A national initiative for asset management in the Swedish water sector

This project aims to establish a common national standard for asset management in the Swedish water and wastewater sector. The goal is to create a practical and usable framework that makes it easier for the industry to work more efficiently, sustainably and in a more coordinated way – thereby contributing to smart and resilient water management across society. Achieving this requires participation, engagement and co-creation.

A foundation for digitalisation

Standardisation is a fundamental prerequisite for digitalisation, better resource use and for realising the potential of new technologies such as digital twins and advanced data analytics. Today, there are no uniform principles for how information about water and wastewater infrastructure is managed. This leads to challenges in collaboration between actors, poor data quality and inefficient maintenance.

Resistance to change is a barrier

Experience shows that attitudes and resistance to change are among the biggest obstacles to establishing a national standard. Water utilities often rely on established practices and processes that are rarely questioned, and there is concern about security aspects in information management. Changes may therefore be perceived as risky, especially when they affect existing routines or technical systems. The sector also tends to prioritise short-term operational benefits over long-term strategic investments, which can make new working methods seem cumbersome or unnecessary.

Dialogue and participation are key

The project builds on experiences from Mistra InfraMaint, where we tested the international standard ISO 81346 in a water and wastewater context. To ensure both acceptance and practical usefulness – and to address the challenges mentioned – this project focuses on dialogue, participation and co-creation among water utilities.

Expected outcomes

By further developing and adapting the standard for national use, we aim to create a shared “language” for asset management. With an established standard, it becomes possible to build robust, sustainable and cost-efficient water and wastewater systems.

Standardisation helps to:

• strengthen data quality,
• facilitate collaboration,
• enable applications such as systematic maintenance, advanced leak detection, resource-efficient planning and decision support through digital twins.

In the long term, the project contributes to resilient and sustainable water management throughout society.

To build acceptance and engagement, we will highlight concrete examples of how an established standard can strengthen these outcomes in practice.