KUB's water system has experienced 30 percent to 35 percent non-revenue water over the past 10 years; hard-to-find underground leaks are the big culprit. Reducing leaks improves customer service, increases operational efficiency, reduces expenses for chemicals and power, and has other benefits.
Many utilities today are investing in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). However, many of these same utilities often don’t realize the breadth of capabilities that a smart utility network (SUN) now offers. In the past, AMI networks were typically used for accurate metering and billing. Today, a smart utility network builds upon traditional AMI to provide multiple advantages across the full water cycle — and beyond.
Making the business case for smart water networks and advanced metering infrastructure
Innovation is paying dividends for the growing list of municipalities that leverage the latest technology to optimize planning and operations decision making.
Water utilities around the globe face the same challenges: increasing population, urbanization, and more frequent extreme weather events. New supply to meet increasing demand is very expensive. Changing customer behavior to reduce demand is very difficult. The question is how to get more from existing infrastructure.
In its quest to gain greater remote accessibility and increase ease of use, a progressive sewerage authority elects to think outside the traditional SCADA box.
Forecasters predict that California could receive record amounts of rain during this winter because of El Nino. Smart water management is important in times of no rain or too much rain so our conservation efforts must continue. The Internet of Things (“IoT”) can help the water supply from the El Nino rains be used more efficiently and with less waste.
Dr. Jon Wicks, CH2M’s Global Technology Leader for flood risk modeling, shares his thoughts on the requirements for good modeling, building on discussions held at the recent Flood Modeller Suite Conference.
Many utilities are moving to a traditional business mindset rather than continuing as largely compliance-driven entities. This is challenging leaders to apply asset management and smart infrastructure strategies, to become more programmatic in managing water, and to consider the big picture in addressing public needs.
With the digital age fully upon us, it’s time for treatment plants to evolve beyond preventative maintenance and embrace predictive maintenance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|