Water utilities worldwide are facing a trilemma: aging infrastructure that requires major reinvestment to withstand the pressures of climate change, increasing regulatory scrutiny that fosters risk aversion, and public demand to keep rates affordable. These competing forces make it difficult for utilities to modernize while maintaining reliable service.
Recent advances in machine learning, IoT sensing, and cloud computing are providing new tools to address this challenge. By embedding intelligence into physical networks, utilities are beginning to manage sewer systems to reduce flooding and overflows, while also optimizing drinking water distribution networks to minimize leaks and energy use. At the core of these advances is the framework of Real-Time Decision Support Systems (RT-DSS), rooted in distributed control system theory, which transforms traditional infrastructure into smart, adaptive systems.
Luis Montestruque
HydroDigital, LLC
This presentation will highlight real-world case studies where RT-DSS has been deployed to deliver measurable benefits, such as reduced sewer overflows, avoided capital costs, and improved resilience. It will also explore future research challenges and opportunities, from scaling digital twins at the edge across entire regions to integrating AI-driven optimization with evolving regulatory and policy frameworks.
Luis Montestruque is the co-founder and principal at HydroDigital and a pioneer in the field of smart water systems. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, where his research focused on distributed sensing and control. For more than two decades, he has led the development of real-time decision support systems that combine IoT sensors, digital twins, and distributed optimization algorithms to help utilities better manage water resources, reduce flooding, and minimize combined sewer overflows. As founder of EmNet and later HydroDigital, Luis oversaw one of the world’s first smart sewer applications in South Bend, Indiana, which achieved a 70% annual reduction in sanitary sewer overflows to the Saint Joseph River and avoided over $500 million in construction costs.
He has since guided the utilization of these technologies in more than 40 utilities across the U.S. and internationally, including a recent large-scale implementation with Northumbrian Water in the UK. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent speaker on digital water and climate resilience, bridging academic research with real-world applications to make urban water systems more sustainable and resilient.