Smart City Challenge Round 3 Winner Brings Innovative Bathing Water Quality Assessment Solution

Published on 08.10.2024

Written by Külle Tärnov, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities

The third round of the Smart City Challenge by the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities has concluded, with a project selected to address bathing water quality assessment. The winning project, UrbanSplash, aims to tackle the urgent issue of bathing water contamination, which poses serious health risks and causes economic losses.

Researchers from TalTech, the University of Tartu, and Dublin City University will work on the project. Piloting activities will take place in three areas: Tartu in Estonia, and Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in Ireland.

The pilot project has a budget of €1.2 million and will run for three years. It is set to start this November under the guidance of the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities.

The challenge: Monitoring of Bathing Water Quality

Coastal cities face significant challenges when it comes to monitoring bathing water quality. One pressing issue is the timeliness of measurements. Currently, there is a considerable delay between taking samples and obtaining results, particularly with microbiological tests, which can take up to a week to provide conclusive data. This delay poses a serious health risk as it leaves people vulnerable to waterborne illnesses during this waiting period.

More about the challenge and proposed solution ideas.

Innovative Solution for Real-Time Water Quality Management

Environmental waters are often polluted by fecal matter from sources like sewage effluent, agricultural runoff, and stormwater. Traditional water quality monitoring methods are slow and frequently lack timely data, leaving communities exposed to pollution events.

UrbanSplash delivers a comprehensive, near-real-time solution for monitoring and managing bathing water quality. The project utilizes advanced sensors and technology to detect fecal indicator bacteria (FIBs) quickly and accurately. By integrating data from in-situ low-cost IoT sensors, meteorological information, and geospatial data at the catchment level, UrbanSplash provides precise and timely water quality data and forecasts.

The three main components of UrbanSplash include:

Technology Toolbox: A set of sensors and advanced molecular tools designed to detect and measure water pollutants accurately.
AI-Driven Data Platform: A powerful platform that combines real-time data with machine learning to forecast water quality.
Mobile/Web Application: A user-friendly interface providing real-time updates and water quality forecasts directly to users.

Pilot Project in Estonia and Ireland

The UrbanSplash solution will be developed and piloted in three cities beginning in 2025: Tartu in Estonia, as well as Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in Ireland.

The projects will include the deployment of smart floating pontoons or buoys fitted with advanced sensors to enable real-time water quality monitoring.

These pilots will act as benchmark sites for technology development, testing, and validation.

Business Perspectives and Impact 

UrbanSplash is designed to be scalable and adaptable to different urban environments. The business model ensures that local authorities can maintain high standards of water quality without the need for extensive technical expertise or resources. 

The success of UrbanSplash will not only enhance public health and safety but also support the blue economy by protecting recreational water areas and boosting tourism. By providing transparent and accessible water quality data, UrbanSplash empowers communities to make informed decisions and take proactive measures to protect their local water bodies. 

Project team

Tallinn University of Technology: Prof. Sadok Ben Yahia, Uljana Reinsalu, Asst. Prof. Anu Masso

Dublin City University: Ciprian Briciu-Burghina, Asst. Prof. Ali Intizar, Asst. Prof. Marcos Dias

Tartu University: Peeter Laas, Prof. Tanel Tenson, Asst. Prof. Veljo Kisand

FinEst Centre for Smart Cities: Külle Tärnov

Tartu City: Marion Kade, Aija Kosk, Liina Helmoja, Lilian Lukka

Fingal (Beaches): Rita McGrath

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (dlr): Eamonn Donlyn
Smart Dún Laoghaire: Boris Tomas
dlr Digital Strategy: Ronan Herron
dlr Beaches: James Phelan

4th Round of the Smart City Challenge

The FinEst Centre for Smart Cities is hosting its fourth Smart City Challenge, where we gathered complex urban challenges from various cities.

By September 16, we received 35 solution ideas addressing 20 city challenges, contributed by researchers from TalTech and other universities, as well as companies. Explore all the submitted solution ideas and consider teaming up with other researchers or companies to submit pilot project proposals by November 15, 2024, in collaboration with cities.

Why participate in the Smart City Challenge?

Pilot development and piloting costs covered 100% by FinEst Centre for Smart Cities.

Test your research results in cities solving their real problems.

Develop an innovative solution with international market potential.

Win from synergies from working in an interdisciplinary team.

Get data for your long term research projects.

The pilot projects are 100% financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.

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