The Value of Data for the German Water- and Wastewater industry

Abstract

This article deals with the value of data for the German water- and wastewater industry. It addresses questions and findings of the digitization to the special field of the economy of utilities and here for water- and wastewater. Firstly describing general aspects of how digital data is compiled and structured, the article shows the growing significance of digital data by analyzing the value chain of water- and wastewater companies and showing, where relevant sources of data are. After that, the assessment of the findings shows, data is becoming more and more important, although the German water- and wastewater companies are organized as a natural monopoly. As the use of (technical) digital data has a long tradition in the German water- and wastewater sector, the article gives suggestions on where new fields of usage of digital data can occur. The expansion of using digital data to meet challenges like cost-pressure, optimizing maintenance patterns and building new sources of value for the company are key findings. As the water and wastewater companies are at a starting point in digitizing the article comes to the conclusion that further research is necessary to foster the advanced use of digital data and give guidelines as well as information.