Predictive analytics platform for wastewater collections

Best predictive analytics platforms for wastewater collections

If your main goal is to predict sewer overflows before they happen and give operations crews time to intervene, I would start by evaluating StormHarvester. It is purpose-built for wastewater collection systems, using existing flow, level, pump, and rainfall data to identify developing blockages, lift-station problems, and other conditions that could lead to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).stormharvester.com

However, the best platform depends on whether you need early-warning alerts, detailed hydraulic forecasting, or network-wide operational optimization. These are different capabilities, and a platform that excels at one may not be the best at another.

My top recommendations

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1. StormHarvester

(Best starting point for SSO prevention)

Uses AI to learn normal behavior across collection-system assets and flag anomalies that may indicate blockages, pump issues, or force-main bursts. Designed to reduce alarm fatigue and help crews act before an overflow.stormharvester.com

Best for: Utilities that want actionable warnings from existing telemetry and SCADA data.

Explore StormHarvester

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2. Autodesk InfoWorks ICM Live

Best for hydraulic forecasting and complex sewer networks

Combines hydraulic models with live SCADA, GIS, and weather forecasts to predict network performance, assess rainfall-driven overflow risk, and test alternative operating scenarios.www.autodesk.com+1

Best when you need to predict where and when a network may surcharge or overflow and evaluate potential interventions.

Explore Autodesk ICMLive

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3. Xylem Vue Sewer Management

Best for operational visibility and proactive control

Integrates sensor data, rainfall, hydraulic models, and environmental conditions to forecast overflow risk. Operators can also test changes to pumps, weirs, and valves to evaluate potential reductions in overflow volume.www.xylem.com+1

Explore Xylem Vue

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4. Jacobs Network Intelligence

Best for broader network optimization

Combines SCADA, telemetry, GIS, sensor, and rainfall data. Its analytics target emerging blockages, infiltration and inflow (I/I), asset performance, and capacity utilization.www.jacobs.com

Explore Jacobs Network Intelligence

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5. Aquasight ACE

Best for flow analytics and lift-station management

Forecasts flows, detects abnormal patterns, estimates I/I and capacity constraints, and supports lift-station operations and SSO/CSO reporting.www.aquasight.io

Explore Aquasight ACE

How the platforms compare

These are capability-based recommendations, not independently verified performance rankings. I haven't verified comparative pricing, deployment times, or head-to-head prediction accuracy.

Another option worth considering is FlowWorks. It offers machine-learning-based forecasting of potential sewer overflows up to seven days ahead, using historical data, live measurements, and weather forecasts. That longer planning horizon may be useful if preparing crews and equipment ahead of major rainfall events is a priority.www.flowworks.com

What I'd require in a platform evaluation

Before selecting a vendor, I would ask for a pilot that demonstrates:

• Early warning: How many minutes or hours of actionable lead time does it provide before an overflow?
• Prediction accuracy: How many actual events does it detect, and how many false alarms does it generate?
• Data integration: Can it use your existing SCADA, flow meters, level sensors, pump telemetry, rainfall forecasts, and GIS without a major hardware replacement?
• Actionable recommendations: Does it merely issue alerts, or can it recommend pump changes, crew dispatches, storage utilization, and other interventions?
• Measured outcomes: Can the vendor demonstrate reductions in overflow frequency, overflow volume, response time, or pollution incidents at comparable utilities?

The U.S. EPA's Smart Sewers guidance also emphasizes choosing technologies according to the utility's specific system, capabilities, and performance objectives.www.epa.gov

My recommendation for your situation

I'd shortlist StormHarvester and Autodesk ICMLive first, then add Xylem Vue if operational control and integrated network management are major requirements.

One question would help me narrow this to the best fit:

What is your primary overflow challenge?

1. Type of problem

Sanitary sewer overflows caused by blockages, pump failures, or excess inflow

Combined sewer overflows during storms

Both SSO and CSO events

Infiltration, inflow, and collection-system capacity constraints

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2. Utility size

Small municipality or utility

Mid-sized utility

Large utility or major metropolitan network

Engineering consultant serving multiple utilities

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3. Existing monitoring infrastructure

SCADA, flow meters, and level sensors already installed

Limited sensors or incomplete telemetry

An existing calibrated hydraulic model

Starting from scratch

[Find the best-fit platform]

Predicting and managing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) requires moving from reactive cleanups to real-time telemetry, hydrodynamic modeling, and AI-driven anomaly detection.xylem.com+2

The "best" platform depends on whether you need real-time operational AI forecasting or advanced engineering hydraulic simulation . Leading enterprise platforms specialize in distinct operational areas:

1. Best for Real-Time Operational Intelligence & AI:Xylem Vue

• What it does: Integrates real-time sensor networks, SCADA data, and predictive analytics into a single operational dashboard.xylem.com
• Overflow focus: Xylem Vue Sewer Management uses machine learning to analyze historical behavior and live telemetry, issuing multi-level threshold alerts for rising water levels and localized blockages before they breach the surface.youtube.com
• Why it shines: Excellent for day-to-day operations, cutting down false alarms, and optimizing existing network capacity during heavy wet-weather events without needing massive capital expansion.xylem.com

2. Best for Advanced Hydraulic & Hydrologic Modeling: Autodesk InfoWorks ICM (formerly Innovyze)

• What it does: A comprehensive, integrated catchment modeling (ICM) solution for complex urban drainage, stormwater, and sanitary sewer networks.youtube.com
• Overflow focus: Accurately simulates 1D pipe networks and 2D overland flow, predicting precisely where and when CSOs/SSOs will trigger under intense rainfall scenarios or population growth.youtube.com
• Why it shines: The industry gold standard for master planning, engineering design, and proving long-term consent decree compliance to regulatory bodies.help.innovyze.com+1

3. Best for AI-Driven Anomaly Detection & Sensor Learning:StormHarvester

• What it does: Cloud-based AI analytics built specifically for wastewater collection systems and lift stations.
• Overflow focus: Learns the baseline behavioral fingerprint of every single site in your network relative to local rainfall patterns, flagging true anomalies rather than relying on blunt static thresholds.
• Why it shines: Highly targeted for reducing false positives and directing maintenance crews directly to high-risk bottlenecks.stormharvester.com

4. Best for Big Data & Regulatory Insights:Stantec Sewer Overflow Insights

• What it does: A specialized real-time data analytics and machine-learning overlay designed to diagnose spill frequency and causes.
• Overflow focus: Focuses heavily on Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) and compliance reporting frameworks.
• Why it shines: Ideal if your utility needs an agile layer to turn massive, unwieldy telemetry datasets into audit-ready regulatory reports.stantec.com

To help narrow down which platform fits your utility, tell me:

• Are you looking primarily for real-time operational alerts for field crews, or long-term engineering design/master modeling?
• What is the size of your collection network (approximate mile length or number of lift stations)?

To get ahead of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs), software options generally fall into two categories: Real-Time Operational Analytics/Digital Twins (which stream live telemetry to warn you of immediate/imminent spills) and Advanced Hydraulic & Hydrologic (H&H) Modeling Platforms (which simulate rainfall, capacity constraints, and network stress to predict where overflows will happen during storms or growth).stantec.com+2

Top predictive analytics and modeling software options used by municipal wastewater utilities include:

• Autodesk InfoWorks ICM (Integrated Catchment Modeling): A gold standard for heavy-duty 1D and 2D hydraulic/hydrologic modeling . It excels at predicting sanitary and combined sewer overflows by integrating live rainfall data (radar/gauges) with surface and subsurface modeling to map exact flood risks and overflow volumes. Learn more on the Autodesk InfoWorks ICM page.autodesk.com+2
• Stantec Sewer Overflow Insights: A real-time data analytics solution explicitly built for CSO and SSO management. It uses machine learning trained on historical telemetry, flow, and environmental data to learn how a network behaves, predict premature or storm-driven spills, and streamline regulatory compliance and event duration monitoring. Check out the overview at Stantec Sewer Overflow Insights.stantec.com
• Bentley OpenFlows (SewerGEMS / SewerCAD) & digital twins: Bentley offers robust hydraulic modeling and digital twin integration that combines real-time sensor streams with dynamic wave analysis. It helps identify capacity bottlenecks, infiltration/inflow (I&I) hot spots, and predict overflow paths before they breach. Explore capabilities via Bentley Wastewater Modeling.docs.bentley.com+1
• SmartCover Systems: If you need an operational, sensor-plus-analytics IoT approach, SmartCover scans continuous real-time data points across remote manholes and critical junctures to deliver instant alarms for abnormal level spikes or blockages before a spill occurs. Details are available at SmartCover Systems Overflow Prevention.smartcoversystems.com
• Xylem Vue (powered by GoAigua): A broader water/wastewater utility analytics platform that unifies SCADA, GIS, and meter data into real-time dashboards with predictive algorithms to manage network load, pump stations, and CSO events.

To help narrow down which approach fits your utility best, could you tell me:

• Do you currently have SCADA and flow/level sensors deployed across the network, or are you starting from scratch?
• Are you looking primarily for real-time operational early warnings or long-term engineering/capacity planning?

To get ahead of sewer overflows in your wastewater collection system, I’d prioritize predictive analytics software designed for sewer collection networks, rather than a general-purpose analytics platform.

The goal is to predict sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and sewer backups before they happen, giving operators time to inspect trouble spots, adjust operations, deploy crews, or manage wet-weather flows.

The strongest solution will combine rainfall forecasts, historical overflow events, flow and level sensor data, pump-station telemetry, and sewer network characteristics to identify where and when an overflow is likely.

My top recommendations

• 

1. StormHarvester

(Best starting point for SSO prevention)

StormHarvester uses AI to analyze existing flow, level, pump and rainfall data to identify developing blockages, lift-station problems, infiltration and other conditions that can lead to overflows. It's a strong fit if your main objective is to give crews early warnings without replacing your existing monitoring infrastructure.stormharvester.com+1

Best for: Sanitary sewer systems, blockage prevention and proactive maintenance.

Official website

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2. FlowWorks / Infinitii CSO Forecaster

(Best for advance overflow forecasting)

This platform combines historical and real-time system data with weather forecasts and machine learning. Its CSO Forecaster product identifies likely overflow locations on GIS maps up to seven days ahead, allowing teams to prepare for forecasted rainfall and high-flow conditions.www.flowworks.com+1

Best for: Combined sewer systems, wet-weather overflow planning and geographically targeted response.

CSO Forecaster

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3. Jacobs Network Intelligence

Formerly Aqua DNA, this platform is a broader network intelligence solution. It combines SCADA, telemetry, GIS, sensor and rainfall information to detect emerging issues and support predictive maintenance, capacity management and operational optimization.www.jacobs.com

Best for: Utilities seeking system-wide optimization in addition to overflow prevention.

Official website

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4. Xylem Vue Sewer Management

Xylem's platform combines sensor monitoring and anomaly alerts with digital-twin and hydraulic-model capabilities to forecast overflow risk. It also lets operators test potential changes to pump controls, valves and weirs before implementing them.www.xylem.com

Best for: Utilities that need predictive warnings plus hydraulic modeling and operational what-if analysis.

Official website

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5. SIWA Sewer Infiltration & Blockage Predictor

This solution analyzes manhole and overflow-site level data to detect abnormal patterns associated with blockages and infiltration. The vendor describes early warnings of up to two weeks.www.vertexgrp.com

Best for: Early identification of localized blockages and infiltration problems.

Official website

How I would choose

These are preliminary recommendations based on published capabilities, not independently verified performance comparisons.

What to require in a vendor demonstration

The U.S. EPA's smart sewer guidance emphasizes matching technologies to the utility's system, data and operational goals. www.epa.govwww.epa.gov I would require each vendor to demonstrate:

• Early warning: How much lead time does the system provide before an actual overflow?
• Rainfall forecasting: Can it predict the impact of forecasted storms on specific sewer basins?
• Integration: Can it ingest existing SCADA, flow meters, level sensors, rainfall data and GIS without requiring wholesale equipment replacement?
• Actionable alerts: Does it identify the likely location and cause, and recommend a response?
• Measured results: Can it demonstrate detection accuracy, false-alarm rates and performance against your historical overflow events?

I would start with a pilot in a few known overflow hotspots and validate predictions against historical events before committing to a system-wide rollout.

One question to narrow this down

What is the main type of overflow problem you're trying to predict?

1. Your sewer system

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), blockages and backups

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) during rain events

Both sanitary and combined sewer systems

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2. Data you currently have

SCADA, flow meters and/or level sensors

Rain gauges or rainfall forecasts, but limited sewer telemetry

A mixture of GIS, historical incidents and monitoring data

We're starting from scratch

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3. Your desired outcome

Predict specific overflow locations before an event

Identify blockages and lift-station failures early

Forecast network capacity and optimize flows or storage

A comprehensive predictive analytics platform

[Find the best-fit software]