Bhutan’s water sector faces challenges like inefficiency, wastage, leakage, and contamination, despite abundant resources. The Smart Water Management System uses SCADA-based, IoT-enabled technology to monitor water flow, pressure, levels, and quality in real-time, ensuring leak detection, contamination warnings, and efficient water allocation for a more sustainable supply.

Cheche, an analyst at DHI and a core member of the water management team, shared insights into the system’s in-house, customized design tailored to Bhutan’s infrastructure.

In Conversation with Cheche, Analyst at Innotech Department, DHI

What is the Smart Water Management System, and what problem does it aim to solve?

Despite Bhutan’s abundant water resources, the country faces challenges such as inefficient distribution, water wastage, leakage, contamination risks, and inaccurate billing systems. The Smart Water Management System is designed to address these issues. By leveraging a SCADA-based, IoT-enabled system, it monitors key parameters like water flow, pressure, levels, and quality in real-time. The system offers automated control, instant leak detection, early warning for contamination, and efficient water allocation, ensuring a sustainable and resilient water supply for the country.

What makes this project unique and important for the community?

This project stands out due to its instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent approach. Unlike traditional systems, it provides real-time monitoring and automated control, ensuring better water distribution and efficient leak/fault detection. Additionally, the entire system is designed and built in-house by the DHI team, tailored to Bhutan’s unique landscape and infrastructure. This customization empowers both utilities and communities with actionable insights, leading to proper billing, reduced wastage, and improved water access.

What has been the most exciting or rewarding part of this project so far?

The most rewarding aspect has been seeing the in-house prototype transition from lab testing to real-world implementation in Gyalpozhing. Testing the system under actual environmental conditions in Bhutan provided invaluable insights into sensor reliability, durability, and network performance. The trust and support from government and stakeholders further reinforce our confidence in the system’s potential to scale across the country.

What have been the biggest challenges, and how have they been addressed?

One of the key challenges was retrofitting sensors and smart valves into the existing water supply network. There were no prior design layouts for sensor integration, so much of the work required manual retrofitting on-site. Additionally, we faced difficulties in establishing a reliable communication network. Initially, we tested a custom RF network, but it lacked scalability and reliability. After several iterations, we switched to a LoRaWAN-based network, which provided much better performance, range, and scalability, ultimately making the system more resilient and effective in real-world conditions.

How do you see the project evolving in the coming months and years?

Looking ahead, we aim to develop the system into a fully packaged, off-the-shelf solution that can be easily deployed by local authorities without requiring deep technical expertise. Additionally, we plan to expand into Automated Meter Reading (AMR), especially in urban areas like Thimphu, to improve billing accuracy and reduce operational costs. We also intend to scale the system to other regions, enabling more communities to benefit from real-time monitoring, automation, and data-driven decision-making.

How does this solution contribute to Bhutan’s long-term water sustainability efforts?

This project marks a significant step toward a more sustainable water management system in Bhutan. By integrating real-time monitoring, it helps detect leaks and inefficiencies, conserving valuable water resources while ensuring financial sustainability. It also improves control over water flow and pressure, making distribution more equitable—especially during shortages. With powerful data analytics, urban planners and utilities can make smarter decisions about infrastructure upgrades and expansions. Automated monitoring ensures a safe and reliable water supply, while advanced sensors track quality indicators like turbidity and pH, keeping drinking water safe. Additionally, ongoing research into watershed and spring shed monitoring helps protect Bhutan’s vital water sources for the long term.

What is the one thing you’d like people to know about this project and its potential impact?

This project isn’t just a technology upgrade; it’s a paradigm shift. By turning data into actionable insights, the Smart Water Management System empowers communities and policymakers to make more sustainable and informed decisions, ensuring that every drop counts for the future of Bhutan.