Empresas Públicas de Medellín’s Digital Model–Driven Water Network Transformation
Organization: Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM)
Project Name: Integrated Digital Modeling of Medellín’s Primary Aqueduct Network
Location: Medellín, Colombia
Project Phase: Completed and Operational
Estimated Project Cost: USD 100 million
Bentley Software: OpenFlows Water
Additional Context: Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) created a comprehensive digital model of its aqueduct network—spanning five treatment plants, 370 kilometers of pipelines, 34 pumping stations, and 95 storage tanks—to improve reliability and affordability for 1.4 million families. Using Bentley’s OpenFlows Water, engineers cut planning time from weeks to hours, avoided USD 12 million in expansion costs, reduced annual energy use by 2,500 kilowatt hours, and cut emissions equivalent to 117 tons of CO₂, strengthening Medellín’s long-term water resilience and sustainability.
Project
Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city with over 2.5 million people, is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its mild climate. Behind its reputation as an innovation hub, the metropolitan area has experienced growing pressure on its water resources due to rapid population growth. Residents in the area faced a variety of challenges, including service interruptions during dry seasons and increased service costs.
To strengthen long-term water resilience, Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM)—a state-owned public utility in Colombia that provides electricity, water, sanitation, and natural gas to the city of Medellín and surrounding areas—set out to transform how the city’s primary aqueduct network is planned and managed.
EPM developed a comprehensive digital model of its water system, spanning five treatment plants, 370 kilometers of pipelines, 34 pumping stations, 95 storage tanks, and 132 valves. This has become a strategic tool to guide investment, improve energy efficiency, and expand access to safe, affordable water for 1.4 million families across the region.
Facts
- Delivered affordable, reliable water access to 1.4 million people through Bentley’s water infrastructure software.
- Avoided USD 12 million in water network expansion costs using OpenFlows Water.
- Reduced pumping energy costs by USD 95,000 annually and cut emissions equivalent to 117 tons of CO2 annually.
“The use of a fully integrated digital model has transformed how we plan and operate Medellín’s primary aqueduct system. It allows us to evaluate future growth, climate change, and emergency scenarios, while also helping optimize energy use at key pumping stations. These improvements have reduced costs, lowered emissions, and strengthened our ability to provide affordable, reliable water to the 1.4 million families we serve.”
Solution
EPM turned to Bentley’s OpenFlows Water to create a fully integrated digital model of its primary aqueduct network. Previously, system evaluations were fragmented. Engineers relied on separate spreadsheets, gravity-fed models, and manual analyses.
With OpenFlows Water, the team built a model that combined technical data with the operational knowledge of EPM staff. This allowed them to simulate real-world conditions, from pumping across mountainous terrain to interconnected treatment plants to forecast performance utilizing 14 different scenarios spanning the next 30 years.
EPM was then able to evaluate future demand, investment options, and emergency responses. Simplifying the system from 15,000 pipes to just over 2,000 helped engineers reduce calculation time while maintaining accuracy.
Beyond engineering, OpenFlows Water helped EPM evaluate energy optimization strategies at critical pumping stations. By optimizing flows at the Salvatoriano-La Estrella and Gerona-Miraflores pumping stations, the team identified ways to reduce daily energy use by 2,500 kilowatt hours, saving USD 95,000 annually and significantly lowering CO2 emissions.
Outcome
By creating a fully integrated digital model, Medellín transformed its water supply management. Planning that once took weeks or months can now be completed in hours, giving engineers and decision makers faster insights into how to serve a growing population. Smarter strategies have already helped save USD 12 million in expansion costs, while energy efficiencies at pumping stations have reduced operating expenses by USD 95,000 each year and cut emissions equivalent to 117 tons of CO2 annually.
In total, EPM has realized more than USD 18.6 million in savings, resources that can be reinvested into expanding service and maintaining affordability for households. Most importantly, by optimizing the water supply network, EPM has ensured a long-term foundation of resilience, protecting families from service interruptions during droughts and landslides while ensuring Medellín’s 1.4 million families have reliable access to safe water for generations to come.
Software
Learn more about how Bentley’s OpenFlows Water can help optimize and future-proof your water distribution systems.
Bentley Year in Infrastructure (YII) and the Going Digital Awards is an annual event where global industry leaders come together to showcase infrastructure delivery and performance excellence and exchange visionary ideas for the future. Find out more on the YII site.
