Water Supplies Department wins Grand Prize at the buildingSMART International openBIM Awards 2026

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) has won the Grand Prize in the Operations Category at the buildingSMART International openBIM Awards 2026 held in Tokyo, Japan on 8 October, marking a significant international achievement for Hong Kong's water sector.

Organised by buildingSMART International (bSI), the awards attracted 134 submissions from around the world, with only 22 teams shortlisted across seven categories. Among the shortlisted projects, five were from China, including three from Hong Kong.

WSD distinguished itself through its innovative use of digital technologies in asset management and operations. The Department is not only the only Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government department to receive this honour this year, but also one of the leading water sector organisations recognised at the awards.

The award recognises WSD's success in applying openBIM, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance asset visibility, support data-driven decision-making, and improve operational efficiency across the asset lifecycle.

Driving Smart Asset Management
A key contributor to this achievement is the Asset Management Information System (AMIS), WSD's integrated digital platform for managing one of Hong Kong's largest infrastructure portfolios.

Serving more than 7.5 million residents, WSD manages 17 impounding reservoirs, 18 water treatment works, 191 pumping stations, 232 service reservoirs, approximately 8,600 kilometres of water mains, over 3 million water meters, and more than 420,000 items of electromechanical and instrumentation assets.

Developed in accordance with the ISO 55001 international asset management standard, AMIS integrates asset, engineering, maintenance, GIS, BIM and operational data into a single platform, enabling predictive maintenance, risk-based decision-making, and paperless operations. The system has transformed traditional maintenance practices into a proactive and data-driven approach to asset management.

Powering Smarter Water Operations
Another flagship initiative is the Smart Trunk Transfer Support System (STTSS), which combines BIM, GIS, hydraulic modelling, IoT, SCADA and AI technologies to optimise the operation of Hong Kong's raw water transmission network.

Currently supporting more than 10,000 assets across the Dongjiang raw water transmission system, STTSS enables intelligent pump scheduling and operational optimisation, delivering annual energy savings of approximately 3%, reducing carbon emissions by around 18,000 tonnes per year, and generating annual cost savings of about HK$30 million.

Advancing Climate-Resilient Water Treatment
Meanwhile, WSD's patented Smart Hypo Cooling System provides an innovative climate-resilient solution for preserving the stability of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), a critical drinking water disinfectant. By integrating energy-efficient cooling technology, intelligent controls, IoT monitoring and renewable energy solutions, the system helps maintain disinfectant effectiveness, enhance drinking water safety, reduce chemical losses, and lower operating costs.

The innovation has gained international recognition, including a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2026 and the Mechanical Innovation and Implementation Excellence Award 2025-2026 presented by the Hong Kong Branch of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Looking Ahead
The Grand Prize at the buildingSMART International openBIM Awards 2026 highlights WSD's commitment to innovation, digital transformation and sustainable asset management. Building on the success of AMIS, STTSS and the Smart Hypo Cooling System, the Department will continue to leverage advanced technologies and data-driven solutions to enhance the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of Hong Kong's water supply network.