Smart Water Utility: Digital Systems Monitor Drinking Water Quality in Moscow
Moscow’s water system delivers nearly 3 million cubic meters of drinking water every day, and digital tools are now enabling continuous monitoring across more than 13,000 kilometers of pipelines
From Manual Sampling to a Digital Ecosystem
Since early 2025, Moscow has conducted nearly three million water‑quality analyses using a network of more than 500 automated monitoring devices operating in real time.
Water in the city is monitored across 200 physical, chemical, and biological indicators at every stage—from intake to the tap. Data from hundreds of online analyzers and sensors is transmitted instantly to a unified information system. This enables operators to make rapid adjustments to treatment processes instead of detecting deviations after the fact.
For residents, this marks a fundamentally new level of assurance: water is monitored continuously rather than selectively. Transparency is also built in through the online service “Water Quality in Moscow Neighborhoods,” which lets anyone view results for their address. The project demonstrates how Russia’s smart‑city model is delivering practical benefits in a critical utility sector, building both safety and public trust.
Shifting Toward Predictive Management
Years of accumulated data are enabling predictive analytics. The system is learning not only to identify changes in water quality but also to forecast them, detect risks associated with infrastructure wear, and model emergency scenarios. This represents a shift from reaction to prevention.
From a technology perspective, such projects strengthen national resilience. Moscow is deploying Russian‑made solutions, including industrial analyzers, turbidity and pH sensors, chlorine measurement devices, and systems based on programmable logic controllers (PLC) and SCADA.
The success of Moscow and other major cities is creating a ready‑made package—sensors, analytics, and control systems—that could be valuable for countries with long utility networks and growing demands for modernization.
The Evolution of Digital Water Oversight in Russia
Moscow’s example is part of a long‑term national trend. Saint Petersburg began building its Automated Drinking Water Quality Control System (ASKKV) back in 2004. By 2010, full online monitoring was in place across all stages of water transportation. The project demonstrated that automation reduces analysis time to minutes, ensures continuous monitoring, and minimizes human error.
Other regions are adopting similar solutions. For example, in 2021 Murmansk introduced an automated monitoring system at its water‑treatment facilities. However, Moscow and Saint Petersburg stand out because water samples are collected from a large number of points across the entire system.
A Smart Water Utility Points to the Future
The large‑scale monitoring system deployed in Moscow signals a new level of digital maturity in utility management. The capital has become a showcase for Russia’s “smart water utility” model, combining sensor networks, analytics, and citizen‑facing services.
By 2030, the trend toward predictive automation in utilities is expected to accelerate. The next step will be integration with broader smart‑city systems and the adoption of AI for process modeling and optimization. Moscow’s experience—supported by years of work in other regions—sets a standard that can be replicated nationwide and offered internationally as a comprehensive solution for sustainable water supply.
