It has long been established that predictive maintenance of existing equipment will reduce operating costs and help ensure safe operation.
Utility managers are continually challenged to run water systems in the most efficient manner. Reducing non-revenue water (NRW) is an important component for system efficiency. In many states, regulators are placing caps on NRW or requiring reductions in the amount of NRW. Accurate and well-planned flow measurement can be used to locate areas of water leakage and reduce NRW.
The water burbling down the hillside amid thick, green foliage, certainly looked like a stream.
Treatment plant design comes in many shapes and sizes — and even dimensions. Determining the best option comes from understanding, and perhaps combining, the available options.
Despite my fascination with the adage, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result,” I still occasionally find myself — a creature of habit — falling into a pattern of repetitive unsuccessful behavior.
In 1992, the City of Madison, Wisconsin, found concentrations of lead in their drinking water exceeding the 90th percentile action level of 0.015 mg/L set by EPA. Lead (Pb) is a naturally-occurring metal that was commonly used in household plumbing materials, such as lead service lines and leaded solder joints, before limits were set on its use in 1986.
Smart water networks today do more than read meters. They also collect data from sensors on distribution networks to help reduce non-revenue water losses, monitor and control pressures in water mains, and prevent unwanted sewage discharge. These new smart infrastructure solutions help water utilities expand the definition of smart water — going beyond applications aimed at improving billing accuracy and efficiency.
For many utilities, failing pipelines and non-revenue water are atop the list of concerns. However, these issues can be greatly mitigated by leveraging readily available data in an intelligent way — through smart water management.
Thousands of water professionals recently met for the industry’s annual flagship conference — an important event at an important time as we give attention to our nation’s infrastructure. While roads and bridges are visible reminders of the importance of infrastructure, equally important components are out of sight, but they need to always be in our mind. These critical components are underground pipelines that provide water and wastewater service.
Every water distribution utility has a strategy for infrastructure asset management and repair — from simply reacting to breaks, to scheduling main replacements based on system-specific history, to prioritizing infrastructure repairs based on mathematical calculations of risks and consequences.
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