Qualcomm, CH2M HILL And The City Of Cincinnati Collaborate On Integrated Water Communications Solutions, A Step In Delivering Smart Cities

The City of Cincinnati Selects CH2M HILL Water Technology Innovation Project to Design and Implement Water Connectivity Solutions Utilizing Qualcomm’s M2M Cellular Technology

Qualcomm Incorporated recently announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., CH2M HILL and the City of Cincinnati have been collaborating with the intent to develop sustainable connectivity solutions leveraging machine to machine (M2M) cellular technologies that will help water utilities improve water quality, receive reliable information and manage water resources in the city of Cincinnati. Providing a safe, reliable water supply is one of the critical drivers of health and economic success and according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Global water consumption has tripled in the past 50 years creating one of the most critical natural resources constraints in the world.

“Improving water infrastructure and distribution management is an important part of Qualcomm Technologies’ Smart Cities and Internet of Everything vision,” said Peggy Johnson, EVP and president of Global Market Development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our technology teams have been working to solve both connectivity and communications challenges that are unique to water resource management systems by enabling solutions that are secure, reliable and support long battery life operation. Our collaboration with CH2M HILL demonstrates our commitment to utilize our robust wireless technologies to provide connectivity solutions to enable Smarter Cities.”

The City of Cincinnati awarded CH2M HILL a Water Technology Innovation project to design and implement an Integrated Water Connectivity Solution for sustainable water resource management. The solution will enable Cincinnati to collect actionable information from its water system in a timely manner to improve water quality and facilitate the management of its water resources.

“For years, Cincinnati has led the industry in innovative water technologies to manage its water supply, protect public health, and reach the city’s sustainability goals,” said Ken Thompson, CH2M HILL’s Intelligent Water Solutions director. “While there are many potential solutions that can address water infrastructure challenges in the United States, introducing new technologies, such as machine-to-machine (M2M) technology in our water and environmental systems, will transform the water industry and give utilities, like Cincinnati, a powerful tool to collect, process, and analyze what is happening throughout their water systems. This technology being implemented by Cincinnati, will serve as a model for other U.S. utilities looking to invest in water resources for economic and environmental benefits.”

“Cincinnati is faced with the challenges of aging infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, and declining water usage,” said Tony Parrott, executive director of Greater Cincinnati Water & Wastewater. “We need a game changing technology to deliver the kind of exceptional service our ratepayers deserve, and we feel that by investing in machine to machine connectivity solutions we are helping to revitalize our community, create jobs, and protect public health.”

The Integrated Water Connectivity Solution that is currently under development in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies was showcased at the SmartAmerica Expo, a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow project, in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2014.

About Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm’s licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm’s engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other.

About CH2M HILL
Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting,design, design-build, operations and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environment, nuclear, energy, facilities and urban environments. With US$6.6B in revenue and 26,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. The firm was named Water Company of the Year at the 2012 Global Water Awards. For more information, visit ch2mhill.com.