Seequent and Microsoft Partner in Global Water Sustainability Commitments

Seequent and Microsoft Partner in Global Water Sustainability Commitments

CHRISTCHURCH, NZ, 25 September 2020 – Global geoscience software company Seequent was this week highlighted as one of four global partners working with Microsoft and its customers to drive change for good around water quality and conservation.

Microsoft President, Brad Smith, announced Microsoft’s commitment to operating as a water-positive company by 2030 on his official news blog this week.

Smith outlined the fact that “As human civilization has expanded, we have reached the point globally where humanity depletes the available freshwater supply at a rate of 4.3 trillion cubic meters every year – the majority of which goes to agricultural and industrial uses. This needs to change.”

As a result, Microsoft has committed to replenishing more water than it consumes by 2030. As part of the announcement, Seequent was highlighted for its work with Microsoft and its customers around water quality and conservation. Alongside Ecolab, Schneider Electric (SE), and Grundfos, Seequent is assisting in developing solutions to help customers understand water-related risks due to climate change; use data to reduce water, and make smarter decisions about water; and, improve water quality and conservation.

Seequent CEO Shaun Maloney said: “We help our customers succeed by developing innovative solutions to enable better decisions about earth, environment, and energy challenges. By partnering with Microsoft we can make an even bigger impact on important global challenges such as water safety and security, which are critical to wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity.”

Seequent is a New Zealand-headquartered Microsoft customer and partner, a Christchurch ISV. Seequent relies on Azure to drive its geospatial and geoscience work, including critically important work to address water quality and quantity, globally.

Maloney says Seequent’s software solutions are being used on hundreds of projects around the world to enable a clear view of groundwater and contaminants. “Users such as the Water Replenishment District, the largest groundwater agency in the state of California, can readily communicate to end clients, regulators, and the general public with 3D models of groundwater systems and contaminated sites in a fully auditable data-driven approach across the entire lifecycle of site management,” he says.

The Water Replenishment District (WRD) has the important job of managing and protecting local groundwater resources for over four million residents.  WRD’s service area covers a 420-square-mile region of southern Los Angeles County and accounts for approximately half of the region’s water supply. The WRD is using Seequent’s Leapfrog Works to create 3D models of the local water basins, creating a better understanding of groundwater flow and identifying contamination. These models are helping WRD maintain its Water Independence Now Program, which has made the region sustainable using local resources including advanced treated recycled water to replenish groundwater supplies.

Microsoft New Zealand Commercial Partner Director, Matt Bostwick, said of the announcement: “This water-positive commitment is a critical step. And to see our very own ISV partner Seequent alongside global powerhouses Ecolab, Schneider, and Grundfos, as a key partner working on water quality and conservation is incredible. This is true global recognition for a tech company from Aotearoa!”