Virtual Sensors: The Future of Water Industry Monitoring?
- Hannah Casswell
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
The use of sensors in the water industry is nothing new, but the way we think about sensing is rapidly evolving.
Traditionally, physical sensors have been installed across networks, pumping stations and treatment works to deliver offline and real-time data on flows, quality and performance. These physical sensors remain essential, but they can carry high costs for hardware, installation, maintenance and calibration.
In recent years, however, a new approach has been gaining ground: virtual sensors.
By using existing data streams, mathematical models and machine learning, virtual sensors can estimate key process variables without installing new hardware. This opens up the possibility of:
Lower costs compared to deploying physical sensors everywhere
Predictive insights rather than just real-time measurements
Extending monitoring to locations where physical installation is difficult
Digital twins of existing physical sensors for calibration assurance, failure back up or fault detection
But virtual sensors also bring challenges. They rely heavily on good quality data acquisition and integration, robust deterministic and statistical models, and may sometimes struggle with unexpected changes or anomalies that physical sensors would detect directly. Domain knowledge is still essential.
So where does the balance sit between physical and virtual sensing? Can virtual sensors truly replace physical installations or do we need hybrid models? How confident can operators be in virtual models when regulations demand evidence of compliance? They’re used in other sectors but can they translate well to the water industry? What role will virtual sensing play as AMP8 and Section 82 drive investment in monitoring? And perhaps most importantly, are utilities already seeing value from virtual sensors in real-world operation?
These are exactly the questions we will be exploring at SWIG’s upcoming workshop:
24 June 2025
Sandy Park, Exeter
Speakers from water companies, technology providers and academia will share real-world case studies and discuss where sensing in the sector is heading next.
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