Sourcing

Water sourcing involves identifying and procuring water from reliable and sustainable sources. The availability of clean water, particularly in regions where freshwater is not readily obtained from groundwater or freshwater sources such as rivers and lakes, often requires water production through saline water sources. Desalination plants help solve one of the world’s critical issues, freshwater availability, but their energy demand is huge. ABB’s complete solutions encompassing control & instrumentation and electrical systems, drives, motors and certain mechanical packages as well as grid connectivity, are designed to reduce operational and maintenance costs while optimizing process efficiency and energy consumption.

World’s first dual mode desalination plant

One potential solution can be found in Singapore, where the world’s first dual mode desalination plant can produce 30 million gallons of potable water from both sea and rainwater, powered by ABB’s state of the art automation, measurement and analytical technologies, in addition to variable speed drives and motors. Plantwide control systems are unified under an ABB Ability™ System 800xA distributed control system, a user-friendly digital platform that gives engineers wide visibility and precise control from a central command center. Data is seamlessly transferred from field instruments to the control system for analysis and diagnostics. With its fully digital-ready control system, the plant’s operations can be extended from device to edge to cloud.

“Innovative technology and process optimization in water treatment plants can realize reductions in energy consumption by up to 40 percent”, says Eng Kwang Goh, Keppel Infrastructure, Singapore.

World’s largest seawater desalination project

Approximately 45 kilometers north of Abu Dhabi city, the Taweelah project is the world’s largest seawater desalination project. The USD 500 million development  has the capacity to process over 900,000 cubic meters of seawater per day, enough to meet the demands of over 350,000 households. ABB delivered 30 panels of medium-voltage switchgear and 250 panels of low-voltage switchgear with digital capabilities. 

Successful drought response using ABB technology

Monterrey’s metropolitan area suffered a 6-year drought. To address this challenge, Servicios de Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey, supported by the local government, leveraged instrumentation technology, including 400 ABB AquaMaster4 flowmeters out of which five were supersized flowmeters. To transport the water from distant lakes, five aqueducts were built, and the flow was monitored and controlled using the five supersized flowmeters.

Enabling reliable drinking water supply to a high-altitude Indian village

KSB Ltd has installed ABB’s solar pump drive for a high-pressure pumping project to enable clean drinking water supply to a remote Indian village in the northeast. The pumping station, located near the water source around Longphong village, lifts the water about 500 meters uphill using this state-of-the-art solar-driven setup through a 2.2-km pipeline to ensure reliable water supply to about 150 homes in the village.

Netherlands’ largest drinking water supplier Vitens selects ABB to develop new process automation system

ABB has won a contract from Vitens, the Netherlands' largest water supplier, to develop a new process automation system. The project will implement the ABB Ability™ System 800xA® DCS, unifying operations across all plants. Vitens, which supplies 340 billion liters of water annually through 48,000 km of pipelines, will gain improved cybersecurity and efficiency. The global water industry is embracing automation to enhance sustainability, resilience, and regulatory compliance.

Efficient Water Management

Efficient water management involves conservation, optimizing consumption to reduce waste and ensure energy efficiency. With water resources stretched by the needs of an increasing global population, the need for transformative technologies across the water industry has never been more urgent. ABB’s offering comprises of continuous water analyzers, field instrumentation devices, actuators, flow measurement devices, high-efficiency motors, variable speed drives (VSDs) controllers, and a suite of digital asset performance management tools as well as product lifecycle support.

ABB Genix™ Industrial IoT and AI Suite optimizes operations

Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, with population growth, overuse of water and the impacts of climate change reducing resources. ABB has been selected by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Water Authority of Jordan to provide its ABB Genix™ Industrial IoT and AI Suite for water and energy data management to help address the nation’s water management challenges by improving energy efficiency across the sector. 

Optimizing water management systems in New Zealand

Watercare partnered with ABB and Water Engineers Limited to install 10 ABB Aztec AFM 631 fluoride analyzers in Auckland’s water treatment plants to meet new regulations by 2024. The self-calibrating system requires minimal manual intervention, with only daily checks and annual maintenance needed.

Wellington Water in New Zealand has partnered with ABB to implement sustainable and cost-effective water measurement solutions. Managing over 500 pump stations, reservoirs, and monitoring sites across six councils, they rely on ABB’s WaterMaster flow meters, pH monitors, and chlorine analyzers for accurate water quality control. This collaboration has improved treated water quality, increased efficiency, reduced chemical use, and achieved energy savings of 5–10 percent.

ABB drives and motors help Vietnam’s Quy Nhon City move closer to clean water goals

Vietnam faces water challenges that threaten its growth. To address them, the government launched a National Rural Clean Water Strategy in 2021. The Quy Nhon Clean Water Plant Project (Phase 1) aims to provide clean water to 83% of residents by 2025. Inaugurated in 2024, the SENCO Quy Nhon plant in Tuy Phuoc has a 30,000m³ daily capacity, set to double by 2030. It will supply water to Quy Nhon and Tuy Phuoc. ABB’s ACQ580 drives optimize motor speeds, enhancing efficiency and supporting Vietnam’s sustainability goals.

ABB softstarters turning Ganges into drinking water

Varanasi, a sacred city on the Ganges, faces high resource and energy demands from millions of visitors. To improve efficiency, modern technology is being adopted.

The Ganges struggles with pollution, with bacteria levels far exceeding safe limits. However, the local water treatment plant now purifies 36 million liters daily. ABB softstarters enhance efficiency by preventing leaks and reducing manual labor, making the system more reliable.

Lowering energy consumption in water plant operations

Water is a scarce commodity and treating it can be energy intensive. ABB domain expertise and drives technology helps lower energy consumption in water plant operations. See the interview with Arc Water Technologies and find out how they conserve water and save energy.

ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring solution for powertrains

The CAFC water company aimed to standardize their equipment and select the most reliable digital products in order to reduce the number of maintenance people needed, and to optimize their activities. Thanks to ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring solution for powertrains, the CAFC has achieved positive results in its management of drinking water capture, potability, adduction and distribution, sewerage, and water treatment in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy.

ABB’s technologies measure, monitor and control while ensuring a safe and clean water supply

Efficient water infrastructures are fundamental to a city’s good health. ABB won the public tender to support the Municipality of Naousa’s efforts to transform the city’s water infrastructures and provide quality water to more than 20,000 inhabitants. ABB’s advanced solutions allow for monitoring water balance in the supply network, while providing safe, clean water to people affordably.

Disposal & Wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment is a process used to remove contaminants from wastewater or sewage and convert it into an effluent that be returned to the water cycle with acceptable impact on the environment, or reused for various purposes. ABB’s energy efficient motors help to mitigate challenges associated with wastewater treatment, such as blockages and energy loss when pumping wastewater. Closed loop and other recycling processes have saved 65 percent of industrial water use and 80 percent of cooling water use at ABB sites worldwide through 2022.

World’s largest wastewater treatment plant

The Bahr El Bakar wastewater treatment plant in Sinai, Egypt, processes 5.6 million cubic meters of water daily—enough to fill 2,000 Olympic pools. Inaugurated in 2021, it supports agriculture and restores 140,000 hectares of farmland east of the Suez Canal. ABB contributed advanced solutions from its Electrification, Motion, and Process Automation portfolios.

ABB drives, motors and solutions cutting energy bills

Saneago, a major water utility in Goiás, Brazil, serves 5.7 million people and industries by treating and supplying water from multiple sources. ABB drives, motors, and digital services help cut pumping energy costs by $700,000 annually. The ABB Ability™ Digital Powertrain also improves uptime by providing real-time equipment insights.

Optimizing energy efficient wastewater treatment processes in Germany

The sewage treatment plant in Bocholt processes up to 108,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily. Achieving the goal of reducing the country's emissions by 65 percent by 2030 will necessitate a collaborative effort, including enhancing energy efficiency in water and wastewater facilities.

The Schwarzenbruck wastewater treatment plant is an environmental innovation showcase that optimizes energy use with ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®, reducing external power needs and saving approximately 300 tons of CO₂ annually. The system integrates various energy sources, including hydroelectric power, solar panels, combined heat and power plants, and battery storage, ensuring efficient energy management through sector coupling. Supported by €3.9 million in German government funding, this pilot project demonstrates how intelligent energy optimization can achieve 100% self-sufficiency and contribute to sustainability goals.