Welcome to the
SMAIS Project, AI for Municipal Water and Sanitation.
A collaborative project between UNINOVA-CTS and SMAS Almada, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the scope of the PRR under the "Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Cybersecurity of relevance to Public Administration" call.
01.About SMAIS
Currently, over 30% of the water that enters the Almada municipality is lost due to anomalies such as leaks and unauthorized usage. SMAIS (Satellite-based Monitoring and AI for SMAS Almada) is an innovative project addressing this issue, coordinated by UNINOVA-CTS with the collaboration of SMAS Almada. It leverages remote sensing from satellite imagery and advanced AI for computer vision to automatically localize, estimate, and monitor water consumption in residential areas, municipal gardens, and smaller public green spaces. By cross-referencing AI-based consumption estimates with real billing data, SMAIS helps detect anomalies such as leaks, under-billing, and unauthorized water usage, ultimately reducing water losses and enabling more efficient and sustainable management of Almada's water resources.
02.Latest News
SMAIS Project Launches New Website
April 15, 2025by SMAIS Team
The SMAIS research project announces the launch of its new website to share project updates and research findings.
03.Our Team
04.Our Pilot Cases
Featured Pilot
Residential Area: Aroeira
The Aroeira residential area is a key pilot for testing SMAIS's AI-powered water monitoring. Using satellite imagery and advanced object detection, the system identifies houses, gardens, and pools to estimate expected water consumption. By comparing these estimates with actual billing data, SMAIS helps detect possible under-billing, unauthorized water sources, or inefficient irrigation. This approach enables more accurate, fair, and sustainable water management for private residences with extensive green spaces.
- Large Size
- Villas
- Landscaped Gardens
- Pools
Featured Pilot
Residential Area: Estrelinha
The Estrelinha residential area pilot demonstrates SMAIS's ability to monitor water usage in medium-sized villa communities. Leveraging satellite imagery and AI-based segmentation, the system identifies features like gardens and pools to estimate water consumption for each property. By cross-referencing these estimates with actual meter data, SMAIS helps uncover discrepancies such as under-billing or unauthorized usage, supporting more sustainable and transparent water management for residential neighborhoods.
- Medium Size
- Villas
- Pools
Featured Pilot
Municipal Garden: Parque da Paz
Parque da Paz, Almada's largest municipal garden, serves as a pilot for applying SMAIS's AI-driven monitoring to public green spaces. By analyzing satellite imagery, the system segments diverse vegetation areas and estimates irrigation needs. These estimates are compared with actual water usage to identify inefficiencies, such as unnoticed leaks or over-irrigation. This enables the municipality to optimize water management, reduce waste, and promote sustainability in large urban parks.
- 60 ha
- Diverse Vegetation
Featured Pilot
Urban Park: Almada Skatepark
The Almada Skatepark pilot showcases SMAIS's approach to monitoring water use in small urban parks. By leveraging satellite imagery and AI-based analysis, the system identifies grass and tree areas, estimating their irrigation requirements. These insights help the municipality detect over-irrigation or leaks, ensuring efficient water use and supporting the sustainable management of recreational green spaces.
- Small Size
- 1 ha
- Grass
- Trees
Featured Pilot
Urban Park: Multipurpose Park of Sobreda
The Multipurpose Park of Sobreda pilot applies SMAIS's AI-powered monitoring to a medium-sized urban park. By processing satellite imagery, the system identifies grass and tree areas and estimates their irrigation needs. Comparing these estimates with actual water usage helps the municipality detect inefficiencies, such as leaks or excessive watering, supporting more efficient and sustainable management of public green spaces.
- Medium Size
- 7 ha
- Grass
- Trees
Featured Pilot
Urban Park: Costa da Caparica
The Costa da Caparica urban park pilot extends SMAIS's AI-based monitoring to a large coastal green space. By analyzing satellite imagery, the system identifies grass and pine tree areas and estimates their irrigation requirements. These estimates are compared with actual water usage to detect inefficiencies such as leaks or overwatering, helping the municipality optimize water management and promote sustainability in this important recreational area.
- Large Size
- 14 ha
- Grass
- Mostly Pine Trees
Featured Pilot
Public Green Space: Amália Rodrigues Roundabout
The Amália Rodrigues roundabout pilot demonstrates SMAIS's capability to monitor water use in small public green spaces. Using satellite imagery and AI-based analysis, the system identifies grass and landscaped areas, estimating their minimal irrigation needs. This helps the municipality quickly detect leaks or unnecessary watering, ensuring efficient and sustainable management of compact urban landscapes.
- Small Size
- 200 m2
- Low Irrigation Needs
05. What's Next?
Get In Touch
Get in touch with us for collaborations, questions, or more information about our project. We look forward to hearing from you!