Consorzio Aquarno, based in Santa Croce sull’Arno, has launched a pioneering project at national level, becoming the first predominantly industrial wastewater treatment plant in Italy to integrate artificial intelligence systems (AI) into its wastewater treatment processes.

Thanks to the collaboration with the Tuscan company DBS – Data Brain Services, the plant is moving from a reactive management model to a predictive one, based on data, sensors, and machine learning algorithms. The goal is to optimise in real time the use of compressors and other machines operating at the plant, improve the regulation of chemical reagents, and strengthen water management during intense weather events, improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

The new system:

The plant, which treats urban and industrial wastewater every day equivalent to more than 2 million inhabitants, is equipped with more than 60 field sensors and over 250 analytical parameters monitored by the laboratory. This data is a valuable source of information that will be used both to train the artificial intelligence and, once processed, to support operational decisions, in full compliance with the European AI Act (EU Regulation 2024/1689).

The entire system will be fully operational by July 2025, ahead of schedule, and is already considered a replicable model of sustainable innovation for other Italian plants and industrial districts.