**6. KOMMUNAL 4.0 ensures that infrastructures retain their value in the future**

Many small and medium-sized communities are faced with the challenge of reliably planning for the future in terms of maintaining and expanding their infrastructure in view of the consequences of demographic change. It is not unusual for the largest infrastructure assets to be hidden underground. Up to 70% of this can be accounted for by the sewer system with its special structures and sewage treatment plants [13]. Sufficient and reliable data is required to achieve optimum investment planning. Decisions, based on inaccurate assumptions and estimates, must be reduced to a minimum in the future. A major role is playing a value-preserving operation of existing plants and objects, e.g. through efficient control solutions or cost-saving condition monitoring.

The basis for intelligent data management and the control and operation management is meaningful data acquisition and evaluation. This requires modern IT structures that can be used both locally and as web-based solutions. KOMMUNAL 4.0 pursues this premise and takes care of a fully comprehensive data and IT structure. This starts locally at the machines (CPS), networks the objects with each other and aims at a networked analysis and management of entire infrastructures via the web-based data and service platform. This will create a basic structure that is not limited to applications in water management alone, but will also be suitable for use in other infrastructure sectors. The start into digitization can be made from an overall strategic perspective by setting up a central data and service platform, but also on the basis of software-related or machine-related individual solutions. It must be ensured that all required individual components (see **Figure 1**) can be networked and thus integrated into the intended overall system.

*Resources of Water*
