By Bentley SystemsLearning Objectives
- Describe what Bentley OpenFlows does and why hydraulic modeling matters for water utilities
- Explain how Bentley Copilot adds a natural-language AI layer atop a physics-based engine
- Identify the honest boundary between the AI assistant and the underlying hydraulic solver
What Is Bentley OpenFlows?
Bentley OpenFlows is hydraulic modeling and water digital-twin software from Bentley Systems, a publicly traded infrastructure-engineering software company on the Nasdaq under the ticker BSY. Engineers and utilities use OpenFlows to model how water moves through distribution, wastewater, and stormwater networks — simulating flows, pressures, and behavior so systems can be designed, analyzed, and operated correctly. The OpenFlows 2026 release, together with the WaterSight operational digital twin, extends that modeling from up-front design into ongoing operations.
The newest addition is Bentley Copilot, a natural-language AI assistant that lets users query and edit models by asking in plain language rather than navigating every menu and command by hand. It is a meaningful convenience layer — but it is worth being clear about what the AI is and is not.
💡Key Concept
Hydraulic Modeling Digital Twin: A hydraulic model uses physics — the equations governing how water flows under pressure through pipes — to simulate a water network's behavior. When that model is kept synchronized with real operational data, it becomes a digital twin: a living replica used not just for design but for day-to-day operations, letting utilities test scenarios, diagnose problems, and optimize the real system.
What Bentley OpenFlows Does
- Hydraulic modeling — simulates flows and pressures across water, wastewater, and stormwater networks
- Design and analysis — supports engineering studies for new and existing systems
- WaterSight operational digital twin — extends modeling into live operations
- Model querying and editing — lets users interrogate and modify network models
- Bentley Copilot — a natural-language AI assistant to query and edit models conversationally
How AI Is Applied
The honest framing matters here. OpenFlows is built on a mature, physics-based hydraulic engine — the solver that computes flows and pressures is grounded in the established physics of water networks, not in machine learning. Bentley Copilot is a genuine large language model assistant layered on top of that engine. It interprets plain-language requests and helps users query and edit models, removing friction from tasks that would otherwise require navigating detailed software commands. In other words, the AI is the assistant, not the core solver.
That boundary is a strength rather than a weakness. Utilities and engineers get the trustworthiness of validated hydraulic physics for the actual analysis, while the LLM assistant makes the software faster and more approachable to use. Copilot lowers the expertise barrier for interacting with a complex model, but the numbers that come out are produced by the same rigorous engine engineers already rely on.
Who Uses Bentley OpenFlows
Bentley OpenFlows is used by water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, and by the engineering and consulting firms that design and analyze these networks. Its users range from modelers running detailed design studies to operations teams using the WaterSight digital twin, with Bentley Copilot broadening access to staff who are not full-time modeling specialists.
Pricing
Bentley OpenFlows is enterprise software sold on a quote basis, consistent with Bentley Systems' infrastructure software portfolio. Pricing depends on the products and modules selected, network scale, and whether operational digital-twin features are included. Organizations contact Bentley Systems directly for a tailored quote.
Company Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Company | Bentley Systems |
| Ticker | NASDAQ: BSY |
| Category | Hydraulic modeling and water digital-twin software |
| Parent | Bentley Systems |
| Latest Release | OpenFlows 2026 with WaterSight operational digital twin |
| Notable AI Feature | Bentley Copilot — natural-language model assistant |
| Website | bentley.com |
Strengths
- Mature physics engine — analysis rests on a well-established, validated hydraulic solver
- Full water scope — covers water, wastewater, and stormwater networks
- Operational digital twin — WaterSight extends modeling from design into live operations
- Bentley Copilot — a genuine LLM assistant makes querying and editing models faster and more approachable
- Enterprise backing — part of Bentley Systems' broader infrastructure-engineering portfolio
Limitations and Considerations
- AI is an assistant, not the solver — Copilot speeds interaction, but the analysis comes from the physics engine, not machine learning
- Specialist software — deep hydraulic modeling still requires engineering expertise
- Enterprise pricing — quote-based and aimed at utilities and engineering firms, not small teams
- Modeling effort — an accurate model and digital twin require detailed, well-maintained network data
Key Takeaways
- Bentley OpenFlows is hydraulic modeling and water digital-twin software from Bentley Systems, spanning design through operations with WaterSight
- Bentley Copilot adds a genuine natural-language AI assistant to query and edit models conversationally
- The honest boundary is clear — the AI is the assistant; the analysis comes from a mature physics-based hydraulic engine
- Best for water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities and engineering firms that need validated hydraulic modeling with a modern AI assistant layer
