UrbanM2O Unveils “Digital Twins” to Transform How Cities Combat Water Pollution

As cities face the increasing threat of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and climate-driven infrastructure stress, the EU-funded UrbanM2O project has unveiled a new suite of digital tools designed to provide a holistic, city-wide view of water quality.

The research, titled “Integrated modelling solutions for data-driven holistic management of urban water quality – the Urban M2O digital tools,” was presented at the 13th Urban Drainage Modelling Conference (UDM 2025). It outlines a transition from traditional, fragmented monitoring to a “Digital Twin” approach that simulates the entire urban water cycle in real-time.

The Problem: Fragmented Data
Current water management often relies on data dispersed across different administrative entities and technical systems. This lack of interoperability makes it a “herculean task” to monitor all pollutant pathways effectively, especially for new and emerging chemical threats.

The Solution: Digital Urban Water Twins (DUWT)
The UrbanM2O project addresses these gaps by developing two core digital pillars:

  • The Digital Urban Water Twin (DUWT): An open-source modeling framework that tracks pollutants across urban areas. This tool allows city planners to simulate the impact of “circular economy” approaches, such as water reuse and Nature-Based Solutions, before investing in physical infrastructure.

  • The Holistic Data Management System (DMS): A platform that facilitates seamless data integration and sharing among stakeholders, ensuring that decision-makers have updated, city-wide information at their fingertips.

The paper describes the modeling approaches that will be applied over the next four years across three European case-study cities. By focusing on open-source solutions, the UrbanM2O project aims to foster collaboration across the international urban drainage community, allowing cities worldwide to adopt these advanced management strategies.

The full publication is available via Open Access.

Share this post!