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On January 5, 2024, the first international standard in the field of smart water management, ISO 24591-1 "Smart water management—Part 1: General guidelines and governance," led by the team of Academician Ren Hongqiang of Nanjing University, was officially approved and released by the ISO Central Secretariat (see Figure 1). In June 2020, the standard development team applied to the ISO Secretariat to establish the first international standardization platform in the field of smart water management, ISO/TC 224/WG 15 (Smart Water Management Working Group), and successfully assumed the role of convener. The team undertook responsibilities such as research on standard systems, technical standardization, industrial application of standards, internationalization of the industries, standardization education and training, and the cultivation of standardization talents. On September 10 of the same year, a new proposal was registered and initiated at ISO. The team innovatively proposed the architecture of smart water management systems and standardized system design, operational management, and system governance. Over a period of 39 months, the standard underwent drafting, inquiry, and publication stages, ultimately gaining recognition from 71 member countries of ISO/TC 224, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, and Japan.
As a foundational international standard in the field of smart water management, it provides fundamental guidance for future global standardization activities related to the smart management of water systems, including drinking water, wastewater, rainwater, surface water, groundwater, and watershed water. Under the guidance of this standard, the second international standard in the field of smart water management, "Smart water management—Part 2: Data management guidelines" (ISO 24591-2), jointly developed by the Chinese team and the French team, has currently advanced to the FDIS stage and is set to be released this year. Additionally, three new international standard proposals led by the team—"Smart water management: Examples and best practices," "Smart management system of wastewater treatment—Requirements and guidelines," and "Guidelines for the Design and Management of the Smart Wastewater Networks"—were presented at the 7th working group meeting of ISO/TC 224/WG 15 in November 2023 and will proceed with initiation and development work sequentially.
The successful release of this standard and the orderly advancement of related standards contribute to leading and supporting the digital development and intelligent transformation of the global water industry, as well as enhancing the international competitiveness and influence of related industries. In the future, the team will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges with leading domestic water treatment enterprises and research institutions, pragmatically promote the development, promotion, and implementation of international standards in the field of smart water management, and serve the high-quality development of global ecological civilization and smart city construction through international standardization.
