A computer systems company is running a project using artificial intelligence (AI) to check water quality and predict pollution. It aims to improve the water quality at the seaside resort of Combe Martin.
Artificial Intelligence to Predict Water Pollution
In southwest England, artificial intelligence will be utilized to anticipate pollution before it occurs and aid in its prevention. It is envisioned that the Devon pilot project would enhance the swimming pool's water quality at Combe Martin, BBC reported.
A picture of the condition of the local rivers, rainfall, and soil will be created via sensors put in rivers and fields. AI will then combine the data with regional land use data from satellite images.
It can forecast when local rivers will be most sensitive to agricultural runoff, enabling actions like requesting farms to delay applying fertilizer.
The computer systems company CGI and mapping specialists Ordnance Survey manage the artificial intelligence project. CGI claimed that it was more than 90% accurate during a test run.
CGI is the largest IT and business consulting services firm in the world. It is also a trusted AI expert combining end-to-end data science and machine learning capabilities with technology and deep domain knowledge for new insights and business models.
It is being tested in the North Devon Biosphere Reserve, a 55 square mile (142 square km) protected area encompassing farming, small villages, and significant natural areas.
According to Mattie Yeta, chief sustainability officer of CGI, they will make history with AI. For it to learn and create the predictive mechanisms necessary to identify where these incidents are occurring and even when they happen, it will provide it with all the geographic information and data sets from the sensors.
Water Pollution Scare in Devon
The initiative is intended to improve Combe Martin, a seaside resort town where bathing water quality has long been a problem. According to Andrew "Andy" Bell of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve, water quality in the area has always been inconsistent.
Although the Environment Agency verified the water in Combe Martin as "good last year," Bell claimed that was primarily due to dry weather. He added that the temperature in 2018 and 2019 was more normal when it obtained a "poor" rating and a warning was placed advising locals not to swim in the water.
According to Bell, there is a lot of concern in the neighborhood about what may occur if the bathing water designation is revoked. People like to go to a clean environment to enjoy themselves. Thus it would affect the area's cafés, restaurants, and B&Bs.
Bell added that the biggest offender is the River Umber. It enters the ocean through a channel of luxuriant green algae on the edge of the beach. The Umber is typically not much more than a stream, but it gets sewage treatment plant discharges and farm runoff.
The artificial intelligence initiative claims that the key to enhancing the water quality on the beach is cleaning up the Umber, which is viewed as the first stage in the process.
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