Water Infrastructure Ontology
Developing a decision-centred data framework for water and wastewater systems.
Co-development / R&D partner
Partners: Water industry practitioners
Outputs: Decision-centred ontology, Spatial analysis framework
This project develops a comprehensive ontology for water and wastewater infrastructure that centres decision-making rather than asset inventory.
Background
Water utilities manage vast, aging networks with limited budgets. The data systems they use — often inherited from decades-old asset management platforms — struggle to support the complex trade-offs required for climate adaptation, regulatory compliance, and equitable service delivery.
The work
We are building an ontology that:
- Connects physical assets to the decisions they support
- Represents uncertainty and condition in ways that are useful for planners
- Aligns with existing standards while extending them for emerging challenges
- Supports spatial analysis and scenario modelling
Collaboration
This work is developed in partnership with water industry practitioners to ensure that the resulting framework is grounded in operational reality.