamic, data-driven replicas of physical systems. For water utilities, they bring together data from different sources such as SCADA, GIS, IoT sensors, and models to create a real-time operational view of your system.
Unlike static models, digital twins evolve as your system evolves - helping you simulate scenarios, forecast asset failures, and plan operations smarter. That means fewer surprises and better outcomes for your team and your community.
Why Are Digital Twins for Water Infrastructure Taking Off Now?
The time is right. Many utilities still rely on paper-based workflows or disconnected software. Meanwhile, federal funding like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is creating opportunities to upgrade - and digitize.
With digital twins, water utilities can:
- Break down data silos
- Visualize system performance in real time
- Forecast climate-driven events and infrastructure stress
- Automate compliance and streamline reporting
- Empower staff with predictive, actionable insights
Digital twins are the bridge between today’s limitations to tomorrow’s capabilities.
What Makes Trinnex’s waterCAST Different?
Built for the water sector, Trinnex’s waterCAST isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s modular, flexible, and designed to meet utilities wherever they are on their digital journey.
Whether you’re just digitizing or already working with advanced analytics, waterCAST fits in with your existing systems. It uses explainable AI - so your team not only sees what’s happening but also understands why it matters.
Real-World Utility Wins with waterCAST
Utilities across the US can see measurable gains from digital twins.
- waterCAST WQ helps automate water quality compliance and track PFAS.
- waterCAST Sewer monitors collection systems in real time, sending automated alerts for potential overflows.
The City of New Bedford, MA sought a digital twin solution that could help them gain insight into the performance of their collection systems to proactively prepare and respond to the next extreme weather event as well as optimize Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities.
The city used waterCAST Sewer to:
- Tie maintenance activity to CMMS data to identify actual flooding events and anomalies
- Set up automated overflow notifications to comply with the Massachusetts public sewage notification regulation
- Access single dashboard combining rainfall, overflow depth, simulated results, and forecasts
waterCAST helped the utility automate sewer overflow notifications - earning a regional award for innovation. Read the complete case study here!
How Does Explainable AI Build Trust?
One of the biggest concerns around AI? Black box decision-making. That’s why waterCAST uses glass-box AI - giving your team full transparency into how predictions are made. From pipe failure forecasts to real-time anomaly detection, you get insights and the reasoning behind them.
Key capabilities include:
- Predicting pipe failures using survival models
- Detecting real-time sensor anomalies
- Scoring asset risks with interactive dashboards
- Recommending maintenance using actual system data
This transparency builds trust across engineering, operations, and leadership teams.
Digital-First Resiliency: A Smarter Utility Strategy
Digital twins aren’t just tools - they’re part of a strategy we call digital-first resiliency. It’s about putting your data to work now, so you’re ready for whatever comes next.
At Trinnex, we guide utilities through that journey using our SEED process:
1. Start with a Readiness Assessment
We begin by evaluating your current systems, workflows, and data infrastructure. No assumptions. Just a clear understanding of what’s in place - and what’s needed.
2. Explore Opportunities
Next, we pinpoint gaps, goals, and constraints. This might mean identifying PFAS compliance concerns, inconsistent reporting, or limited visibility into sewer flow.
3. Evolve with Tailored Tools
With the groundwork set, we implement waterCAST modules that align with your priorities - whether that’s predictive maintenance, water quality tracking, or pathogen surveillance.
4. Deliver Measurable Results
We don’t stop implementing. Trinnex tracks performance, optimizes models, and supports your teams as you scale digital capabilities. By choosing the right partner, you don't need a tech team to get started.
Barriers? We've Got You Covered
Worried digital twins might be too complex, expensive, or require new expertise? You’re not alone - but we’ve designed waterCAST to clear those hurdles.
- Too complex? The interface is intuitive and easy to learn.
- Too expensive? It consolidates tools—reducing long-term costs.
- Not enough staff expertise? Our team supports you at every step.
You don’t need a data science team to get started—just a willingness to move forward, and our team will guide you every step of the way.
What’s Next? Let’s Build Digital Resilience Together
Digital twins for water infrastructure are not just buzzwords - they’re practical tools for driving sustainability, boosting efficiency, and delivering smarter service to the communities you serve.
But that is not all we have. At Trinnex, we offer more than these technologies - we offer partnerships. Ready to see how waterCAST can support your utility’s transformation? Let’s connect and schedule a demo tailored to your systems, goals, and team capacity. Because the next era of infrastructure isn’t about guessing—it’s about making informed decisions with confidence. Click here to reach out to us. We look forward to meeting you!
