WIPAC Monthly August 2019

WIPAC MONTHLYThe Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 8/2019- August 2019

In this Issue
WIPAC Monthly is a publication of the Water Industry Process Automation & Control Group. It is produced by the group
manager and WIPAC Monthly Editor, Oliver Grievson. This is a free publication for the benefit of the Water Industry and please
feel free to distribute to any who you may feel benefit. However due to the ongoing costs of WIPAC Monthly a donation website
has been set up to allow readers to contribute to the running of WIPAC & WIPAC Monthly, For those wishing to donate then
please visit https://www.patreon.com/Wipac all donations will be used solely for the benefit and development of WIPAC.
All enquires about WIPAC Monthly, including those who want to publish news or articles within these pages, should be directed
to the publications editor, Oliver Grievson at olivergrievson@hotmail.com
The image on the front of this month’s edition has kindly been provided by Meteor Communications through their PR agent
Buttonwood Marketing Ltd and shows some of the work that Meteor do for the Environment Agency
From the editor............................................................................................................. 3
Industry news..............................................................................................................
Highlights of the news of the month from the global water industry centred around the successes of a few
of the companies in the global market.
4 - 11
What is Artificial Intelligence and how can water planning and management benefit
from it..........................................................................................................................
In this white paper written by Professor Dragan Savic and published by the IAHR the concept of Artificial Intelligence
is discussed in terms of using it to predict water demand, leakage and a variety of different applications and also
how the lack of the skills base is a potential barrier to its development.
12-14
Applications,Applications,Applications.........................................................................
Application is the key to the adoption of any smart water technology but in this article we look at something
different insofar as examining the areas that mobile phone technology including of course, applications, are a
huge opportunity for the industry to change the way it works. We also look at how this is being delivered across
the industry.
15-16
Focus on: Phosphorus Measurement & Control in Wastewater..................................
In repeat of last year’s “Focus on” article we look at the measurement and control of phosphorus in wastewater
and the benefits and limitations the industry currently has.
17-19
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months. 20-21

From the Editor
It certainly has been a busy summer with a promise of an even busier Autumn as we enter the 2nd half of this year’s
conference season with some real promise of what is to come. Virtually every member of the supply chain in the UK will
be aware that we are entering the last few months of this Asset Management Period with the promise of the next one to
come and its certainly going to be interesting for those involved in the “Smart” Water Industry as the drivers for change
are difficult to deliver at best. Leakage with an average target of a 15% reduction over the next five years is relatively
lofty although certainly achievable as it has been done elsewhere in the world. We’ve seen it happen in cities such as
Copenhagen and Lisbon, especially in the latter where the work that was done quite a few years ago now delivered
some spectacular results and a real sense of maturity in leakage control has been achieved. I’ve heard all of the counter
arguments that the distribution networks are different, they were designed at different times and in different ways but at
the end of the day results were still achieved by using monitoring and finding out where the leaks were. It sounds simple
and in reality is all very complex especially with plastic pipes but surely it is achievable. Per Capita Consumption (PCC) is
another driver in the next period and it is one of the ways that the industry is going to avoid Sir James Bevan’s “Jaws of
Death.”
If leakage is not your thing then pollution might well be. Its another big driver along with wastewater flow compliance and to be honest I personally would
put it into the category of flow management. It is a massive growth area and its something that I will be talking about with my “Day Job” hat in London in
later October. It is a free event that anyone who is around is most welcome to join me at along with a wide range of industry colleagues who are all going to
be discussing the concepts of flow that we must address in the next five or six years. In the long term I certainly hope that the industry can rock back some
of the targets that it is expected to achieve in the next few years as we approach standards that are even tighter than the old Drinking Water regulations. The
ultimate aim on the wastewater side of the business is to have as low an environmental impact as possible on a day to day basis. We can do this with existing
standards and controlling the flow/pollution incidents in an improved manner to give an overall better Environmental Quality.
On this subject I’ve listened with some dismay this month over the quality of rivers and how we should have a “Bathing Water” quality almost everywhere. This
sort of attitude concerns me a great deal as we do have to concentrate our environmental efforts where they are really needed. So places high amenities like
Lake Windermere then I think everyone would agree that tight limits are absolutely necessary and the water company involved are doing a fantastic job there
(I remember doing a project there years ago and its a beautiful sewage treatment works) but to apply this standard to everywhere would not only significantly
increase the cost to the customer but also increase the cost to the wider environment and of course to the local councils who would be forced to do all the
testing on water sources for bathing purposes. I remember years ago working at Public Analyst testing the water for Hampstead Heath and although the ponds
there were designated bathing waters it was a huge challenge for the local council to maintain it as such.
All of this comes down to priorities and where we can have the most impact for the level of investment. Its an area that the water companies are well used
to dealing with as there is so much that can be done in each investment period. The Smart Water Industry or Digital Transformation is a tool for helping the
water companies in their targets over the next few years and I’m sure that we are all in for interesting time. In the next few months however comes the talk
and the planning and I hope to see at least some of you over the next few months whether it is at CCWI next week, Sensing in Water at the end of the month
or at the various events over the next few month including October’s Flow event that is being hosted by Z-Tech and the Institute of Water. Also keep an eye
out for the WIPAC Webinars which will be starting in October or the various Smart Water Webinars which are being put together with myself and Wastewater
Education 501(c)3 in the run up to WWETT 2020.
Have a good month,
Oliver

IET and The Collaborative Alliance to Develop New Cybersecurity
Council within the UK’s National Cybersecurity Strategy
The Collaborative Alliance for Cybersecurity today confirmed its participation in the design and delivery of the new UK Cyber Security Council on behalf of the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The Alliance, with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) nominated as lead organisation,
was selected following a competitive grant competition by DCMS. The Alliance is a consortium of cyber security organisations that represent a substantial part
of the cyber security community in the UK. Its members include:
• (ISC)²
• BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
• Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISEC)
• CIPD
• CompTIA
• Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC)
• CREST
• Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS)
• Engineering Council
• Information Assurance Advisory Council (IAAC)
• The Institution of Analysts and Programmers (IAP)
• The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC)
• ISACA
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• Security Institute
• techUK
• The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT)
The Council will work in partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), be developed with broad representation and be tasked to support the
Government’sNationalCyberSecuritySkillsStrategybyprovidingrecognitionacrossthepracticingcommunity,whileenhancingstandardsandthoughtleadership
for the future. The aim is to have first programmes operational in 2021, with the development phase of the work serving to align relevant investments that are
currently being made by Alliance members, a consortium of 16 cyber security organisations that represent a substantial part of the cyber security community
in the UK.
“We welcome the announcement from DCMS to recognise IET as the lead organisation to build the UK Cyber Security Council. The Alliance is committed to
delivering the Council for the betterment of the wider industry. This announcement represents a concrete step in advancing the UK’s current leadership position
for technology innovation and resilience on the global stage. We are already building on strong foundations that come from the extensive experience available
from the stakeholder communities we represent and will continue to catalyse initiative across not just the practicing community, but also business and society
as a whole,” said Ian Glover, president of Alliance member CREST.
The Collaborative Alliance for Cybersecurity brings stakeholders together in the interest of advancing a healthy cybersecurity workforce for the UK, from
the development of professional recognition to the collaboration around acknowledged priorities to move this workforce forward. The Alliance was formally
established in July 2018 by independent, non-profit organisations, several of whom operate under a Royal Charter granted through the Privy Council, and some
of whom are able to grant chartered status within their discipline. The Alliance harnesses a broad perspective on professional priorities drawn from its members
involvement in academia, advocacy, certification, and professional development.
Page 4
Industry News

Unitywater set to splash into the data lake
Head of Technology and Digital Solutions Gavin Kelly has a grand vision to deliver something deceptively simple at the water and sewerage utility: a single source
of data truth that enables key decision-making and, in some scenarios, automates outcomes. This so-called “data lake”, perhaps better known as an intelligent
data platform, will extract rich data from multiple sources and then provide advanced analytics to drive actions and decisions that ultimately benefit Unitywater
and its customers.
“Prevention is better than cure,” Mr Kelly said. “It’s an old saying but it is so relevant to what utilities like ours can achieve with technology today. Having the
ability to leverage data to make informed decisions and enable outcomes empowers customers and our staff; and it’s immediate. For example, in an unexpected
event of a water outage, we could use this intelligent data platform to harness data on the assets impacted, the location of the outage and the number of
customers affected. Then we apply the right analytics over that combined data and click a button to send those customers an SMS or email notification instantly.
We can also dispatch crews to immediately resolve the water outage and update social media at the same time, in real time.”
“I envision a responsive and intelligent platform that offers things like pre-emptive alerts, trend analysis and live dashboards with drill-down capability to deliver
richer insights.”
Mr Kelly said Unitywater will be looking for an enterprise-wide solution that has the potential to deliver benefits to other areas of the organisation like billing
and finance, asset management, workforce planning and network maintenance scheduling.
“First, we need to document the outcomes we are expecting to be delivered, supported by business requirements, then we will go to market. We need to ensure
that the platform we choose is scalable, flexible and able to accommodate future growth. We currently have a lot of data. We need to assess the quality of that
data, identify what is relevant and make sure we’re using it wisely.”
Mr Kelly said Unitywater had laid the foundation for this digital transformation by recruiting enterprise and technical architects to the Technology and Digital
Solutions team to ensure the focus on current business needs remained as sharp as the focus on the future. This is further supported by Unitywater’s Business
Intelligence team which is already supporting multiple business areas with insights and reporting. The new platform will further build upon this existing capability.
“We are introducing new technology, but we need to work out how we are going to use it, as well as considering minimal or no impact to business operations,”
he said.
“How will it impact staff; how will it change their roles and what training will they need?
“Change is good, but it has to be managed well. That’s why we are making sure that every project has a change and communications plan that all stakeholders
agree on.
“If we don’t have that from the word go, our chances of success nosedive. You won’t deliver the outcomes because you won’t have the relevant stakeholders
engaged and on board.
“People are excited about new technologies generally, but that doesn’t mean everything will just work in a seamless transition – there’s a lot of uplift and skills
training required as well as potential changes to how the business operates.
“We have a lot of work and a lot of stakeholders impacted, so we have to manage that change carefully while we are putting the pieces together.”
As it has been building its internal capability in ICT, Unitywater has also taken a number of great technological leaps in the operational space, including:
• successful trials of a range of sensor technologies in the water and sewer networks to improve the detection of leaks, sewer odour and
changes in water pressure and wastewater quality
• centralising data from 16 sewage treatment plants into a single source that has transformed the Unitywater Control Room into a fully-
integrated remote operations centre
• using machine learning to predict the location of sewage overflows in extreme wet weather.
This financial year, the scene will be set for implementation of Unitywater’s Digital Neighbourhood program. In the coming 12 months Unitywater will prepare
for the installation of digital meters in parts of its service area while also scoping options for acoustic leak detection sensors and microbial water quality
monitoring technologies.
“Data can alert us to problems ahead of time,” Mr Kelly said. “Of course, the ideal situation is we don’t have any problems. The transition to an intelligent
network will enable us to do much more preventative rather than reactive maintenance. Within the next three to 10 years, we do want to start looking at other
things like self-healing networks, process automation, robotics, drones, Artificial Intelligence and more machine learning. However, we will plan and prioritise
these initiatives to address real problems rather than just doing it for the sake of doing something new. I think it’ll be big, but it will take time. I don’t think we’re
ready for that, but we can start exploring it with a light touch.”
“Imagine sensors in the network that notice when pressure builds past a certain point and then trigger a reactive set of automated tasks and actions to avoid a
problem before it happens. Imagine being able to respond three or four weeks in advance before a pipe bursts.”
“That’s where we need to get to and I think it’s amazing – but that’s the longer term in my view.
“Overall, I am looking for a positive experience that delivers value to our business and customers, as well as making it easier for our people to do their jobs. I’m
looking forward to what’s coming.”
Page 5

TelLab wins major EU grant for water quality sensor
T.E. Laboratories (TelLab), an Irish SME, has won European grant funding in excess of €1 million to enable the rapid commercialisation of what it describes as a
“disruptive, first-of-a-kind” water quality sensor for real-time monitoring of problematic nutrient pollutants in lakes, rivers, estuaries and coastal zones.
This is the second major EU grant the project has received in past year. In addition, the device is being trialled by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency as part of its Advanced Septic System Nitrogen Sensor Challenge. The Aquamonitrix environmental sensor was developed at TelLab’s in-house R&D
lab in County Carlow, Ireland. TelLab said it represents a world-first in combining high accuracy and low cost for remote, near-continuous monitoring of multi-
parameter nutrients in fresh, brackish and saltwater environments.
It allows regulators and emitters to remotely monitor water quality in real-time, providing an instantaneous alert to pollution breaches and enabling decision-
makers to take immediate interventional action. Mark Bowkett, the project coordinator and CEO of TelLab, said:
“The funding will allow recent outputs from in-company R&D activities to be exploited fully in global markets with the aim of achieving first-to-market advantage.”
The Aquamonitrix device responds to growing regulatory demands for higher frequency monitoring of nitrate/nitrite, phosphate and ammonia nutrients
emerging from wastewater treatment plants, industry, agriculture, fish farms and domestic septic tanks. Such pollutants are increasingly being targeted by
regulatory drivers in the US and Europe, as they feed microorganisms in water, accelerating their growth and potentially leading to toxic algae blooms, oxygen
deprivation for competing aquatic species, and health risks for humans. At present, the majority of monitoring is by “grab n’ lab” methods, which involve
physically filling sample bottles and returning them to the laboratory for testing. This means that results often only become available after several days.
Moreover, they merely provide a snapshot of conditions at the moment when the sample was taken, potentially missing episodic pollution events. TelLab
secured the European funding through a Horizon 2020 measure known as the SME Instrument. This is designed to help small- and medium-sized companies
to commercialise ground-breaking innovations, capable of disrupting or creating new markets worldwide. With support from another EU grant, won last year
through the LIFE programme, Aquamonitrix has been demonstrated in real-life environments in Finland, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand.
TelLab will use the commercialisation funding for final maturation and large-scale piloting of the prototype to ensure rapid market uptake. Enterprise Ireland,
the Irish agency responsible for helping companies grow in world markets, has worked with TelLab along its R&D journey, most recently by providing support to
help the company protect its intellectual property. Sean Burke, Horizon2020 national contact point for SMEs in Enterprise Ireland, said:
“Enterprise Ireland is delighted to see the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument being used by TelLab to commercialise an innovative new product for international
markets and to create high-quality jobs in a regional location.”
New tech delivers operational cost reductions for Affinity
A data technology designed to enhance existing telemetry and SCADA information systems has proved its worth during a two-year testing period with Affinity
Water. UK-based company datumpin specialises in the research, design, build and operation of data systems that optimise complex water treatment, distribution,
storage and disinfection equipment performance. Known as the eDM, the datumpin system uses embedded processors and proprietary software to capture and
format fast sample rate equipment information into small data packs designed for process scientists, asset managers, field service operators and performance
reporting to regulators. The data volume reduction achieved with the eDM eases the burden on telemetry communications while providing up to one second
sample rate data collection.
The new eDM data technology was resilience tested at Affinity Water’s Kings Walden 4MLD facility in Hertfordshire.
Over the two-year performance measurement programme, Affinity Water validated that the eDM and reactive technical support realised significant operational
cost reductions. Before the eDM programme, Affinity Water operators visited the Kings Walden plant weekly to investigate repetitive alarm shutdowns. Now,
the Kings Walden plant runs reliably with a single monthly preventative maintenance visit, while waste brine volume from the treatment process has reduced
by 50 per cent, output treated water volume increased by 48 per cent and overall operational cost savings exceed £40,000 annually compared to baseline
performance prior to the datumpin eDM installation. Richard Lake, business lead for production innovation at Affinity Water, said:
“The datumpin team took time to understand our unique requirements and brought deep expertise and knowledge to the entire process. The data technical
solution is comprehensive. It starts with characterisation of our current operation to set a baseline, critical to our asset management planning, then with data
driven prioritization we have together systematically eliminated recurring faults.”
“Most importantly, it does the job of meeting our water treatment cost reduction targets without the high costs of comparative systems we examined.”
Sean Finney, datumpin principal, added:
“The proprietary software breakthrough at the core of our eDM technology is the collation and transmission of high-volume information in exceptionally small
data packs. Our proprietary software dramatically increases the visibility of complex system sequencing to remote viewers, enabling real-time decision making
to identify and eliminate repeating faults and that’s where the cost savings start to multiply.”
The datumpin eDM system is also being used in the United States and Finney added: “We’ve worked diligently to understand the needs of water utilities and
communities fighting rising operational costs to deliver safe and wholesome water to their customers at an economic cost. We believe our technology has a key
role to play in addressing that problem.”
Page 6

Army Of Citizen Scientists Help Sample Hundreds Of Miles Of
Waterways
Researchers at the University of Hull have mobilised a team of citizen scientists to help monitor the quality of waterways across the UK. The scheme is part of a
€4.4m Europe-wide project led by the University of Hull which aims to discover more information about the presence and impact of harmful chemicals which are
found in our waterways. The project, called Sullied Sediments, looks at what are termed ‘watch list’ chemicals, which are those which have been identified by
the EU as potentially harmful and in need of careful monitoring. Some of these compounds can be found in everyday household products including toothpaste,
soaps and common drugs, putting waterways at risk.
Researchers are recruiting an army of volunteers to test the UK’s waterways, particularly in the Humber catchment.
The volunteers are being armed with paper analytical devices (PADs), developed by researchers at the University of Hull. These PADs are like ‘litmus paper’ for
pollutants, changing colour as they react with the compounds in the water. Accompanying the PADs is a mobile app that allows volunteers to records their results
and return them to the researchers. The first PAD device to be rolled out can be used to monitor phosphate levels in water samples. Phosphate is a nutrient
which ends up in the waterways and fertilises weed growth. It creates blankets of green weed across the waterways which block out the light and deoxygenate
the water which means that organisms cannot live underneath. Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Hull, said:
“Phosphates are very easy to identify and it’s really obvious how they affects rivers, so they are a good starting point. But we are also developing ways to monitor
‘watch list’ chemicals which are much harder to measure because they are often present in vanishingly small concentrations. For example, many medications
end up in your urine and from there pass into the waterways, or if they aren’t used people flush them down the toilet or throw them away where they end up
in landfill waste and then seep into the water system.”
Samantha Richardson, a PhD Chemistry student at the University of Hull developed the dip test device for phosphate. She said:
“People should care about their local waterways the same way they are caring about plastics in the oceans. You can see the effects the pollutants are having on
our local waterways and this is a really great way for people to be able to contribute and enable citizens to help measure these waterways and help contribute
to the science which will eventually help clean them up as well. We are using everything we have learned from the phosphate test to develop more devices
for these ‘watch list’ chemicals. The main difference is that for phosphate you can use chemistry which has already been developed. With a lot of these new
chemicals, the analytical methods for detecting them in a normal way is not there, so at the moment we’re trying to develop something similar, but it is more
complex and a lot more research needs to be done back in the lab.”
Volunteers are already sampling for phosphate in a number of areas including Selby, Doncaster, Leeds, and Pocklington.
They simply dip the provided paper device into the water for three minutes, photograph the pad, location, time and add the details to a mobile app which has
been specifically designed for this project. The data will then be analysed back at the University of Hull, where a map of the results is being built up.
Samantha continued : “The great thing about the PADs is that anybody can take them, dip them in the water and use the app developed to record results.
We are building up this fabulous picture of the phosphate levels in the waterways over seasons and into the future. Getting enough data is a big problem in
environmental science, so to have these volunteers go out there is really important to help us build up this map of evidence. It wouldn’t be possible to accomplish
what we are doing without the input and help of the volunteers.”
So far, volunteers have been trained from the Canal and River Trust’s Towpath Taskforce and Pocklington Canal Amenity Society. They regularly collect data from
the East Riding’s Pocklington Canal and from other sites in the Humber catchment including Leeds, Sheffield, Selby, Rotherham and Mexborough.
The team have also worked with young people who are part of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s ‘Tomorrow’s Natural Leaders’ programme and members of the
Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership.
There are plans to work with other groups who will be trained and able to take part in the sampling campaign over the summer and autumn.”
Page 7

Imagine H2O’s Urban Water Challenge 2019 Results
Imagine H2O and Founding Partners Bluewater and 11th Hour Racing have announced the 2019 finalists of the Urban Water Challenge, a global deployment
program for entrepreneurs re-imagining a water-resilient future. Over 220 startups from 38 countries applied to the Challenge representing a diverse range
of innovative solutions to the global water crisis - from on-site pollution control to off-grid safe drinking water supply. Imagine H2O’s Evaluation Committee
selected six businesses from five different countries to be honoured at World Water Week in Stockholm.
The Challenge’s Founding Partners committed $500,000 in cash awards and pilot funding to validate and scale the winning solutions with fast-growing urban
communities globally. Each finalist will showcase their solutions at World Water Week in Stockholm on August 25-30, 2019. Two winners from the cohort will
be announced during the Challenge’s Award Ceremony hosted by Bluewater and 11th Hour Racing on August 26 and will be eligible for additional pilot funding
awards.
“With a quarter of the world’s population of 7.7 billion wondering where their next drink of water is coming from, the planet already is coping with a water
crisis,” said Anders Jacobson, Bluewater President. “It will only get worse as the UN projects that global demand will exceed supply by 40 percent in 2030.
We are excited about the innovative solutions that have been developed by the finalists of our second annual Urban Water Challenge. This group of global
entrepreneurs shows what is possible for a water-secure future.”
Led by a panel of industry experts, the Challenge finalists were evaluated on the basis of commercial viability, market readiness and impact. “It was a privilege
to be part of the Evaluation Committee and I commend all the applicants for their tireless efforts to address water challenges around the world,” said Michelle
Carnevale, Grants Program Director, 11th Hour Racing. “We are thrilled to put a spotlight on the Challenge finalists and their innovative solutions to advancing
the UN Sustainable Goals as part of 11th Hour Racing’s commitment to the environment through innovation.”
Meet the Urban Water Challenge 2019 Finalists:
• Indra: deploying modular, decentralized industrial effluent and wastewater treatment systems in Mumbai.
• SmarterHomes: expanding a smart water metering solution to apartment buildings in water stressed communities in Namibia.
• StormSensor: providing real-time data and insights to US utilities, allowing them to better manage changing stormwater conditions.
• Upepo: integrating low cost measuring devices with Narrow-Band IoT to provide real time revenue and water loss management data to
Kenyan utilities.
• WatchTower Robotics: scaling an untethered robotic tool for high-accuracy mapping and early leak detection in water distribution networks
in Vietnam.
• Zilper Trenchless: deploying a trenchless technology in Colombia to install and replace water pipes without the need for excavation.
About Imagine H2O
Imagine H2O (IH2O) is a nonprofit organization that empowers people to develop and deploy innovation to solve water challenges globally. Since 2009, the
organization’s water innovation accelerator has helped over 100 startups with the resources, insight and visibility to launch and scale their businesses. In 2017
and 2018, IH2O portfolio companies received 30% of early-stage investment in the water sector. In 2019, IH2O launched its first hub outside the United States.
IH2O Asia will be a Singapore-based, regional accelerator program that bridges global innovation to cities and communities across Southeast Asia.
About the Founding Challenge Partners
11th Hour Racing establishes strategic partnerships within the sailing and maritime communities to promote collaborative, systemic change benefitting the
health of our ocean. Since 2010, 11th Hour Racing has been harnessing the power of sport with an innovative and comprehensive approach through three
primary areas of engagement: sponsorships, grantees, and ambassadors. Bluewater is a world leader in innovating, manufacturing, and commercializing
water purification technologies and solutions for residential, business and public use that harness the company’s patented second-generation reverse osmosis
technology to remove virtually all pollutants from water, including micro plastic fibres, lead, bacteria, pesticides, medical residues, chlorine, and lime-scale.
Bluewater is wholly owned by Blue, a Stockholm-based global investment company that serves as a catalyst for innovations that can solve some of the major
challenges facing our planet and all living on it.
Page 8

Ammonia removal is a key metric for assessing wastewater treatment facility performance. This is because ammonia contributes to aquatic life toxicity.
Furthermore, nitrogen, along with phosphorus, is a driver of receiving water eutrophication. Eutrophication, which simply is an over-enrichment of nutrients,
can be detrimental to environmental and public health. It can result in harmful algae blooms, dissolved oxygen depletion, fish kills, and other damaging impacts.
Ammonia can be biologically removed from wastewater by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) that convert ammonia to nitrite. This is the first
step of nitrification; the second step involves the biological oxidation of nitrite to nitrate. Typical AOB and AOA are relatively slow-growing, aerobic, autotrophic
organisms.
Ammonia oxidation is particularly susceptible to upsets resulting in the loss of nitrification. This can be caused by influent toxicity, seasonal changes such as
decreased temperature and process changes such as decreased dissolved oxygen. Historically nitrification monitoring has been limited to measuring process
parameters (DO, ORP, temperature, MLSS, SRT) and/or nitrogen species (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, Kjeldahl nitrogen). These all tend to be lagging indicators of
nitrification loss.
Modern microbiological tools allow operators and engineers to gain further insight into the process conditions that drive favourable process conditions for
optimal nitrification rates.
These tools include:
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
ATP can be used to measure the quantity of active biomass in a sample. It does not require culturing and therefore can be measured rapidly (<5 minutes) in the
field or in a laboratory. Within a nitrification monitoring plan, ATP can be used to quantify bioreactor health and identify toxicity events.
qPCR
qPCR is a DNA-based tool that quantifies specific organisms or groups of organisms, such as AOA and AOB. qPCR results are generally expressed as cells/sample
quantity (ie. mL), copies/ sample quantity or genomic units/ sample quantity. Traditionally this methodology was done by microbiologists in specialized labs,
however recent developments have allowed this technology to be transferred to smaller, in-field units that can be used with pre-dispensed reagents with
minimal experience in under 2 hours.
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)
NGS techniques, such as 16S rRNA sequencing, have been increasingly used in a wide range of applications. Within wastewater treatment facilities, NGS can
be used to identify and quantify various beneficial and inhibitory organisms. Understanding which organisms are present can help uncover the underlying
ammonia-removal mechanisms (nitrification, comammox, anammox) and highlight the impact process changes have on community structure and function. For
instance, different organisms may dominate the nitrifying community under different SRT. Understanding the relationship between community composition,
SRT and nitrification rate can help to proactively optimize treatment operations. This method is still largely done within specialized labs; however, the price has
decreased dramatically allowing it to be more economically accessible.
These new tools are also challenging some of the preconceived notions of how treatment facilities should be operated to achieve nitrification
Using ATP And DNA In A Wastewater Nitrification Monitoring
Plan
Call for Interest for UKWIR project on Asset Health Indicators
United Kingdom Water Industry Research (UKWIR) have released a Call for the Expression of Interest for a project on Asset Health Indicators. This project
supporting UKWIR’s Big Question “What is the true cost of maintaining assets and how do we get this better reflected in the regulatory decision making process’
is open for Expression of Interest.
In the Initial Asset of Plans (IAP) for PR19, Ofwat have set a common action for the sector:
‘The company should also provide a commitment to work with the sector to develop robust forward looking asset health metrics and provide greater transparency
of how its asset health indicators influence its operational decision making’.
Ofwat’s recent horizontal audit of common measures demonstrated that even for long standing measures different companies approach their capture and
collations of data differently, leading to inconsistencies. This projects seeks to address both these issues with the primary objective being to develop a suite of
measures that can be used by the industry against a standard method measurement.
At the same time UKWIR also released a project, again addressing one of their “Big Questions” about Quantifying & Reducing Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions
from Treatment Processes. to help inform the strategic programme of research of: ‘How do we become carbon neutral by 2050?’. To achieve this, a better
understanding of the greenhouse gas emissions that are specific to the industry’s treatment and disposal processes must be developed. This project will enable
the industry to develop a better scientific basis to quantify the process emissions which result from the way that they treat water and wastewater and dispose
of treatment products.
Any interested parties should log in to the website and visit this page to express their interest. Expressions of Interest will be open from 12th August to 8th
September.
Page 9

UK one of first countries in Europe to receive Google Flood Alerts
The UK has become one of the first countries in Europe where people will be able to receive flood alerts on their computer, phone or personal device through
the Google Public Alerts map. Residents at Whaley Bridge were just one of the communities that was able to access the Environment Agency’s flood warnings
through Google for the first time this month. Flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency will now appear on Google Search and the Google Public Alerts
map with live alerts becoming visible on personal devices in a matter of seconds once they have been issued.
Announcing the launch of the new service, the Environment Agency said:
“This is another important step to help lower the number of people who are affected by the devastating consequences of flooding through early warnings and
advice messaging.”
The Environment Agency has been working closely with Google for two years to design and implement the service in England.
Malte Will from the Social Impact Partnerships team at Google commented:
“We are very excited about the collaboration with the UK Environment Agency that will enable users to find authoritative information on severe weather
conditions in real time.”
The service has already been rolled out in the USA, South America and parts of Asia to alert residents to environmental emergencies such as earthquakes,
wildfires and extreme temperatures. The service has recently also gone live in Germany, where Google has collaborated with the German Met Office (DWD).
The Environment Agency already sends flood warnings and alerts to over 1.4 million properties in England which have signed up to a text, email and automated
phone call service. The environmental regulator said Google Public Alerts will give even greater access and visibility to the key public warning service through
tens of millions of personal devices.
John Curtin, Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency said:
“This pioneering service will ensure that our live flood warnings and safety advice reaches even more people when it is most needed, giving UK residents access
to the first service of this kind in Europe.
“We are always looking to find innovative ways to give people advance warning of potential flood risk so they can take action to keep themselves and their
property safe. We will continue to work closely with Google to explore ways in which we can further develop this fundamental public warning service.”
GES2019 highlights the availability of real time data will
revolutionize the global water sector
At the GES2019 summit highlighted that in the topic of water there are a number of opportunities for the global water industry. The summit made clear that
digitalisation has its own dynamics. It does not necessarily reflect the technology needs of those dealing with today’s water problems of too much, too little or
too polluted water.
Top 3 of technology needs
At the third and final water session, Danish senior researcher Sara Traerup of UNEP DTU Partnership highlighted some of the outcomes of the report “Climate
change adaptation technologies for water (2017)”. The report is based on an inventory held in 70 developing countries on technology needs to counter their
water problems.
Prioritising the national needs a top 3 clearly emerged. Not surprisingly the most urgently needed technology is to harvest and store water. The second need is
technology related to monitoring and modelling of water, such as leakage detection and smart water metering.
Third on the list is the need for water management. This need is less technology oriented and therefore has been classified by the report as ‘orgaware’, next to
hardware and software.
Detailed real-time water data
Next speaker was Nadine Slootjes who is the Department Head Operational Water Management and Early Warning at Deltares. She followed the dynamics of
the global digitisation and explained that her research institute is developing very detailed global real-time hydrological models for ground water, water quality
and storm water. ´These models will make it possible to predict the impact of climate change on a global scale. But at the same time they are so detailed that
we can zoom in to the level of your backyard.´
According to Slootjes modelling on such detailed scale allows everyone to be informed everywhere, at any time, on real time water-related data by using a smart
phone.
The advantages are clear, Slootjes said: ‘We can predict upcoming droughts and floods and, linked to possible interventions, it allows all affected parties to
decide on the best response’. ‘We can already predict where droughts will occur 10 days in advance’, she said, allowing people in the threatened areas to store
more water. Or in a case of a flood prediction, there is enough time to install a mobile flood barrier.
‘We cannot develop these detailed models on our own’, Slootjes said and called for entrepreneurs to step in with new ideas and potential business cases.
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Mainstream Measurements move to new premises as they seek to
expand
Mainstream Measurements, a company specialising in area-velocity flow measurement,
has opened its new headquarters on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales this month in an
expansion of their business.
Mainstream Measurements, a growing stable company providing ultrasonic flowmeters
to customers worldwide, has recently purchased premises in Steeton-with-Eastburn,
West Yorkshire. This major development is as a result of the company’s continued growth
and will allow for expansion of its emergent research and development function.
The R & D team are planning to increase the versatility of Mainstreams product range by
broadening the communications capabilities of the products, harnessing wireless
technologies and embedding Mainstream’s time-tested sensor solution into the growing
world of smart technology. Research is also being directed into streamlining the very
core of their product line. The ultrasonic probe that, for years, has represented a stable
platform around which the Mainstream product line is centred, will also soon undergo a
major evolutionary change.
Founded in 1986, the company originally known as Croma Developments was developed as a vehicle for transferring academic research results into commercial
applications. The company is now concerned with research, development and design of instrumentation with a heavy emphasis on embedded micro-processors.
The Mainstream product range is noted for high performance, reliability and is cost competitive. Mainstream flowmeters feature a self-monitoring capability
which simplifies installation and reduces maintenance by detecting any variation in performance.
Mainstream’s flowmeters are exported worldwide including Europe; Middle East; Far East including South Korea; Japan; Philippines and Australia; Africa and
North and South America. Mainstream has always sought to expand and develop the company in order that they may provide local job opportunities. Situated
on the edge of the picturesque Yorkshire Dales National Park they have the privilege of being able to source and use local business expertise; have easy access
to the motorway networks whilst working in the most tranquil and peaceful surroundings.
New contract helps protect water resources in England
The Environment Agency has awarded a 4-year contract to Meteor
Communications for the provision of telemetry systems, services and
MeteorCloud data hosting for water quality monitoring systems located in
English rivers and bathing waters.
The contract was awarded on 7th June 2019 and ensures continuity of
data from around 250 real-time water quality monitoring outstations.
Monitoring Services Team Leader of the Agency’s National Laboratory
Service, Frances Houston said: “We are now working with Meteor
Communications to establish a highly effective and flexible monitoring
capability that enables us to deploy real-time, remote water quality
monitoring stations at almost any location. We now have the tools to
better understand the dynamics of our water environment and provide
our scientists with a rapidly deployable monitoring capability with which
to detect a wide range of inputs to our rivers and streams.
“The kiosk systems are generally employed for longer term catchment
scale monitoring whereas portable ‘suitcase’ systems enable the Agency
to provide agile short term investigation and pollution response at a
moment’s notice.”
All of the systems utilise 3G/GPRS roaming communications; providing 24/7 web-based access to high resolution water quality data. This provides the Agency
with timely, cost effective and meaningful evidence helping to focus resources where they are most needed.
The outstations covered by the contract are ESNET (Environmental Sensor NETwork) modular monitoring systems, developed by Meteor Communications.
The company’s portable and kiosk-based water quality monitoring systems employ multi-parameter sondes that can either be deployed directly in the water
or installed in a specially designed chamber through which extracted water is pumped. Typical systems measure ammonium, pH, conductivity, temperature,
dissolved oxygen and turbidity, with options for several other parameters including chlorophyll, and nitrate. Sondes are exchanged on a monthly basis and
returned to the NLSi laboratory where they are serviced and calibrated before redeployment.
Expressing his delight with the award, Matt Dibbs, Meteor’s Managing Director, said: “Through continued development of our ESNET modular monitoring
platformweareabletomeettheAgency’sneedforrobust,reliablereal-timedatacollectionfromanylocation.Thisgivesustheabilitytomeettherequirements
of anyone wishing to monitor water quality in rivers, wastewater effluent, lakes, reservoirs and bathing waters.”
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Feature Article:
What is Artificial Intelligence and
how can water planning &
management benefit from it?
Lately, it appears that our society has become fixated on the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with opinions often ranging from one extreme to the other
– either how AI could solve a range of current and future world problems, or how it could potentially be very dangerous to humankind. But do we really
understand what AI is, how it relates to human intelligence and how/where it most likely could be deployed by the hydro-environment community for the
betterment of the environment and advancement of society? This white paper addresses some of these questions and provides a brief introduction to the topic
of AI and Machine Learning, together with some example applications in water management practice.
Human Intelligence vs. Artifical Intelligence
The key characteristics of human intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, or it involves intelligent thinking. The question then is whether machines
can be made to carry out intelligent thinking similar to humans. Although nowadays Artificial Intelligence techniques have advanced to the point that, for
example, they can beat one of the world’s strongest players in the game Go1
, outperform medical professionals in diagnosing deadly diseases2
or make self-
driving cars possible; the general AI goal of thinking machines still seems a long way away. If that is the case, what are the basics of AI, what can it do and how
can water professionals take benefit from it?
AI Basics
If we accept that the key objective of AI technologies is to enable learning (from data), e.g., to develop a model to detect a disease in patients, to recommend
products to buyers on an online shopping site, or to predict whether an applicant will be able to repay a loan to a bank; in water management, that would
equate to, for example, being able to predict the risk of flooding beyond an acceptable socio-economic threshold, to forecast demand in a water distribution
system, or to estimate sediment transport rates in a river. The key point here is that AI can be considered a way of creating useful models or methods to perform
a complex task normally carried
out by humans.
Another important feature of AI is that when creating a model, it normally uses an algorithm. However, AI models largely employ the so-called “black-box”
metaphor, which implies that an AI-created model doesn’t allow easy scrutiny of its internal workings. For some people, this represents a major hurdle in
applying AI techniques to realworld problems. The other important feature of AI is that the process of creating a model is often automated, i.e., the user does
not need to assume the form of the model, thus it is commonly referred to as machine learning (ML).
Machine Learning
Although there are many definitions of Machine Learning, I prefer a simple one. For example, ML can be defined as a group of algorithms that can create a
model based on data with the goal of making predictions or taking actions to optimise a system. Let us describe this in simple terms by considering an analogy
with well-known linear regression. If we wanted to predict house prices in an area based on the historical data of the sale price and the living area (square
meters) of the houses, we would start by collecting the data of previous house sales. Once we plot the data points of the sale price against the living area and
assuming the relationship appears to be linear (the simplest case), it is then very easy to calculate the regression line through the data points. Congratulations,
you have just performed a simple ML exercise! We have used an algorithm (e.g., least squares) to ‘learn’, or in an AI/ML speak to train a model, which is in the
form of a regression equation. The model can then be used to predict a sale price for a house that wasn’t in our historical data set. These basic steps are also
performed by ML algorithms when creating models for much more complex processes. The difference is that normally for ML to learn a relationship based on
a data set, the type of relationship (e.g., linear or non-linear) need not be known to the user in advance.
Based on the type of processes to be modelled and data sets available, there is a large number of ML algorithms available that can be used to develop a model.
The most well-known methods are artificial neural networks (ANN), which use a biological metaphor to mimic the connectivity and functioning of a human
brain (like the neurons in real brains and the way they ‘chatter’ via electro-chemical processes) while predicting an outcome based on a number of inputs.
Apart from prediction, ML algorithms can also be used for classification tasks where instead of predicting a numerical (or continuous) value they predict a
categorical label (or a discrete value). A form of ANN that is experiencing fast-growing popularity in classification is the so-called deep learning, which uses
ANN to perform learning tasks directly from images (e.g., image classification), text (e.g., for natural language processing) or sound (e.g., speech recognition).
An example of a classification application would be when diagnosing patients based on a large number of scan images (big data) and dividing them into two
groups; those with and those without the disease. Mobile phone virtual assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri, are examples of the
AI technology that understands natural language voice commands and completes tasks for a user.
Big Data
The rate at which we generate extremely large datasets every day (in terms of volume, variety, and velocity or the “3 Vs of big data”), is staggering due to the
growth of the mobile telephony, the Internet of Things (IoT) and satellite earth observation technology, to name but a few of the sources. That means that
the total amount of data is expected to reach 44 zettabytes (or 1021 bytes) by 2020, or in other words, that the volume of data will likely exceed 40 times the
number of stars in the observable universe3
. Therefore, so-called “big data analytics” will be another area where ML can be employed with the potential to
Page 12

change our lives. However, so far big data analytics has found little application in hydro-environmental research and practice. The main reason for this is that
due to the associated costs we do not normally collect big data from our water systems. That is slowly changing with the integration of data coming from various
other sources (e.g., remote sensing, IoT, citizen science). An example of the potential application of big data analytics to precipitation estimation
envisages data fusion from remote sensing, weather radar, rain gauge and numerical weather modelling, which could be used to generate better estimate than
those from single sources (Chen and Han, 2016).
Evolutionary Computing
Another form of AI algorithms which are of interest to hydro-environmental practitioners, the so-called evolutionary computing, has drawn inspiration from
biological evolution. These algorithms perform a different type of AI learning enabling machines to make autonomous decisions, adapt to a changing environment
or find non-obvious solutions to complex and ‘wicked’ problems. The most common form of evolutionary computing is a genetic algorithm, which like a ‘mad
scientist’ creates a huge number of potential decisions (a population of solutions) that are then changed by a sequence of DNAlike operations (mutation and
crossover). Finally, by using a preferential selection of better-performing candidates (akin to natural selection), the algorithm arrives at the best solution, e.g.,
the best design of a water distribution system or the best calibrated rainfall-runoff model, out of a large number of potential solutions. This type of AI technology
performs these operations at super-high speed, enabling trillions of solutions to be tested, such that they can solve problems previously intractable using
classical optimisation (operations research) tools. As an example, NASA used a genetic algorithm to design a new space antenna, which had to meet a large
set of difficult requirements. The outcome was the evolved antenna that in comparison with those developed with traditional design techniques, had several
advantages with respect to power consumption, fabrication time, complexity and performance (Hornby et al., 2006).
AI In Hydro-Environment Research and Practice
Hydro-environment research and practice has already benefited from the application of
AI techniques (Solomatine and Ostfeld, 2008; Nicklow et al., 2009; Maier et al., 2014).
The figure below shows the increasing trend in the number of publications found
when searching the Web of Science4
using keywords “Machine Learning” or “Genetic
Algorithm” with “Water”. Initial applications of ML techniques have been centred
around using a single algorithm (most often an ANN) in modelling complex physical
processes, i.e., rainfall-runoff transformation (Minns and Hall, 1996). More recently, a
survey of ML methods for flood prediction indicated a trend of moving to ensemble
methods and hybridized approaches where two or more ML techniques are used to
predict the output variable (Mosavi et al., 2018). Widespread sensor deployment and
availability of remote sensing data also offer new opportunities to hydro-environment
practitioners. They can help identify better model parameters, integrate ML with
traditional mechanistic (physics-based) models (Vojinovic et al., 2013) or even replace
them when high speed of model execution is required (Sayers et al., 2019). The use of
deep learning methods in hydro-environmental practice is in a relatively early stage
of development, however, the greater availability of data (and particularly big data
through remote sensing) provides further opportunities for these type of AI methods
(Shen, 2018).
The idea of ‘opening’ the black-box models is appealing to hydro-environment practitioners, such that attempts have been made to apply or even develop
new ML techniques that produce understandable models that can be subject to expert scrutiny (Babovic and Abbott, 1997). An example of such a work is the
evolutionary polynomial regression method (Giustolisi and Savic, 2006), which, for example, was used to produce interpretable equations linking various pipe
and environmental attributes (e.g., age, material, diameter) to the pipe condition (e.g., the number of pipe failures).
The use of genetic algorithms and other forms of evolutionary computing in hydroscience has been well documented. Needless to say, these super-charged
optimisation algorithms have found application in various fields, from the design or rehabilitation planning of urban water infrastructure to optimal reservoir
system operation to calibration of water quality models (Nicklow et al., 2009; Maier et al., 2014). The water infrastructure software providers have also included
variants of evolutionary algorithms in their own offering to clients, thus bringing powerful optimisation capabilities closer to practice.
Instead of Conclusions
Although we are still a long way away from intelligent machines exhibiting human-like intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are beginning
to find application in the water management world, opening a wealth of opportunities and benefits for water management practitioners. For example, AI/ML
tools are already being successfully deployed to locate leaks in real water distribution networks, predict domestic and agricultural water demand or to manage
energy consumption in a water system. In addition to providing opportunities, proliferation of various data collection systems (sensors and instrumentation),
data storage technologies, local and cloud-based computing networks, and data visualisation environments including virtual/augmented reality, together with
new AI/ML technologies, they present also some of the greatest challenges for the hydro-environment community.
To truly meet new and ongoing challenges, we need more skilled individuals trained in AI to address the issues and realise the potential benefits of the ‘digital’
technologies, including AI/ML. Data science professionals trained only in AI/ML cannot lead the process of successfully applying those technologies to water
management problems, since they do not fully understand the complexity of the water sector and its challenges. Bringing about an AI-enabled water future
involves high-end, leading-edge technologies that require a new type of professional trained in both water and AI/ML sciences – Hydroinformaticians! The
Page 13

discipline of Hydroinformatics involves a continuous process of developing and using water data, models and tools to understand our environment, engage all
stakeholders, and support decisions that lead to a more sustainable environment. Only with such a group of professionals, who are able to work at the interface
of AI/ML, hydro-environment science and engineering, can the full benefits of the Artificial Intelligence in the hydroenvironmental practice be achieved and
the risks effectively managed.
References
[1] Babovic, V., & Abbott, M. B. (1997). The evolution of equations from hydraulic data Part I: Theory. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 35(3), 397-410.
[2] Berardi, L., Giustolisi, O., Kapelan, Z., & Savic, D. A. (2008). Development of pipe deterioration models for water distribution systems using EPR. Journal of
Hydroinformatics, 10(2), 113-126.
[3] Chen, Y., & Han, D. (2016). Big data and hydroinformatics. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 18(4), 599-614.
[4] Giustolisi, O., & Savic, D. A. (2006). A symbolic datadriven technique based on evolutionary polynomial regression. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 8(3), 207-222.
[5] Hornby, G., Globus, A., Linden, D. and Lohn, J. (2006). “Automated antenna design with evolutionary algorithms”, in: Proceedings of 2006 American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics Conference on Space, San Jose, CA, 2006, pp. 19–21.
[6] Maier, H.R., Kapelan, Z., Kasprzyk, J., Kollat, J., Matott, L.S., Cunha, M.C., Dandy, G.C., Gibbs, M.S., Keedwell, E., Marchi, A., Ostfeld, A., Savic, D., Solomatine,
D.P., Vrugt, J.A., Zecchina, A.C., Minsker, B.S., Barbour, E.J.,Kuczera, G., Pasha, F., Castelletti, A., Giuliani, M. and Reed, P.M. (2014). Evolutionary algorithms and
other metaheuristics in water resources: Current status, research challenges and future directions. Environmental Modelling & Software, 62, 271-299.
[7] Minns, A. W., & Hall, M. J. (1996). Artificial neural networks as rainfall-runoff models. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 41(3), 399-417.
[8] Mosavi, A., Ozturk, P., & Chau, K. W. (2018). Flood prediction using machine learning models: Literature review. Water, 10(11), 1536.
[9] Nicklow, J., Reed, P., Savic, D., Dessalegne, T., Harrell, L., Chan-Hilton, A., Karamouz, M., Minsker, B., Ostfeld, A., Singh, A. and Zechman, E. (2009). State of the
art for genetic algorithms and beyond in water resources planning and management. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 136(4), 412-432.
[10] Sayers, W., Savic, D., & Kapelan, Z. (2019). Performance of LEMMO with artificial neural networks for water systems optimisation. Urban Water Journal,
1-12.
[11] Shen, C. (2018). A transdisciplinary review of deep learning research and its relevance for water resources scientists. Water Resources Research, 54(11),
8558-8593.
[12] Solomatine, D. P., & Ostfeld, A. (2008). Data-driven modelling: some past experiences and new approaches. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 10(1), 3-22.
[13] Vojinovic, Z., Abebe, Y.A., Ranasinghe, R., Vacher, A., Martens, P., Mandl, D.J., Frye, S.W., Van Ettinger, E. and De Zeeuw, R. (2013). A machine learning
approach for estimation of shallow water depths from optical satellite images and sonar measurements. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 15(4), 1408-1424.
About the Author
Professor Dragan Savic FREng is the CEO of KWR Water Research Institute, the Dutch drinking water companies’ collective
research organisation. He is also the UK’s first Professor of Hydroinformatics, having held this position at the University of
Exeter since 2001. His research interests cover the interdisciplinary field of Hydroinformatics, which transcends traditional
boundaries of water/environmental science and engineering, informatics/computer science (including Artificial Intelligence,
data mining and optimisation techniques) and environmental engineering.
Professor Savic has served as both the Chair of the IAHR/IWA Joint Committee on Hydroinformatics and as the Editor-in-Chief
of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
About the Article
This White Paper was reprinted by kind permission of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), which was founded
in 1935, as a non-profit, global, independent members-based organisation of engineers and water specialists working in fields related to the hydro-environmental
sciences and their practical application. Activities range from river and maritime hydraulics to water resources development and eco-hydraulics, through to ice
engineering, hydro-informatics, flood risk management and continuing education and training.
IAHR stimulates and promotes both research and its application, and by so doing contributes to sustainable development, the optimisation of world water
resources management and industrial flow processes. IAHR accomplishes its goals by a wide variety of member activities including: working groups, congresses,
specialty conferences, workshops and short courses; Journals, Monographs and Proceedings.
This White Paper was supported by Suez and IDP. The original copy of the White Paper is available on the IAHR website at the following link which can be reached
by clicking here
Page 14

Article:
Applications, Applications,
Applications
The Water Industry is in the midst of a revolution in terms of the ways that it interacts with the
technology that it uses, this is of course what we are calling the “Smart Water Industry” or “Digital
Transformation”. As we all know there are a variety of different layers to this from the physical
infrastructure on the ground to the visualisation and analytics that go on at Levels 4 & 5. As part
of this there has been an explosion in the number of ways that the industry can interact with its
technology and do things on the move. Doing things on the move is one of the ways that the industry
is used to as it has tradtionally used laptops. touchbooks and more recently toughpads to enable the
job to get done more efficiently through the use of technology.
Themoremodernwayofinteractionisofcourseviathemobile telephoneandtheuseofapplications,
the majority of this has been done by the bigger instrumentation & automation companies within the
industry to enable and facilitate the Instrumentation & Control layer of the (Smart) Water Industry.
Figure 1 shows an extract from my own mobile telephone. It is by no means a comprehensive list of
applications that are available as I’d need a much larger telephone to store them all but is a list of
the regular applications that I use plus some that I am looking into and playing around with at the
moment but it does go to show that there is wide range of support for those that are working in the
field.
This are the just the supplier-led applications but now the Water Companies themselves are
developing applications to inform the way the industry works and operates. One of the developments
to “digitise” the water industry is through the use of applications. At the Leading Edge Technology
Conference in June this year attendee’s heard Scottish Water’s Digital Director talk about Application
Development and things being developed in as little as 12 weeks. It is an approach that has also been
taken by other companies such as Severn Trent Water who have actively developed an application
for pumping stations.
So, what is actually being developed and how is it helping the Water Industry?
The vast majority of applications that are being developed by the supply chain within the Water Industry is all to do with product support and there are fantastic
applications that are product specific but use standard mobile phone protocols to make working in the field and sharing the data much simpler. The very basics
of this are being able to get hold of product manuals. These have always been held in site handover documents and it is a common to see across the industry,
especially on large sites, folders of manuals , drawings and everything in between. Its a practice that is hopefully dying out as the sheer waste of paper is not
something that we as an Environmental Industry should be doing and in fact there is no longer a need to do so. Much simpler is to use a mobile phone, a QR
code and an application to pull the specific manual from the instrumentation companies database.
This is a quick-win in the applications world but there is a lot more to offer. One of the more categories of
instrumentation support is the programming of instruments and collection of data from these instruments.
These ranges of applications are very useful from the operational side of the business but comes with potential
problems and risks. The first is how to connect a mobile phone to an instrument and whether to do this from a
wired perspective using a physical cable or to use some sort of wireless connection like Bluetooth which
makes things simpler from an instrumentation perspective but more complicated when developing an
application. The second concern is security, most modern phones have relatively high security connected
with them which is supplemented at an instrument level by using a second layer of security such as an
instrument level pin code. However what if a mobile phone has been infected by a virus. Our phones
are basic digital storage devices and although we don’t particularly think of them as being able to hold
a digital security risk then can and it is the job of internal cyber security specialists within the water
companies to think of this as plugging a mobile phone into an instrument is the same as plugging a flash
drive. Equally, where I say an instrument at this level of application it could quite easily be a variable
speed drive even a data logger.
The next category of application development takes the level of instrumentation and brings it into
a whole new world of both instrumentation management and above this its uses the data from the
instrumentationtoprovidevalueintheformofinventorymanagementofsayaresourcesuchaschemicals
(common in a wide range of industries) or even wastewater sludge which can inform a company of the
situation of what is happening on an operational basis. This is getting to the point where there needs to
be an interaction in the development between the water company itself and the supply chain as if these applications are going to be as useful as they can be
then they do need to be integrated with corporate systems such as SAP where chemicals can be ordered or sludge collected based upon purchase orders for
chemical companies or even work orders for a sludge tanker to come and do a pickup on a particular site or selection of sites.
Within this category is the asset management of the instrumentation itself and this is an asset that is absolutely vital especially when it comes to working with a
company itself. The asset management of everything including instrumentation is a vital part of the asset management but especially includes instrumentation.
This is vital to the correct operation and instrumentation management which is part of the “process” part of the technology triangle which implements technology
with people and process. However, there is the potential for an operational assistance in this area too by displaying local readings for all instruments on site.
So what does this look like and what can be done?
Figure 1: A selection of applications from my own mobile phone
Page 15

• Instrumentation Asset Management
• Instrument Health Checking
• Instrument Maintenance Management
• Local Instrumentation Display Visualisation.
The first category is a massive help in managing the instrumentation asset base and connects to the maintenance management. Insofar as when staff or
contractors visit a site the instrumentation asset management is automatically happening. This can link to instrument health checking but this aspect can be
remote from an application too. It is at this point that in reality either the Water Company needs to communicate with the supply chain or needs to develop
the applications for the applications that they need themselves. This is because the connection to the corporate system starts to become a necessity rather
than a nice to have. Controlling instruments settings locally is possible and it can just be done locally but ideally will connect to a centralised corporate system.
However when its comes to asset management of an instrument and raising work orders and potentially purchase orders then levels of financial approval are a
requirement. For this to happen a tie into a financial system such as SAP which includes an aspect of asset information is essential.
Interestingly Water Companies are starting to develop their own applications and their our uses in the people, processes and technology instrumentation triangle
that make the use a mobile phone application the best option including job management, health & safety reporting, incident reporting and the likes. Imagine
a system where a survey for a site is entirely conducted on a mobile phone using tools that are connected to it via Bluetooth or using manual measurements.
Discussion
The use of applications and mobile phone technology within the water industry have a huge potential to assist in the way the industry operates. Up until now
this has been mainly driven by the supply chain with relatively few applications delivered by the water companies themselves. This is however changing and
as the water industry works to digitally transform the potential for the use of applications is much higher. This is not necessarily just in terms of a technological
development but is also there to assist both people and processes.
There are however risks to this especially in terms of cyber security but also in terms of what the applications are designed to do as they do need to be relevant
applications to the applications that are needed. There is a limit though to what an application can do and at some point a laptop is needed to work with
elements of instrumentation and control systems and the application is one tool in a broad range of tools available.
Tapping Into A Smart Utility Network To Uphold Water Quality
For municipal water systems, the endless demand to maintain water quality can be challenging. Anytime the quality or pressure drops far enough to necessitate
a boil notice, the costs to inform residents and get the problem under control can be extensive. Boil orders can also create a public relations nightmare. This
can include everything from residential ratepayers losing trust in the system, to the inconvenience and economic impact of the disruption on commercial
and institutional establishments, such as restaurants and medical facilities. Gaining visibility to the variables that alert operators to problems in the water
distribution system is critical. Having access to more data, through smarter and more distributed monitoring, allows water managers to limit quality issues,
including problems that lead to boil orders. Until recently, however, the technology to perform remote monitoring was either too expensive or AC-powered,
so its reach was limited in most systems to larger, fixed assets. Newer solutions provide a cost-effective way to build an entire smart utility network — going
well beyond advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) — that helps operators monitor parameters in areas never before monitored so that they can proactively
maintain water quality. And with battery technology that can now power radios and sensors for more than a decade, the water industry’s ability to gain these
insights has expanded tremendously.
Addressing water quality problems is always a priority for municipalities, but due to the lack of timely and geographically extensive data, most utilities have
historically been placed in a reactive position. It’s common for water utilities to become aware of distribution system problems only because customers call to
complain about pressure, colour, or taste. Water quality issues – such as disinfection by-products, nitrification, or the lack of chlorine residual – are often related
to an increase in water temperature. Other distribution system issues – such as a main break or pump failure – cause anomalies in system pressure. And when
the pressure drops below a certain level, utilities are often obligated by regulations to issue boil notices in addition to fixing the cause of the problem. The new
solutions allow water managers to be proactive by monitoring and analysing relevant information before the problems hit the taps of consumers. For example,
a sensor gateway can be placed at strategic points and outfitted with a variety of sensors, such as pressure, pH, and chlorine residual. These gateways are often
battery powered and operate on their own communication network. This technology can also be applied for insight into source water, which increasingly has
issues such as nutrient loading and algae growth. In addition to sensor gateways, smart residential water meters are now available that incorporate pressure and
temperature sensors and help build out the new smart utility network. Both measurements — in a meter at the customer’s property line — can provide insights
never seen before in near-real time. This information can help identify conditions, such as declining pressure or increasing water temperature, and empower
an operator to act before there is an impact on water quality. The alternative to building a smart utility network is to install more expensive monitoring stations
or take more frequent non-compliance samples in the field and send them to a laboratory. The newer solutions don’t mitigate physically taking field samples
entirely, as states still require grab samples at certain intervals, but it does allow utilities to proactively monitor conditions at even the most remote conditions.
Finally, the information collected through the smart solutions can offer additional value by providing a rich data source for incorporating into hydraulic modelling.
With more data, fewer assumptions are needed to simulate the dynamics of the distribution system. So, whether it is for enhancing operations or for helping
them better plan their capital investments, the smart utility network provides tremendous value to municipalities.
For years, water quality monitoring has been limited to sensors and analysers at a limited number of fixed assets, such as booster pump stations or storage
tanks. In addition, water quality monitoring has been dependent on time-consuming grab samples or has been performed by default by customers calling in
complaints. At the same time, many people have traditionally considered AMI as a solution for just metering and collecting revenue. The truth is that newer
technologies have transformed traditional AMI systems into burgeoning smart utility networks that give utility operators access to intelligence they’ve never
had before. As more municipalities consider fixed-base networks for their metering benefits, it makes sense for them to examine the return on investment
(ROI) that these same networks can provide in proactive monitoring. Use cases such as the ability to reduce boil water notices, with their time-consuming
notifications and ancillary economic and public relations damage, should be considered when evaluating these systems. A smart utility network – one that goes
beyond the meter – will provide greater value than traditional AMI solutions.
Creating a smart utility is now about much more than metering and billing. It’s about investing in a network that empowers utility operators and managers to
gain value across the municipality. More and more, utilities are building upon traditional network functions and using the same infrastructure to gain insights
into parts of their systems they’ve never seen before. Smart utility networks provide enhanced value – not only in their ability to empower proactive water
operations, but also for their ability to ensure the best long-term quality for water customers
Page 16

Introduction
Phosphorus is one of the key regulated parameters in wastewater treatment and the newest investigations from the Chemical Investigation Programme in the
UK have shown that the best available technology is capable of removing the pollutant down to a concentration of 0.25mg/L of Total Phosphorus. This is going
to need an unprecedented amount of control of the treatment system so that these ultra-low concentrations are achieved.
So what’s the problem with phosphorus – what are the key questions that we need to ask:
• Why is regulated to the level that it is regulated to?
• How do we treat it at the moment?
• How do we measure and what are the problems with measuring it?
• How we do control it?
• Where is phosphorus removal going, how are we going to monitor and control the removal system?
Phosphorus is one of the major nutrients along with Nitrogen and Potassium. It is present in fertilisers and is globally used in agriculture. As a result it is
something that is quite often washed into rivers through diffused pollution and the phosphorus becomes an aquatic pollutant. This along with Nitrogen in the
form of nitrate is the root cause of eutrophication which is a major aquatic pollution problem and is a root cause for algal blooms. Phosphorus is often regulated
as it is often the limiting factor with eutrophication as its absence even when an excess of nitrogen will prevent the algal growth. Basically without phosphorus
present you won’t get eutrophication. Phosphorus has been cited as being the major reason why water-bodies in the UK have failed to achieve good ecological
status. So it’s important to remove phosphorus and the practicality of reducing the pollutant load from diffuse pollution makes the wastewater treatment
system the most convenient place to remove it. As a result the removal of phosphorus from the wastewater stream has become a priority and the regulated
levels are approaching 10 times lower that the 1989 Potable Water Quality Standard (where phosphorus was regulated to 2.2mg/L P).
The difficulty is that Phosphates are sub-categorized into:
• Orthophosphates
• Condensed phosphates – Metaphosphates – Pyrophosphates – Polyphosphates
• Organophosphorus compounds
Orthophosphate is always determined if samples are not digested as only orthophosphate can be detected directly by photometric means. This is also known
as determination of the “reactive” phosphorous. The measurement results can be indicated in a variety of ways:
• PO4, phosphate
• PO₄-P, phosphate-phosphorous
• P₂O₅, phosphorus pentoxide
The way we tend to treat phosphorus at the current time is by either using chemical precipitation methodologies (in the main) or biological techniques such as
Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal in Activated Sludge (EBPR). The former method using chemical precipitation with iron or aluminium salts being much
simpler and cheaper but has the limitation of using chemicals. These chemicals, ideally, need to be controlled and to control the chemical dosing we need to
measure the concentration of phosphorus.
Measuring Phosphorus
Measuring phosphorus is where the problems start to creep in with special reference
as to “what phosphorus are you measuring?” When phosphorus is regulated it is
regulated to the total phosphorus that is present in water. This is very simple to
regulate but much more difficult to measure and so often the soluble reactive
phosphorous is actually measured and a safety factor for the insoluble non-reactive
phosphorus taken into account in this factor. This is especially possible as it is regulated
to annual average so if the annual average is running to close for comfort then greater
treatment can be applied. The reverse is also true although not a popular operational
strategy from an environmental point of view.
When you look at the laboratory method and the different fractions of phosphorus and
its analysis (figure 1) an appreciation of the complications can be seen. It is a case of pick
a fraction, any fraction and see what you come up with.
In reality in wastewater the fraction that is regulated is total phosphorus, quite often
in the field total reactive phosphorus will be measured as the practicalities of filtering
samples in the field usually is the limiting factor.
Focus on:
Phosphorus measurement and
it’s control in wastewater
Page 17

So what is the basic methodology?
For measuring Total Phosphorus the methodology is to oxidise the sample to soluble reactive phosphorus generally (but not exclusively) using acid digestion.
Even this method is not necessarily using just one method as the standard methods list:
• Perchloric acid method for the most difficult of samples that need an aggressive digestion technique
• Nitric acid – sulphuric acid method for most samples
• Persulphate oxidation with UV as the most convenient method as long as stable results in comparison to the other methods are obtained.
This is basically to convert the total phosphorus to reactive phosphorus. If the partioning between Total and Reactive Phosphorus needs to be understood then
the reactive test needs to be run with and without digestion.
The colourmetric method for the analysis of reactive phosphorus is not easy either with several methods available here as well with three main methods
including:
• Vanadomolybdophosphoric acid method
• Stannous Chloride method
• Ascorbic Acid method
Before the recent changes in wastewater regulation around phosphorus the Vanadomolybdophosphoric acid method would have been the most appropriate
as it has a range between 1-20mg/L P. However with increasingly tight standards and regulated phosphorus methods dropping below 1mg/L phosphorus the
dilution of the sample will become necessary but with this the chances of error and interferences increase.
The vanadomolybdophosphoric acid method with the potential for dilution is still the most applicable. The principle of this method is that ammonium
molybdate reacts under acid conditions to form heteropoly acid, molybdophosphoric acid. In the presence of vanadium a yellow vanadomolybdophosphoric
acid is formed. The intensity of the yellow colour is proportional to the phosphate concentration.
Iron and sulphide do interfere with this method but the former over concentrations of 100mg/L where the latter is a problem so this should be taken into
account where septicity is a problem and hydrogen sulphide concentrations are high.
All of these differing variations in the laboratory
methods bring about complications when moving
to an online methodology of analysis but the most
common method for online measurement of soluble
reactive phosphorous is a conversion of the high range
laboratory method using vanadomolybdophosphoric
acid method and for the measurement of total
phosphorus the conversion of the total phosphorus
to reactive phosphorus using the Persulphate
oxidation method using UV followed or either of
the acid digestion methods by the Ascorbic Acid
Molybdenum Blue method.
The principle components of the soluble reactive
measurement system are:
• The sample collection system
• The sample filtration system
• The reagent addition system
• The photometric detector
When it comes to the total phosphorus method the additional complication is in the digestion methodology be it an oven system with the acid phase digestion
or with the UV system with the oxidation methodology.
The key potential sources of error for any of these methods are:
Sampling – The sampling methodology is key to the success of any online analytical method. Be it a vacuum sampling method or a peristaltic pump method the
key is to ensure that the sampling system does not block (especially with crude sewage) and samples consistently. The sources of error can be limited by locating
the analyser as close as possible to the medium being analysed and potentially using a method of pre-filtration.
Reagent edition – The correct amount of reagent being added to the sample is also crucial.
Digestion Process – If the digestion process is incomplete there will be errors in the amount of total phosphorus measured.
Errors in the photometric detection are rare and will not have a significant effect.
Controlling phosphorus
In phosphorus removal the most common method is to use a chemical precipitation method using either aluminium or iron salts of which the latter is the most
prevalent due to the toxicity of aluminium in the aquatic environment. There is a well defined stoichiometric relationship between iron and phosphorus with 7
parts of iron required to remove 1 part of phosphorus. This is often used when designing chemical phosphorus removal systems. What is important is how the
Page 18

chemical dosing system is controlled, if it is controlled.
Without any chemical dosing control system there is the potential for either under or over dosing iron salts. This can actually cause damage to structures within
the treatment works this especially the case with flow measurement flumes which are sensitive to any damage. As a result of the risk of under or over dosing
especially with the ultra-low phosphorus consents that are being put in place there is a need for increasing control over phosphorus removal chemically based
systems.
The simplest method of control is to use flow based control and presumes that the concentration of phosphorus is stable. In this methodology the amount of
iron is dosed proportionally to the flow rate. The method is simple but does need a form of flow measurement but does not require online phosphorus analysis.
The next method is to manually establish phosphorus concentrations over time and work on a assumed concentration profile and use flow measurement to
establish a assumed load profile. In this way a more advanced dosing control system is put in place without the need for online phosphorus measurement.
The last method is to measure the online phosphorus load and use the results to calculate the amount of chemical that needs to be added with the potential
of a downstream feedback control loop working on a nudge and wait system. This is obviously the most accurate and best control system but it comes with
additional complexity and cost.
However this additional complexity and cost, especially on a chemical dosing system is worth it when there is the potential for multiple chemical dosing
stages which is common when ultra-low consents are in place necessitating tertiary treatment processes which will be sensitive to the incoming pollutant load
(phosphorus in this particular case).
The future of phosphorus treatment
What is clear with the current trends within the water industry is that the permitted levels of phosphorus are going to get lower and this is where the
factory approach and the circular economy become more of a feasible solution either through the use of phosphorus in sewage sludges or the extraction of
phosphorus from sewage sludge and conversion to a useable product.
Up until the economics of recovering phosphorus from all but the largest of wastewater treatment works has not been financially viable. However as
treatment costs rise, the technical development of phosphorus recovery technologies and improvements in monitoring and control technologies means that
accurate phosphorus loading can be measured in an online format. Through the measurement of phosphorus through the treatment works what can be a
problem substance can actually converted into a raw material produced in a factory-based system approach.
New report highlights growing uptake of geospatial data by AI
and innovative tech in UK
A new report from the Geospatial Commission is highlighting the growing use of matching of geospatial and location data with 8 key emerging technologies,
including artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D scanners and immersive technologies. The report, Future Technologies Review, funded by the Geospatial Commission
and published by PUBLIC, analyses commercial opportunities for the use of geospatial data, considers the maturity of each technology in the UK, and provides
numerous case studies and success stories. The report says that according to the most recent global ‘Geospatial Readiness Index’, the UK’s geospatial technology
sector is recognised as the second most developed in the world, only behind the US.
Data Analytics and AI start-ups represent the area of greatest recent growth within the sector. “With a significant increase in the number of geospatial data
sources available from remote sensors, bottom-up sensors and smart devices, investors are beginning to appreciate the potential value of companies that can
translate this data into meaningful use cases.” the report says.
Location data is a valuable tool for both the public and private sector - launched in 2017, the Geospatial Commission has been supported by £80 million of
funding to drive the move to use this data more productively. The work builds on wider Cabinet Office plans for cross-government digital transformation,
including a new Technology Innovation Strategy, launched in June, which sets out the government’s approach to boosting the adoption of new technologies
across the public sector. The review provides a maturity assessment covering current, emerging and future status for the following technologies:
• Cameras, imaging and sensing • Smart sensors and the Internet of Things
• Unmanned vehicle systems and drones • Immersive technologies
• Survey, measurement and 3d scanning • Simulation
• Artificial Intelligence • Connectivity
Sir Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the Geospatial Commission, said:
“I welcome this report published today which gives us a better understanding of the maturity of
eight technologies and how they are likely to impact the future geospatial sector, which is rapidly
growing. It also outlines opportunities geospatial technologies provide to the UK, with insights
into the investment landscape and snapshot case studies for external audiences who have not yet
engaged with the geospatial community.”
Dan Korski CBE, CEO and Co-Founder of PUBLIC , an organisation that helps technology start-ups
work better with the public sector, added:
“Geospatial data and technology has the capability to drastically improve public services, from
the way we manage transport in cities to how we plan smart energy policy. The UK government is
only at the beginning of its journey in exploiting these new technologies for the benefit of citizens
and service providers alike. We look forward to seeing the impact of this report in the policy and
projects to come.”
Page 19

Conferences, Events,
Seminars & Studies
Conferences, Seminars & Events
September 2019
17th
International Computing & Control for the Water Industry
2nd
-4th
September 2019
Exeter University, UK
Hosted by University of Exeter
Intacatch Conference
4th
-6th
September 2019
London, UK
Hosted by Intcatch2020
Sensing in Water
25th
-26th
September 2019
Nottingham Belfry, UK
Hosted by Sensors for Water Interest Group
October 2019
Data: Now and Beyond
9th
October 2019
Leeds, United Kingdom
Hosted by British Water
ICT Group Water Congress
10th
October 2019
Nieuwegin, Netherlands
Hosted by the ICT Group
Institute of Water - Fanatical about Flow
25th
October 2019
The Crystal, London, UK
Hosted by the Institute of Water and Sponsored by Z-Tech Control Systems
November 2019
CIWEM Urban Drainage Group Autumn Conference
4th
- 6th
November 2019
Nottingham Belfry, UK
Hosted by CIWEM UDG
Future of Utilities - Water
27th
-28th
November 2019
Hilton, Tower Bridge, London, UK
Hosted by CIWEM UDG
December 2019
WWT Innovations Conference
5th December 2019
National Conference Centre,Birmingham, UK
Hosted by WWT
Conferences Coming Soon
CCWI 2019
University of Exeter
1st
- 4th
September 2019
Since the beginnings of this conference series in the early 1990s, the pace of
change in this field has been enormous. The water sector is now in a full-scale
phase of digitalisation. The proliferation of sensors of various types, smart
meters, large-scale and widespread data acquisition, increasingly sophisticated
modelling tools, information and communication technologies, Internet of
Things, and the roll-out of 5G wireless networks will have profound implications
for the management of water systems over the coming years. The aim of this
CCWI conference, therefore, is to bring together practitioners and researchers
to discuss the emerging ‘WATER 4.0’ agenda - water systems modelling, data
and control.
The main theme of the conference is WATER 4.0, which describes the
comprehensive bringing together and exploitation of the digital and physical
world’s leading to water service transformation. This three day event will
address this through a combination of keynote lectures, paper and poster
sessions.
• Smart systems and digitalisation, cyber-physical systems
• Advances in sensors, instrumentation and communications technologies
• Big Data management and exploitation
• Data driven and soft computing analytics and visualisation
• Systems modelling, optimisation, active control and decision support
• Water quality modelling: pipe, sewer, environment
• Water and wastewater treatment modelling, optimisation and control
• Asset management and performance modelling
• Demand, leakage, energy and greenhouse gas management
• Distributed and multi-functional systems (e.g. rainwater management
systems)
• Flood modelling and management
• Building sustainability and resilience
• Application of blockchain
• Building information modelling (BIM) in the water sector
Sensing in Water 2019
Nottingham Belfry
25th
- 26th
September 2019
The Sensors for Water Interest Group are proud to be hosting their 5th
biennial conference. Since its first inception in 2009 it has become one of
the UK’s leading conferences for sensor development in the Water Industry
enabling delegates to stay up to date with the latest developments
in water sensor technology.
The four main themes at this year’s conference are
• Catchment Monitoring
• Drainage Infrastructure
• Distribution Network Monitoring
• Data Analytics

We have very great pleasure in inviting you to the next International Computing & Control for the Water
Industry (CCWI) Conference, to be held in Exeter on 1st- 4th September 2019.
Since the beginnings of this conference series in the early 1990s, the pace of change in this field has
been enormous. The water sector is now in a full-scale phase of digitalisation. The proliferation of sen-
sors of various types, smart meters, large-scale and widespread data acquisition, increasingly sophisti-
cated modelling tools, information and communication technologies, Internet of Things, and the roll-
out of 5G wireless networks will have profound implications for the management of water systems over
the coming years. The aim of this CCWI conference, therefore, is to bring together practitioners and
researchers to discuss the emerging 'WATER 4.0' agenda - water systems modelling, data and control.
CCWI 2019 invites contributions on the following topics:
• Smart systems and digitalisation • Advances in sensors, instrumen-
tation and communications technologies • Big Data management
and exploitation • Data driven and soft computing analytics and
visualisation • Systems modelling, optimisation, active control and
decision support • Water quality modelling • Water and wastewater
treatment modelling, optimisation and control • Asset management
and performance modelling • Demand, leakage, energy and green-
house gases management • Distributed and multi-functional sys-
tems • Flood modelling and management • Building sustainability
and resilience • Building information modelling in the water sector
Keynote speakers include:
Prof Dragan Savic
CEO of KWR Watercycle
Rebekah Eggers
IBM - IoT for Energy,
Environment, & Utilities
Prof Max Maurer
Director of institute for Environ-
mental Engineering, ETH Zurich
The Conference will be held at the University of Exeter, situated
on an attractive campus close to the city centre.
Page 21

WIPAC Monthly August 2019

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