Waterways OS: A Framework for Systems of Intelligence
A modular, transparent, and adaptive software framework for water utility intelligence
The Need for Systems of Intelligence
Water utilities face a convergence of operational pressures. These include aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent regulatory permits, and the retirement of experienced operators. Simultaneously, valuable operational data is often highly fragmented, existing in disconnected SCADA systems, spreadsheets, laboratory reports, and decades of unstructured logbooks. The primary challenge is not a lack of data, but the absence of an effective intelligence layer to unify and interpret it.
MAIA Water's approach is to construct this layer through our Waterways OS. This system is a modular, transparent, and adaptive software framework that provides utilities with the capability to turn raw, disconnected data into trusted, real-time operational insights. The objective is to augment the expertise of utility staff, capture invaluable institutional knowledge, and build a resilient, future-proof operational architecture. We partner with utilities to build and manage the foundational Data Fabric and the metadata within the Semantic Graph; however, these components, along with the iAssets themselves, ultimately reside and are controlled within the utility's own data environment, ensuring compliance with existing security postures and maintaining full governance over all assets and data.
This system is composed of five core components:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Operator Copilot Interface │ ← MAIA Navigator │ (Alerts, Guidance, Natural Language) │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Live Operational Modules (iAssets) │ │ (Real-time units of asset/process logic) │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Knowledge Graph (Semantic Context) │ │ (Regulations, Assets, Chemistry, SOPs) │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Intelligence Backbone (Data Fabric) │ │ (SCADA, LIMS, ERP, Logs, Visual Data) │ └────────────────────────────────────────────┘
A Data Fabric that overlays legacy systems, connecting them into a unified, accessible, and auditable stream of information without requiring disruptive upgrades.
A Semantic Graph that makes operational and regulatory context machine-readable, weaving together assets, processes, and policies to provide the critical context required for advanced analytics.
Live Operational Modules (iAssets) that encode asset behavior, process logic, and embedded human expertise into self-contained, intelligent units.
An intuitive Operator Copilot (MAIA Navigator) that guides decision-making, streamlines training, and makes complex analytics accessible through natural language.
An iAsset Marketplace that creates a collaborative ecosystem, enabling utilities to share and monetize the intelligent modules they help build.
A Phased Implementation Model
The deployment of Waterways OS is not a monolithic, "rip-and-replace" project. The methodology is based on an incremental path designed for progressive adoption and validation of returns. Utilities begin with a single, high-impact operational area, allowing the system to grow organically from a focused starting point.
This approach is intentionally phased to ensure technical success and user adoption:
Discover (2–4 weeks): A collaborative workshop is conducted with the utility's team to identify the most valuable starting point and confirm the necessary data sources and their accessibility.
Launch (3–4 months): The initial Live Operational Module is developed and deployed. This phase includes connecting the data fabric to the relevant systems and training staff on the new capabilities.
Scale (Ongoing): With the foundational architecture in place and initial ROI demonstrated, the system is expanded by adding new iAssets and connecting more processes through the Waterways OS, unlocking network effects and the potential for marketplace participation.
Waterways OS is architected not simply to automate decisions, but to scale human judgment, adapt to a facility's unique environment, and learn alongside the operations team.