An Integrated Digital Twin Architecture for Water Contamination Emergency Management

Abstract Submission: During emergencies such as floods or earthquakes, first responders, water authorities, and public health experts must collaborate to manage water contamination risks. Decision support tools are critical for real-time risk assessment and evaluating response measures within limited timeframes. Digital Twins (DTs) offer a promising solution by integrating real-time sensor data (e.g., disinfectant concentrations, flows, pressures) and dynamic models, along with algorithms for state estimation, risk assessment, anomaly detection, and event management. However, a holistic DT framework for water contamination emergency response is currently lacking.

We introduce a novel, integrated DT reference architecture for risk-based water contamination emergency management, built on insights from various European research and innovation projects (including PathoCERT, Ideation, Waterverse, Water Futures, and IntoDBP). This architecture integrates multiple water systems (surface, urban, sewerage), wastewater surveillance, public health and open data, portable sensors, emergency data spaces, simulation tools to forecast incident evolution, and time-bounded algorithms for event diagnosis, co-simulation, and risk assessment. Additionally, we introduce the DT's application in criminal investigations after the response phase.

We present a case study in Limassol, Cyprus involving a full-scale earthquake exercise for First Responders, with a sewage overflow scenario infiltrating the drinking water network. The DT supported real-time risk assessment, source isolation, and mitigation, assisting first responders and water operators. Finally, we present our preliminary work towards a national Cyprus Digital Twin for Water Emergencies.

The proposed DT reference architecture will empower first responders and water authorities to be better prepared and more capable of responding to complex contamination events more effectively.

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