DCU Water Institute researchers Dr Ciprian Briciu-Burghina and Asst. Prof. Ali Intizar along with researchers from Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Tartu gathered at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities in Tallinn to officially launch the UrbanSplash Project.
The discussions during the launch centered on establishing clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the project’s environmental and societal impact. UrbanSplash aims to improve water quality in urban bathing areas, empowering communities to make informed decisions about their recreational activities and increasing the number of swim-friendly days annually. This would protect public health, promote sustainable use of urban water bodies, and unlock the full economic and social benefits of these valuable assets.
Over the 3 year project, the research team will work closely with experts from the 3 piloting cities to develop test-beds for bathing water quality monitoring, and better tools to support decision making. In addition to the collection of high frequency data from in-situ sensors, the project will develop new data-driven machine learning algorithms for prediction & forecast but also new microbial source tracking strategies. The UrbanSplash solution will be rolled out in three cities in 2025: Tartu, Estonia, and Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland. These locations will serve as benchmark sites for developing, testing, and validating the technology.
