Water supply involves many actors. While many management tools exist, they cannot intercommunicate and no framework is available for integrating all of them, preventing integrated water resources management (IWRM) to be fully achieved. WatERP will develop a web-based Open Management Platform (OMP), integrating Intelligent systems through open Interfaces and combining agent and SOA architectures with the purpose of enable water supply distribution chains to be managed in an unified and customized way.
The OMP will provide Inferred information on water supplies, flows, consumption, distribution efficiency, and supply and demand within a single framework. It comprises three tools: a) Data Warehouse, using semantics and common language, b) Decision Support, for coordinating actions, prioritizing water uses, improving distribution efficiency, and saving water, energy and costs, and c) Demand Management, supporting socio-economic analyses and policies. Open standards will be used to maximize interoperability and data sharing.
WatERP enables improved matching of water supply and demand from a holistic point of view, pursuing two objectives: a) Improving coordination among actors and b) fostering behavioral change to reduce water and energy consumption. By enabling a more dynamic and agile Interaction among the different actors involved in water supply distribution, the platform improves water governance while maintaining the autonomy and Independence of the actors. WatERP will also develop a strong dissemination capability, besides an evaluation of their anticipated cost and benefits and market prospects.