Introduction
The Paderborn municipal wastewater utility (STEB) is responsible for wastewater disposal in the East Westphalian city of Paderborn, which has around 158,000 inhabitants. As a municipal enterprise, STEB operates an extensive sewer network of over 1,000 kilometers, as well as numerous pumping stations and other special structures. Modern wastewater utilities face many challenges: aging infrastructure, increasing demands for environmental and resource protection, and rising cost pressures. These intense dynamics require the utilities to adopt innovative new solutions to navigate the constraints with informed deliberateness.
To address these challenges sustainably, STEB Paderborn initiated a partnership with software company APX10 in 2023. The goal of the collaboration is to enable data-driven decision-making in asset management using their data-based platform APX®. Artificial intelligence and modern analytical tools refined within the software‘s development are used to make investment decisions more transparent, efficient, and sustainable in the long term for the utility.
A key objective for STEB Paderborn is to look toward the future: the plan is to consolidate further internal and external data sources on a shared platform. By intelligently linking this data, it becomes possible to simultaneously consider a variety of relevant factors – such as technical conditions, environmental influences, cost trends, or operational priorities. This creates a more solid foundation for developing investment strategies and fosters better internal coordination between departments.
This case study highlights the motivations behind the partnership, the implementation process, and the insights and added value gained from the collaboration between STEB Paderborn and APX10.
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Data-Driven Asset Management for the Sewer Network: From Vision to Practice
As part of the project, existing data sources from various areas were initially consolidated, including CCTV inspections, construction years, pipe materials, damage patterns, rehabilitation history, and geographic information. The APX10 platform transforms this raw data into meaningful analyses using intelligent algorithms that dynamically assess the condition and risk of individual sewer sections.
Based on this, STEB Paderborn can set objective and transparent priorities for rehabilitation and investment measures. Especially helpful are visualizations in the form of maps and dashboards, which give departments and decision-makers a quick overview. These data also offer a high degree of transparency and traceability when communicating with political committees and the public.
Linking SCADA Data with Existing Master and Infrastructure Data
By intelligently linking SCADA data with our sewer system data, we can more precisely identify and counteract extraneous water problems in the future – this saves resources and increases operational efficiency.“
Markus Beine
Operations Manager, STEB Paderborn
Another focus of the collaboration between STEB Paderborn and APX10 is the intelligent linking of SCADA data (process data) with existing master and infrastructure data. The goal is to carry out digital and data-driven analyses to more precisely calculate the volume and costs of extraneous water in the sewer network. Extraneous water, which does not belong in the sewer system, causes considerable operational and financial burdens – such as unnecessary cleaning efforts or overloading of treatment plants.
By integrating these data sources on the APX® platform, spatial and temporal patterns of extraneous water inflow can be identified, and targeted reduction measures can be planned. This analysis marks another milestone on STEB Paderborn’s path toward comprehensive, data-driven infrastructure management.
Combining Operational and Planning Data
A promising area of development within the project is the further integration of operational data with strategic planning data. While earlier analyses focused mainly on structural and historical sewer data, STEB Paderborn sees great potential in also incorporating operational data – such as fault reports, maintenance activities, or cleaning cycles – into planning.
Such integration would make it possible to align investment and rehabilitation decisions even more closely with current developments and actual loads in the network. In the long term, this could lead to a more dynamic and responsive maintenance strategy that brings both economic and environmental benefits. Establishing this data linkage is a forward-looking step and part of STEB Paderborn’s ongoing digital strategy development.
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Conclusion
The implementation and customization of the APX10 platform to the specific requirements of STEB Paderborn show how our data-based technology helps address the challenges of municipal wastewater management in a future-proof way. By leveraging existing data sources, intelligently linking different types of information, and using a modern analysis platform like APX10, it is possible to make well-founded and transparent decisions. At the same time, the partnership lays the groundwork for continuous development toward full data-driven infrastructure management.
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