Supply Chain - Smart Water - Instrumentation & Monitoring

Many utilities struggle to see a complete picture of their operational status and network efficiency. Their operators and managers are often flooded with hundreds of separate data streams coming in from multiple sources, making it difficult to get an accurate reflection of the interconnected nature of their network, let alone make holistic improvements, react to challenges quickly, test potential scenarios, and predict problems. The solution Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua is a single, integrated software and analytics platform that enables utilities to maximise existing investments, operate more efficiently, and provide affordable and reliable service to their communities. By providing intelligence and smart analytics at the network, plant and asset level - as well as customised views to fit any unique demands the utility require - Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua supports both utility operators and enterprise managers in addressing the system-wide challenges, from non-revenue water to flooding to treatment, that they face on a daily basis. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua platform has a module to enable real-time scenario analysis on sewer networks - Courtesy of Xylem Water Solutions[/caption] Eliminating data silos to improve operational visiblity and control At its heart is the Smart Water Engine. The Smart Water Engine eliminates silos and unifies data, simplifying water cycle management by integrating all utility data into a single platform regardless of its origin (sensors, SCADA, assets, business systems, etc.). It integrates and standardises that data to create a single, holistic model which, when coupled with proprietary advanced algorithms, allows the Smart Water Engine to look out across the entirety of a utility’s network. This single source of data is then accessed by the utility through water and wastewater applications within the Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua platform to address real-world network challenges. Ultimately, by removing the burden of having to manage multiple independent technologies, the Smart Water Engine, delivered through Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua, provides critical, 360-degree operational decision intelligence to anyone who needs it across the utility. Modular data applications can be added to the platform architecture to suit the specific challenges any water utility is faced with. These additional modules give real-time analytics, optimisation, and decision support. The modular applications available include leak detection, unified network management, clog monitoring, combined sewer overflow (CSO) prevention and more! Case study: Yorkshire Water, United Kingdom Yorkshire Water (YW), embarked on a transformative journey to enhance the efficiency and control of its water management processes. YW faced the challenge of managing events that required data from multiple vendors and diverse sources. They aimed to streamline these disparate data streams into a cohesive and comprehensive platform. They sought complete control over the lifecycle of each event, from its identification and analysis to resolution and post-event evaluation. Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua provided YW with a centralised event management platform, eliminating data silos, and creating a unified environment for all event-related data. This feature enabled YW to have a holistic view of events in real-time. Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua's advanced AI algorithms empowered YW to uncover valuable insights by associating events spatially and temporally, significantly improving the accuracy of event analysis and responses. With the ability to integrate data from over ten vendors, Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua harnessed data from diverse sources seamlessly. This integration reduced data handling complexity and improved the overall efficiency of event management. The centralised platform, advanced AI algorithms, and vendor integration capabilities have already demonstrated their value. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua platform has a module to enable monitoring of the network for leakage - Courtesy of Xylem Water Solutions[/caption] Case Study: Calpe, Spain A transformative wastewater management project, Calpe elevated its wastewater management capabilities using Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua. The integrated platform provides Calpe with a unified network management system enabling the early detection of clogging and proactively being able to plan cleaning activities of its network. The smart system also automates chemical dosage, effectively reducing odours and enhancing the overall environmental quality. Calpe benefited from real-time prediction of urban flooding and storm events, allowing them to take preventive measures, protect infrastructure, and ensure public safety. The digital twin of the sanitation network triggered alerts in the event of flooding, significantly reducing response time. This feature continues to be a game-changer, ensuring timely actions to mitigate potential damage. Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua is transforming the way Calpe manages its wastewater by empowering them to make data-led informed choices and optimize resource allocation based on it. The system's clog monitoring capabilities ensure smooth wastewater flow, reducing maintenance costs, and minimizing disruptions to the community. About Xylem Xylem is a leading global water technology company committed to solving the world’s critical water, wastewater, and water-related challenges through technology, innovation, and expertise. Our more than 22,000 diverse employees delivered combined pro forma revenue of $7.3 billion in 2022. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. For more information: Xylem Water Solutions UK Ltd: +44 115 940 0111 | www.xylem.co/en-uk

   

SDS Ltd has completed the installation of its latest smart rainwater management systems at homes in Forton, Lancashire, and Deal, Kent, as part of Water Companies’ ongoing efforts to reduce sewage spills into rivers and the sea. The company’s Intellistorm®-equipped rainwater harvesting tanks use smart technology to retain and release their contents automatically, thereby increasing, by several times over a standard water butt, their capacity to protect the sewers from being overwhelmed by excess surface water from heavy rainfall. More than sixty systems have already been installed by agreement with homeowners by SDS in January and February 2023 for United Utilities and Southern Water. The two Water Companies have committed to deploying several hundred tanks over the next few weeks, including at properties served by United Utilities at Wrea Green in Lancashire, and by Southern Water at homes in its “Pathfinder” locations in Kent and the Isle of Wight. Intellistorm® works by releasing water from the tank prior to rainfall. By analysing weather forecast data the system calculates how much water to release based on the roof size and the size and location of the tank. This ensures that there is always water available for homeowners to use, for example in their gardens, but also sufficient spare capacity in the tank to accommodate the next rainstorm. A typical water butt fills once in the winter and then remains full and overflows until water is taken out by the homeowner, often only when summer has arrived. Consequently, a standard butt contributes little to holding back water from sewer networks during the wettest months of the year. SDS has carried out an assessment of the performance data supplied by the initial 25 tanks at Forton after their first month of operation. Extrapolated across 12 months, and using average rainfall statistics, it has been established that the tanks could hold back up to 75 times their nominal volume, equivalent to each tank holding back 30,000 litres of water a year from the combined sewer at times of peak flows, which is when sewers typically overflow. In Forton alone this equates to a surface water attenuation volume of up to three quarters of a million litres of water per year*. That water is then released once the rain event has passed and the sewers can cope. [*based on average rainfall accumulations – these figures will vary if the weather is drier or wetter than the average]. Johnny Phillips, Surface Water Strategy Development Manager for United Utilities, said:

“We’re delighted to be launching this initiative in Forton. Having looked at a number of areas, we think the smart water tanks will make a real difference in the village and help to increase capacity in our sewer network and deliver local environmental improvements, and the early findings are backing this up.”

Dr Neil Sewell, Director of New Technology Services at SDS, said:

“We’ve made exciting enhancements to the Intellistorm® technology since our early projects with South West Water, Anglian Water and Severn Trent Water and we’re pleased to show how the latest version of the tanks begins to deliver some really strong performance in Forton and Deal.”

These projects show that Intellistorm®-equipped smart tanks have the potential to be a really valuable tool for Water Companies in the battle against sewer overflows and flooding, particularly when they are coupled with other sustainable drainage systems and sewer network improvements. They have the added advantage of providing a supply of non-potable water for homeowners, thus reducing the demand for mains-supplied, drinking-quality water for purposes for which its high level of treatment is not required, whether that’s for watering the garden and washing the car or even flushing the toilet and supplying the household washing machine. It is also a great way for local people to get involved with helping to solve flooding and pollution, thereby improving water quality in our rivers and bathing waters, as well as protecting the country’s declining natural water resources from over-abstraction, in order to feed a growing and increasingly water-dependent population. Thanks to their multiple benefits SDS is seeing significant interest from Water Companies in its Intellistorm® systems.     For more information: SDS Ltd | +44 (0)1934 751303 | www.sdslimited.com