WIPAC Monthly - January 2023.pdf

WIPAC MONTHLY
The Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 1/2023- January 2023

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
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
ManagingStorm-water..................................................................................................
Depending where you are in the world storm-water is managed in a number of different ways. What is common
is the monitoring that we need to put in place to make sure the impact of storm water isn't detrimental to the
environment. In this article we take a few case studies from YSI (a Xylem brand) and look at what we can do to
measure and manage storm waters.
12 - 15
5G...a game changer....................................................................................................
In this article by Idrica we look at 5G from it launch a couple of years ago now and the fact that it is starting
to become mainstream with PSTN becoming a thing of the past and communication becoming more of a real
problem we look at the benefits of the communication technique and how it can help the water industry
16 - 17
SWAN Corner - Bringing Trust into Water Service Agreements....................................
In this article by Amir Cahn, the Executive Director of the SWAN Forum, we look at the need for trust in the various
"as a service models" and what the various roles the industry needs in order to adopt Digital Technology.
18
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months.
19 - 20

From the Editor

The start of a new year and it was fantastic to finish last year on the high that we saw at the Digital Water Summit
hosted by the IWA in Bilbao but with a new year comes a new urgency for the Digital Transformation of the Water
Industry. The challenges that the industry faces and how everything is going to be managed and delivered. England &
Wales facing a huge investment programme that beggars belief in dealing with storm overflows at a current rate of £2
billion a year with cries of it not being bold enough and not being quick enough and most in the water industry thinking
it isn't enough, a monitoring programme over the next ten years which is predicted to be £700 million a year and then
all of the other challenges around net zero and nutrient neutrality. All of this isn't limited to England & Wales either.
Spain is delivering the same monitoring programme in a bold and adventurous way looking at Digitalised River Basins....
Yippee....a country that gets the holistic approach.
If this perfect storm wasn't enough then we are faced with a people and skills crisis and the risk of not being able to de-
liver but a fraction of all of this ambition is very real. Despite all of this the industry trundles on the talk of pipebots and
robots crawling through the water distribution has hit the BBC website. It is in fact a project that I remember being part
of the ambition of the Twenty65 programme about 5 years ago. Lots of potential and the teams at Sheffield University
have done a great job and will continue to look at it but it is one of the tools that the industry must use. There is more
and more and more coming and in reality we must keep on going in applying the Digital Tools that we have available in the industry and get the case studies
going and going and going. I remember a few years ago saying to people "at some point somebody is going to have to stand in front of the Directors of a Water
Operator and justify why this or that technology should be adopted and the benefits that it will bring" and without that conversation happening then half of
the clever things we see out there aren't going to get used and we are going to, yet again, lose some amazing innovations that can just help us to address the
challenges that we have. I have been talking about Digital Water in its many forms for years now and I've seen technologies that should be adopted lost to the
sands of time not because they weren't top notch innovations but because the industry wasn't ready for them yet. The idea of addressing the industries pain
points wasn't developed enough to bring the tools that were available to the forefront of the industry.
However the modern state of the industry have brought the pain points to the front and centre and splashed them over the front pages of the various national
newspapers and what that has done is bring some of the most recent innovations (that somebody has been working on for a great deal longer than you think)
to the top ready to be adopted, for the water industry, amounts to high speed. There are quite a few of us that are jumping for joy and the silent screams in
our heads are breathing a sigh of relief and saying.....perhaps.....finally.....we are starting to see the water industry start the journey of Digital Transformation .
Have a good month,
Oliver

WEF & the WRRF launch this year's Intelligent Water System
Challenge
Today’s water industry operates complex treatment, collection, and distribution systems to protect public and ecological health. With the advent of the Internet of
Things, these systems are increasingly instrumented to monitor key process indicators, thereby facilitating operation of the system. The water industry, however,
recognizes that the growing store of big data collected across these new “intelligent” water systems may be able to deliver value in as yet unimagined ways as
utilities work to address complex issues such as stormwater management, flooding, eutrophication and algae blooms, aging infrastructure, CSOs, SSOs, process
optimization, watershed management, source water management, and asset management.
The Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT) program, a joint effort of The Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the Water Environment Federation
(WEF), is holding the fourth Intelligent Water Systems Challenge to demonstrate the value of intelligent water systems and thereby foster the adoption of smart
water technologies. The Challenge gives students, professionals, and technology aficionados the opportunity to showcase their talents and innovation, with a
focus on leveraging data using the best available tools to help utilities better understand the dynamics of complex systems and make better decisions.
The 2023 Intelligent Water Systems Challenge team registration deadline is April 14th. The finalist teams will be competing for a grand prize of $10,000 at the
WEFTEC 2023 conference in Chicago, IL on October 2nd. Register your team today at https://www.waterrf.org/intelligent-water-systems-challenge
Xylem to Acquire Evoqua in $7.5 Billion All-Stock Transaction and
also partner with Idrica to accelerate Digital Transformation
Xylem Inc. and Evoqua have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Xylem will acquire Evoqua in an all-stock transaction that
reflects an implied enterprise value of approximately $7.5 billion.
Xylem and Evoqua generated over $7 billion in combined revenue in the 12-month period ending September 30, 2022, with $1.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA. The
combination is expected to deliver run-rate cost synergies of $140 million within 3 years, driven by scale efficiencies in procurement, network optimisation and
corporate costs.
“Our acquisition of Evoqua creates a transformative global platform to address water scarcity, affordability and resilience at even greater scale,” said Patrick
Decker, President and CEO of Xylem. “The combined company delivers a portfolio of advanced technologies, integrated services and application expertise across
the water cycle.”
“This combination provides a platform to leverage our combined strengths and increase our impact to better address the most pressing and increasingly complex
global water challenges,” said Ron Keating, President and CEO of Evoqua.
The transaction, which is anticipated to close in mid-2023, is subject to approval by shareholders of Xylem and Evoqua, the receipt of required regulatory approvals
and other customary closing conditions. Following the closing, the combined company will continue to be led by Patrick Decker, Xylem’s President and CEO.
In other news Xylem and Idrica have also announced a partnership to accelerate the Digital Transformation of the Water Industry. Idrica will partner with Xylem to
bring together Idrica’s GoAigua technology with Xylem Vue, Xylem’s portfolio of digital solutions. As part of the partnership, the companies will offer an integrated
software and analytics platform – Xylem Vue powered by GoAigua – that enables water and wastewater utilities to connect and manage their digital assets and
streamline operations in a simple, secure and holistic view.
Under the partnership, Xylem will distribute Idrica’s GoAigua technology globally and will take a minority stake in Idrica.
Page 4
Industry News

Fully-managed fixed network leakage service launches
A new end-to-end leakage reduction service has been launched by Ovarro, as the water sector moves forward with wider implementation of as-a-service models
to improve efficiency. LeakNavigator is the UK’s first fully-managed, fixed network leakage service. The leak-locating model comprises advanced acoustic data
loggers, cutting-edge cloud-based software and Ovarro’s inhouse leakage expertise.
With all elements combined, the service can accurately identify points of interest (POIs) on behalf of water companies, alerting field technicians directly, so
they can head straight to site with high confidence that a leak will be found, thereby reducing the need for inhouse data analysis. LeakNavigator has undergone
successful trials with UK water companies, recording a combined performance increase of 20-25% in total leaks found, plus a 30% reduction in lost field time
through false positives and a POI-to-leak conversion rate of over 85%.
As-a-service models are subscription-based applications, with infrastructure that is entirely managed and maintained by an external supplier. These services
allow companies to focus on their core responsibility of water system management and leave the data analysis to external specialists. Matthew Hawkridge,
chief technology officer, Ovarro, will be presenting LeakNavigator at World Water-Tech Innovation Summit in London, UK, on 21-22 February 2023.
He said, “Regulators and customers are continuing to push water companies to cut leakage and their expectations will only increase. While acoustic fixed
networks – which are permanently in place to pinpoint leaks by monitoring the sound of water escaping from pipes – are bringing major improvements, the
sector has at times struggled with the correct placement of acoustic loggers.
“For remote loggers to achieve the best possible results, they need to be placed in the optimum locations across a network – but establishing precisely where
these spots are is no easy task and requires specialist expertise. “If loggers are not placed appropriately, location data could be compromised and water
company analysts have an even harder job of pinpointing leaks. This means leak detection teams could be spending valuable time and money trying to identify
leaks in the wrong place.”
Ben Crabtree, Ovarro product line director for analytics, continues, “LeakNavigator solves this challenge by taking complete ownership of the data analysis and
leak detection process, working in collaboration with water companies, with results-driven accountability. “This consultative approach is already enhancing
performance of acoustic fixed networks, including high accuracy POIs, high operability and good conversion rates. These outcomes are allowing leakage teams
to focus their attentions on fixing, not monitoring, the problem, which will help them achieve their leakage targets and ultimately secure future water supplies.”
The LeakNavigator package uses acoustic loggers from the cutting-edge Enigma range, which are installed following an assessment of a water company’s district
metered area (DMA), undertaken by Ovarro’s leakage analysts. This process establishes the most suitable equipment to install, the unit numbers required and
the best locations for optimum efficiency. The service can also apply to existing Enigma logger fleets already installed.
Once the loggers are in operation, Ovarro’s teams undertake ongoing data analysis, sending POIs directly to water company field technicians via a mobile app.
The captured data, which also supports maintenance targeting, is processed and presented to customers in a dashboard.
Smart approaches to leakage detection are expected by regulator Ofwat, which said in its price review 24 (PR24) final methodology, published 13 December
2022: “Innovation will be key. On leakage, for example, companies will be rewarded if they can set and deliver aggressive reductions. We expect companies to
embrace the opportunities to improve performance through smart technology and better use of data.”
Hawkridge said: “As-a-service models are now being embraced by the water sector, with companies finally moving away from legacy systems. By allowing
specialists to take the lead is enabling water companies to focus attentions on their customer, shareholders and regulator commitments far more effectively.”
Page 5

Severn Trent transforming wastewater management in industry first
trial using AI
Severn Trent is creating artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an industry first trial, that will use technology to predict weather conditions, forecast maintenance, and
control waste flow to better manage its network. The project - part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund - will see the intelligent technology deployed on its network,
such as pumping stations, that will then operate independently, by using forecasting and real time monitors.
The company say the benefits of trialling the innovative AI technology will allow its network to operate more efficiently and will predict issues and prevent them
before they occur. Meaning less overflow activations, and better management of its network in storm conditions.
Severn Trent is leading with the project in collaboration with others and say that the project is set to not only bring big benefits to customers and the environment
but will help create the blueprint of how waste networks can operate effectively using AI in the future.
Rich Walwyn, Head of Head of Asset Intelligence & Innovation at Severn Trent said:
“This project has the potential to transform our waste networks, and it’s truly exciting that innovation and technology are at the heart of it.
“By turning to innovation and developing the artificial intelligence, this technology is able to forecast and get the network in prime condition. So, when we know
heavy rain is predicted, the network will automatically optimise the network’s storage ready for the extra flow and divert flow away from overflows and hot spots
reducing the risk of flooding and pollution.
“This means our customers and environment are more protected, and we can better control the flow of the extra rainfall to the treatment works. The AI technology
will help the network be forward thinking and prepare itself in the event of storm conditions,”
Not only does the project itself bring a whole host of great benefits, but the learnings we find from this trial can revolutionise how we manage our waste networks
in the future. Which ultimately would be a fantastic result for our customers.”
The company is working with a number of partners to deliver it, including four other water companies and six industry partners specialising in areas to collaborate
on the project, such as BT, Rockwell Automation, 8 Power, Blackburn Starling, University of Exeter, Thames Water and South West Water.
Danny Longbottom, Director of England and Wales for BT, said:
“This is a vitally important project for the water industry and a great example of how we can use technology for good. We are providing the predictive maintenance
technologies required to help address challenges around waste flow. We will also demonstrate how smart technology can be the bedrock to build an intelligent
sewer network.”
Dr Peter Melville-Shreeve, University of Exeter commented:
“From a research perspective we are helping share ideas and technologies from around the world with the team here at Severn Trent. Innovations around
intelligent wastewater management are developing apace, and the Centre for Water Systems researchers are looking forward to analysing data from the coming
deployments.”
Badger Meter enhances smart water capabilities with acquisition of
Syrinix
USA - headquartered Badger Meter, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Syrinix, Ltd., a privately held provider of intelligent water monitoring solutions, for
£15 million, funded with available cash.
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in the UK, Syrinix specializes in high-frequency pressure monitoring and leak detection within water distribution and
collection networks. Its remote network monitoring equipment PIPEMINDER-ONE series of water and wastewater monitoring solutions, RADAR cloud-based
software platform and Syrinix Intelligence analysis and consultancy services deliver data, customized alerts and insights that empower customers with real-time
asset monitoring to reduce water loss and improve asset life.
Kenneth C. Bockhorst, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Badger Meter, commented:
“We are pleased to add the hardware-enabled software capabilities of Syrinix into our smart water solutions portfolio. Leveraging our industry-leading ORION®
Cellular endpoints and BEACON® software, we continue to expand our comprehensive digital solutions to operationalize real-time data into actionable insights
that improve efficiency, resiliency and sustainability. I look forward to working alongside the talented Syrinix team to further our aim to preserve the world’s
most precious resource.”
With morethan acenturyof watertechnology innovation,BadgerMeteris aglobal providerof industryleadingwatersolutions encompassing flowmeasurement,
quality and other system parameters. These offerings provide our customers with the data and analytics essential to optimize their operations and contribute
to the sustainable use and protection of the world’s most precious resource. For more information, visit badgermeter.com.
Page 6

Southern Water unveils £15 million Smart Sewer Technology using
AI and 22,000 monitors to tackle pollution
Southern Water is investing £15 million in artificial intelligence and 22,000 state-of-the-art monitors to dramatically cut the impact of fatbergs and other
blockages that currently cause hundreds of pollution incidents every year. The software behind the system is provided by Stormharvester - machine learning
software developed in the UK powers the system and alerts the water company's control to risks before they become incidents. The vast majority of sewer
blockages are caused by ‘unflushables’ like wet wipes and plastics, as well as fat, oil and grease, gathering in pipes. These blockages can lead to environmentally
damaging flooding outdoors and deeply distressing flooding inside homes and properties.
Tackling this issue is a priority for Southern Water - the innovative technology is expected to cut pollution incidents by up to 40%. This equates to around 500
fewer internal floods between now and 2025, and about 7,000 fewer external floods during the same period. Southern Water said the roll-out of Smart Sewers
builds on its existing improvement in tackling external sewer flooding - the utility said it had reported a total of 3,944 incidents last year – well below its target
of 4,141.
The monitors, which are being installed across high-risk areas of the 39,500km sewer network, communicate digitally with our Operational Control Centre,
where technicians are warned about potential blockages forming long before any risk of a pollution spill from a manhole, or flooding directly into homes,
schools, businesses or any other property. Alex Saunders, Southern Water’s Head of Wastewater Networks, said:
“We already have a good record on cutting pollutions from sewers thanks our Network Protection Team. There is also growing awareness among customers that
wet wipes and other unflushables combine with fat, oil and grease, incorrectly disposed of down drains, to form fatbergs. These block sewers and can cause
wastewater to back up the system.
“This revolutionary technology will mean we can respond proactively instead of waiting for sewers to block. Spills from manholes are ugly, unpleasant and
damage the environment. Internal sewer flooding is incredibly distressing. We believe the deployment of this system will have a real impact on both of these
types of incident.”
The monitors and software in the control centre use ‘machine learning’ to understand the normal behaviour of sewers in both dry and wet weather, and then
automatically flag when unusual flows are noted. They measure the height of wastewater under manholes. Teams can then quickly be dispatched to clean
sewers with high powered water jets, while investigations can also be launched to track the potential source of problems. The water company, which on an
average day supplies 556 million litres of water and treats 13371 million litres of wastewater, said the £15 million project is already having an impact.
Southern Water has also already deployed 7000 acoustic loggers across its drinking water network which can detect and pinpoint leaks before they become
bursts.
Yorkshire Water awards AMP7 contract to accelerate data innovation
Yorkshire Water has appointed The Oakland Group to an AMP7 contract to ensure customers benefit from data innovation and new technology. The Leeds-
based data consultancy will work closely with Yorkshire Water’s team to use data to enable smarter network and customer operations while delivering the
right foundations and capabilities for the future. The multi-year contract will see data used across critical elements of the organisation, including customer
engagement, leakage management, operational improvement, and internal facing departments.
It builds on an existing relationship that has seen the two organisations develop a new Cloud Telemetry platform, which ingests millions of data points from
multiple in-house and third-party operational technology systems at speed and introduces common data models.
Yorkshire Water and The Oakland Group also worked together to develop a new bio-resource model (BRM), which reduced costs around the bio-resource
management process. The data was used to simulate a wide range of variables over a 40-year timeframe. It was determining potential scenarios for the future
that allowed longer-term opportunities to be identified for a more efficient and effective service.
Lee Harris, head of technology change at Yorkshire Water, commented:
“Data has become increasingly important to how we operate as an organisation. It’s at the heart of everything we do, but there’s more we can achieve with it,
so we are taking a more strategic approach to how it’s captured, managed, shared and used to help everyone do things better. We are working with the team at
Oakland Group to develop this ambition and seek to build long-lasting data capabilities that will form the bedrock of how we operate for many years to come.”
The partnership will develop and improve data across all aspects, including architecture, governance and management. With a wide, complex operation, data
can be a key enabler in driving efficiency and improving the customer experience.
Yorkshire Water aims to improve the use of data within the whole organisation by the end of the current Asset Management Period AMP7. With greater
expectations from OFWAT heading into the upcoming AMP8 period, it is preparing for a data-enabled future.
Andy Crossley, technical director at The Oakland Group, said:
“This is a programme of significant importance to one of the largest water companies in the UK. We are pleased to be going on this journey with Yorkshire Water,
and as a resident of Yorkshire, I can personally see the impact it will have. Whilst the programme seeks to develop a company-wide data-centric approach, and
we are working with the internal teams to create real outputs that can be used to improve the customer experience and operational efficiency today.”
Page 7

United Utilities uses AI to carry out automated asset inspection on
wastewater pipeline network
Artificial intelligence is helping to speed up repairs to United Utilities wastewater pipeline network by semi-automating the review of CCTV inspection footage.
Since the use of CCTV for pipeline inspections was first introduced in the 1950s, the process of reviewing footage has remained largely manual – and very time
consuming.
The increasing volume of work across the water sector has highlighted the need for modernisation. Now United Utilities has adopted cutting-edge technology
to dramatically speed up the process. Every year the water company for the North West inspects more than 1,000km of pipeline using CCTV cameras – and that
generates thousands of hours of footage which has been manually reviewed to check for pipe damage or obstructions which can lead to flooding.
Now the time needed to review footage has been dramatically reduced thanks to a successful partnership forged with VAPAR, an Australian artificial intelligence
(AI) company. The partnership was developed through United Utilities’ highly regarded Innovation Lab – which is designed to help new ideas get adopted faster.
VAPAR uses AI to speed up pipeline repairs by semi-automating the fault detection process from inspection footage. Founded by two female engineers in
Australia, VAPAR first began working with United Utilities in the second Innovation Lab held in 2019. Initially the focus was on developing the accuracy of the AI.
With that successfully completed VAPAR was put to the test as part of the United Utilities routine maintenance inspection programme – and the results were
impressive with VAPAR reducing survey processing times from 10 days to two days – an 80% improvement.
Katy Bevan, Programme Delivery Manager for United Utilities’ Wastewater Network said:
“VAPAR has truly transformed the way that we work, it provides us with a consistent method of defect coding that equates to a consistent decision-making
process on investment. It has also massively reduced time-scales of both the time needed to review footage and the turnaround time from footage being
recorded on site to decisions about cleaning and remedial activities being made. In addition we are also benefiting from lower costs, and the generation of
performance management tools to support our targets.”
Alice Leadbetter, Innovation Coordinator at United Utilities added:
“We have been delighted with the speed and agility of VAPAR; in addition to their ground-breaking AI system - we have agreed an innovation development
contract with them, so any new ideas we have together can be tested and adopted at speed too.” The complex nature of pipeline inspections makes it impossible
for AI to be used as a stand-alone tool and the outputs still require review. VAPAR uses a ‘Collaborative Intelligence’ approach which sees AI being used to
support human expertise.
VAPAR added to DNM platform which contains feeds from thousands of monitors
VAPAR is now being rolled out more widely across United Utilities for use across the entire inspection program. It is also being integrated with United Utilities’
Dynamic Network Monitoring (DNM) platform. The platform contains feeds from thousands of monitors, plus other datasets that allow the business to take a
proactive approach on how it manages its network.
Amanda Siqueira, Co-founder and CEO of VAPAR said:
“We were new to the UK water industry when we joined the Innovation Lab back in 2019. The highly collaborative approach that the United Utilities team
adopted in the innovation process was fundamental to creating the impactful product and team that we have today. Their drive for continual innovation and
creating value continues to guide our roadmap for the benefit of all of VAPAR’s other customers. We’re now looking at other markets, including North America,
so that we can help even more water authorities optimise the budgets of their pipe maintenance programs”
Page 8

Norwegian Utility Calculates True Cost Of Sewer Ingress
Inflow of stormwater and infiltration of groundwater into sewers is a constant operational challenge, but a water utility in Norway is gaining better understanding
of its network with an innovative digital approach, says Marco Westergren, chief analytics officer at InfoTiles.
The inflow and infiltration (I&I) of stormwater and groundwater into sewerage networks can add considerable cost to water utilities in pumping, treating, and
discharging excess water. In Norway, InfoTiles’ digital water and wastewater management system is being used by one municipality for I&I water detection and
real-time monitoring of extraneous water in sewer networks and is already reducing service failures.
Using the system’s integrated internet of things (IoT) and machine learning technologies, along with pre-existing real-time data from their SCADA systems,
operators discovered that pumps were pushing 5 million m3 of wastewater through its systems per year, of which at least 1 million m3 was water from I&I.
The extra operating cost to the utility in processing this extraneous wastewater was up to €2M, not including the energy cost of transporting the water to the
treatment works.
For many utilities and municipalities, inflow and infiltration can account for an average of 20-50% of the annual flow in sewers, however, during snow melt and
wet autumns in Norway the figure regularly hits 80-90 per cent.
Inflow is stormwater that flows into wastewater pipes through faults such as holes, cracks, joint failures, and broken connections. Infiltration occurs when
groundwater enters the wastewater network through faults in pipes, compounding the flow.
It is widely acknowledged that most I&I is caused by ageing infrastructure that requires maintenance or replacement, but some is also caused by erroneous
connections such as building drainage and rooftops connected to the wrong pipes. When this water penetrates the wastewater network, it can overload the
system, which is a particular risk during periods of heavy rain or storm events.
In the worst cases, it can lead to the release of untreated wastewater into the environment and pollution of rivers and seas. It also increases the risk of cross-
contamination of drinking water, where polluted water from the environment enters through faults in clean water pipes.
Increases in the frequency and intensity of rainfall as a result of a changing climate is exacerbating the problem, making the wastewater network ever more
vulnerable to failure and putting the environment at greater risk. Furthermore, if left untreated, pipeline integrity will only deteriorate over time, increasing the
volume of ingress water to be treated. The challenge for InfoTiles, which is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, and its utility partner was to determine when
and where I&I was occurring and decide on the appropriate response. The InfoTiles platform uses SCADA control system data together with meteorological
data to analyse dry and wet weather behaviour of wastewater networks. Using information from pump stations in real-time, the model calculates the total and
excessive volume transported, allowing operators to see not only weather-related trends, but also the resulting costs both in terms of treatment and power
expenditure.
Once problem areas have been identified, the search area can be narrowed down using compact IoT devices within the same platform. Some pumping stations
have multiple inputs or long upstream pipeline networks. By selectively measuring different branches, it is possible to identify exactly where the water intrudes
or exclude areas that are not the problem. Sensor devices placed at critical points in the network can collect additional meteorological data such as precipitation,
problematic thresholds of rain volume, or seasonally varied sensitivities. That feeds into a central dashboard and these detailed measurements can then be
analysed by water managers and operators. For InfoTiles’ Norwegian partner, the software found that about 50% of I&I was handled by only four of its 27
pumping stations, which enabled maintenance teams to target further data gathering and prioritise maintenance and repairs.
The analysis found that a number of pumps were constantly overloaded with I&I - even in dry weather conditions. It was found that upstream pipes situated
close to the banks of a river were laid in soil saturated by water. The wastewater network was unnecessarily absorbing excess groundwater, which was then
being transported, treated, and released back into the river. The four pumping stations identified had already been chosen for upgrade due to the existing
strain, but with the insights gained using InfoTiles’ software, this decision could be challenged. It was decided that a better investment would be to improve the
integrity of the upstream wastewater network.
With a lack of detailed evidence of where and when the I&I is occurring, many utilities opt to increase the capacity investment of wastewater transport and
treatment to avoid systems becoming overrun. While this may mitigate the risk of pollution incidents, it also increases costs for customers and does not solve the
underlying problem. Energy is a significant part of the additional treatment and transportation costs involved when processing I&I. Therefore, reducing energy
consumption also represents a potential saving on operational expenditure.
The Norwegian utility’s energy cost reached record highs of €0.7/kWh in 2022, a dramatic increase over the previous year due to the Europe-wide energy crisis,
and sitting alongside other price increases including for wastewater treatment chemicals. Taking the utility’s average I&I of 1 million m3 of water as a baseline,
this means it was facing a total additional operating cost of at least €2M, 165,000 kWh of excessive electricity use, and 4.1 tonnes of excessive carbon emissions.
Extra energy consumption also represents higher carbon footprint, so accurately identifying and remedying I&I can help utilities meet carbon commitments,
including net zero targets. Through using InfoTiles software, the precise location, cost, savings and solutions of I&I has become clearer to the utility. Better
informed capital and operational investment decisions can be made to improve the most vulnerable parts of wastewater infrastructure and processes.
Without accurate I&I monitoring, utilities may make misplaced investments, including pump upgrades, pipe replacements, and treatment equipment upgrades.
This can lead to ever increasing operating expenditure on energy and maintenance as excess water continues to enter the network and undergoes treatment.
Magne Eide, chief commercial officer, InfoTiles said, “By working closely with the Norwegian utility to understand and address its I&I challenges, InfoTiles
has demonstrated best practise in this challenging area. We seek to share these developments widely so that other organisations can further understand the
benefits that digital transformation can bring to key critical operations.
“With digital software technology such as InfoTiles, water utilities can get close-to-real-time data on I&I and use it to make calculations and informed decisions.
For those utilities pushing digital transformation, monitoring and understanding I&I represents a significant opportunity to reduce total expenditure, protect the
environment and deliver an enhanced service to customers and communities.”
Page 9

FIDO Direct Launched As End-To-End Solution To Solve Water Loss
A game-changing solution combining everything water utilities need to solve water leakage has been launched by UK company FIDO Tech. Called FIDO Direct, the
end-to-end solution combines AI, hardware and on-the-ground expertise needed to identify water leaks with guaranteed reductions. The offering is underpinned
by FIDO AI, one of the most sophisticated AI solutions with the unique distinction of being able to identify leaks and, most importantly, rank them by size, even
in the noisiest networks, and regardless of pipe material or condition.
FIDO has already seen multiple successes across the UK. The company partnered with Northumbrian Water to achieve a 37% leakage reduction across 15
assigned district metering areas (DMAs). The utility set itself the target to reduce leakage across its network by 17.% by 2025. FIDO Direct was deployed to sweep
vast areas of the network quickly and accurately, allowing the utility to target and prioritise leaks by size using FIDO’s AI leak sizing capabilities.
Victoria Edwards, Founder & CEO, said: “It is unacceptable that we continue to lose huge quantities of water while many parts of the world are facing water
scarcity. We don't just plan to be part of the AI revolution in water. We will lead it.
“FIDO Direct is a fully serviced, end-to-end leak detection service that utilities can call on for a fixed fee, guaranteed results and no drain on their own hard-
pressed manpower.”
Estimates from the World Bank suggest that up to 30% of water is lost daily in networks due to leaks and theft. In developing nations, roughly 45 million cubic
metres of water are lost daily, worth over $3B per year. Across England and Wales alone, it’s estimated that around three billion litres of water are lost daily.
Solving water losses is one way to increase water availability across watersheds. For example, a regional blueprint produced by Water Resources South East
(WRSE) recommended that 70 per cent of the additional water required for the area between 2025 and 2035 can be generated through leakage reduction and
a lowering of consumption.
FIDO Tech is one of the successful companies to emerge from the 2019 United Utilities Innovation Lab, a programme that enables successful applicants the
opportunity to test their solutions in a live environment. In September 2022, FIDO Tech announced a multi-million-pound acquisition by SKion Water GmH and
a follow-on investment led by Emerald Technology Ventures to accelerate the growth of its disruptive AI-backed water solution.
Itron expands collaboration with Smart Energy Water (SEW) to
transform the consumer experience
Itron, which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, is expanding its collaboration with Smart Energy Water (SEW), an industry-
leading cloud platform provider that helps utilities deliver superior digital customer and workforce experiences. Together, the companies are transforming
the utility-consumer relationship, enabling utilities to become a trusted advisor to consumers in managing the energy transition and integrating distributed
energy resources (DERs). As part of the collaboration, the companies are accelerating the value realized from Itron’s distributed intelligence (DI) ecosystem and
advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data through more effective data sharing and consumer empowerment. By creating an easy, secure and standardized
mechanism to share data with consumers and authorized third parties, they are helping utilities and consumers realize the expanded benefits of next generation
AMI.
The collaboration will help utilities, third parties and consumers take advantage of the new data streams being created by Itron’s growing ecosystem of DI
applications, like load disaggregation. To ensure data is secure and that privacy is protected, utilities can take advantage of Itron’s innovative DataHub – a secure,
scalable, cloud-based platform that will make these new data streams easily available to any third party with proper authorizations – coupled with SEW’s end-
to-end pre-integrated consumer experience platform to enable consumers to opt in to making the most of their AMI and DI data. The DataHub is a new way for
third parties to engage with and become a part of Itron’s expanding DI ecosystem.
With this approach to data sharing, utilities, third parties and consumers can collaborate to provide new services and revenue streams to one another. This is
essential to streamlining and optimizing the integration of DERs, such as electric vehicles, onto the grid. Sharing real-time information about how energy is being
produced and consumed enables DER vendors to provide improved consumer energy services, such as customized offers from solar and storage providers and
automated measurement and verification of energy arbitrage (storing and shifting energy usage for grid benefit). Sharing real-time energy data also enables
smart home companies to provide entirely new customer experiences.
SEW provides end-customer experience platform that will help customers understand the new types of data being created by their meters and other in-home
devices and how sharing data with trusted third parties can benefit them through added services. SEW platform will provide mechanism for consumers to opt in
to sharing data with third parties, which DataHub will use to authorize third party use of those data. Itron’s DataHub provides a single, consistent, user-friendly
mechanism for utilities and third parties to enable the sharing of metering data, distributed intelligence application data, DER data and low voltage network
data. The DataHub, powered by Microsoft Azure, eliminates the need for utilities and third parties to create expensive custom integrations and manual data
requests by providing third-party authorization and authentication services and simple API data access. The Itron DataHub is a great example of how Itron and
Microsoft are collaborating to develop solutions that deliver new insights and benefits for utilities.
Page 10

Optimizing Water Data Ahead Of Price Review
Ofwat has published its PR24 final methodology and expectations around leakage and water consumption are predictably high. Implemented now, smart
technology can help get data in order for upcoming business plans, says Kevin Brook, director, Orbis Intelligent Systems.
Innovation will be key to water companies hitting future targets and delivering against new expectations, says Ofwat in its price review 2024 (PR24) final
methodology, published 13 December 2022.
The regulator tells water companies in England and Wales that it will reward ambitious plans for the 2025-2030 operational period. With leakage, for example, it
says “companies will be rewarded if they can set and deliver aggressive reductions. We expect companies to embrace the opportunities to improve performance
through smart technology and better use of data”.
The long-term challenge of ensuring sufficient water resources is a key element of Ofwat’s methodology framework, including through the reduction of leakage
and water consumption.
While data-driven real-time monitoring has kick-started the water sector’s smart transformation, with leakage performance being just one area to have improved
as a result, companies will need to be bolder and move faster to put themselves in the best possible position ahead of the next price review.
With both leakage and per capita consumption, there are some quick wins available to enable utilities to get their data in order, close reporting gaps and help
inform business plans. Smart standpipes, for example, allow more precise monitoring of water supply networks.
By calculating in real-time the exact volume of water being extracted from the network by third parties who have hired the devices, utilities can assign
consumption to an authorized user, such as a local authority or construction company. Orbis’s unique SmartStandpipe have a built-in multi-sensor that measures
water extractions and pipeline flow data, provides GPS location data and records the time the water was taken.
Traditional standpipes are not equipped with this smart capability, meaning this usage – measured by Orbis as up to 20ml per day during periods of 2022 - may
go unaccounted for and possibly incorrectly attributed to leakage. This insight may similarly have a positive impact on per capita consumption targets, if any of
the significant volumes abstracted by third parties were previously attributed to domestic households.
Smart standpipes also enable water companies to factor their own operational teams’ usage into their calculations, through everyday activities such as mains
flushing, giving a far more accurate picture of what is happening right across the network – including pinpointing illegal network abstraction, from non-
authorized users.
With more stretching targets fast approaching, alongside the major long-term challenges of water scarcity, drought and growing populations, utilities are
looking at how they can deliver improvements and build resilience quickly and cost effectively. Investing in smart systems not only allows for proactive network
management - meaning better targeted maintenance programs, reducing the risk of bursts, service interruptions and discolouration - it now enables water
companies to measure usage that was once unaccounted for.
While once those gaps in reporting may have been considered too small to matter, they now do - but thanks to the availability of advanced technology such as
smart standpipes, companies have the tools to close the gaps quickly and build a complete picture of network activity to present to regulators.
75,000 Water Leaks Detected Using ASTERRA Satellite Technology
ASTERRA, the global leader in using Earth observation to reduce water loss, announced today that the 75,000th water leak was found using ASTERRA’s Recover
water leak detection service. The leak was found in the United States, in the water system of the Illinois Village of Schaumburg. Finding and resolving 75,000
leaks worldwide represents a total savings of approximately 276,000 million gallons of water, 176,640 metric tons in reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and an
energy savings of 690,000 MWH, all in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Finding 75,000 water leaks is a milestone worthy of celebration,” said Elly Perets, chief executive officer of ASTERRA. “This represents significant energy
savings because treated water costs money and consumes energy to produce, and when it leaks, it’s a complete waste. ASTERRA finds these hidden leaks three
to four times faster than traditional leak detection methods.”
Recover technology has been used since 2015 by ASTERRA to locate treated water beneath the surface of the Earth. It took approximately four years to locate
the first 25,000 leaks, and then about one year to locate the next 25,000. But due to ASTERRA’s rapid growth, it took just about nine months to locate 25,000
more.
ASTERRA owns the patents on the first technology capable of monitoring soil characteristics, such as underground moisture and trace minerals, over immense
areas quickly, easily, and continually. It uses satellites in space and polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) to collect data in the L-band wavelength that
can provide subsurface data on soil characteristics. Then, a series of patented algorithms and AI models translate the raw data into visualizations of the location
and concentration of soil moisture.
Called the most significant advancement in underground water leak detection in 80 years, Recover won the inaugural American Water Works Association’s
Innovation Award in 2021. In late 2022, ASTERRA’s Recover also won the Space and Satellite Professionals International Better Satellite World Award.
Page 11

Article:
Managing Stormwater
The impact of storm on the environment have been top of the agenda for awhile within the UK but in reality the way stormwater is managed within the
wastewater industry around the world differs wildly. This makes the monitoring of stormwater and the impact on the environment all the more important. In
this article we will take a look at some of the monitoring solutions that are available and some case studies on how they have been applied.
Stormwater monitoring
Tracking storm water events can be a challenge because of the inherent unpredictability of storms. Our analytical instrumentation supports the growing trend
towards automating stormwater monitoring. Measuring flow, rain, level, or water quality can be accomplished in real time through an automated solution. This
ensures events are captured as they happen, whether that is in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. Communities have saved tens of thousands to
hundreds of millions of dollars by implementing a Stormwater Monitoring Solution.
There are three main types of Stormwater Monitoring that are in common use but in the future this will be added to with quality monitoring of storm overflows
and the impact on the environment. The three types include
• Event Monitoring,
• Continuous Monitoring, and
• Decision Support that is an extension of Continuous Monitoring.
A case study of Event Monitoring
A unique portable Stormwater Monitoring System was recently built by YSI for a refinery in North Texas. A contractor had been hired by the refinery to help them
monitor stormwater discharges into tributaries that feed a large and heavily used river system, so that they would stay in compliance with their NPDES permit.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was designed to regulate point source pollution in waters of the United States. It is administered
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in accordance with the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA).
The EPA authorizes individual states to issue NPDES permits on its behalf. Permits are required for pollutant discharges into U.S. waters, and place limits on
an organization’s discharges. Industries throughout the U.S. navigate policy and the NPDES very carefully because while most violations have manageable
consequences and corrective actions, serious or recurring violations can disrupt business operations and cost millions of dollars. “Discharges” include
stormwater runoff. There is a specific NPDES Stormwater Program that regulates stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm
sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities. Large industrial sites can function like cities: they are filled with
impervious surfaces so that heavy rainfall leads to runoff that can carry industrial chemicals and wastes into nearby waterways. One of
the most heavily regulated industries under the NPDES Stormwater Program is the Oil and Gas Industry, to which Section 401(l)(2) of
the CWA is entirely devoted.
The refinery in Texas wanted to take a proactive stance on their NPDES stormwater permit, both to say in compliance with EPA regulations, and to protect the
beautiful natural resource that everyone in the region, including the refinery’s own employees, enjoyed. The system that was designed by YSI was based on an
Event Monitoring blueprint, though the actual monitoring plan might be described as semi-continuous. Event Monitoring solutions are portable—they can be
rapidly deployed only as needed, and easily relocated to adapt to changing circumstances. The refinery client anticipated that the systems would be deployed
during seasons when the most rainfall might be expected, and possibly recovered during the dry, intensely hot parts of the year in Texas. The actual sites
themselves might change, as well.
In fact the deployment sites required a portable solution design. Members of the project described the monitoring sites as “the middle of nowhere” and it was
not feasible to construct any infrastructure that would characterize a typical continuous monitoring solution. The system would be hand-carried to remote
locations, so equipment needed to be compact and lightweight. The system needed to be installed in less than half a day by two people. The location would
also limit site visits so the system needed to be highly durable in the Texas heat, and data telemetry was a must-have. Finally, ease of use was critical because
the equipment operators were experts in oil refining, but not necessarily in water monitoring technologies. They would work with a private contractor to handle
their data and reporting requirements.
That contractor recommended a YSI solution because of their previous experience with YSI, and the three parties (the refinery, the contractor, and YSI’s Integrated
Systems and Services) worked together to adapt an Event Monitoring System for this project. The client’s requirements were met with a system that leveraged
one of YSI’s most widely used stormwater sensors: the SonTek IQ. This all-in-one flow, total volume, level, and velocity sensor is precisely made for ease of
use. This IQ comes equipped with custom flow algorithms, carefully designed and tested to ensure the data being delivered. The IQ has 4 independent velocity
beams for accurately mapping the cross-sectional velocity profile throughout the water column. This allows for very high-accuracy flow data which is instantly
obtainable without velocity indexing in natural channels. In keeping with the need for ease-of-use, the SonTek IQ is also self-calibrating.
Page 12

The IQ was connected to a Storm 3 datalogger that would store and transmit data to YSI’s HydroSphere, enabling refinery personnel to access their data on
desktops and mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. The Storm 3 was ideal because it is so easy to use—it doesn’t require complex programming and it seamlessly
transmits data into HydroSphere. The datalogger can communicate through many types of telemetry, including cellular, satellite, and spread spectrum radio
modems. A nearby cell tower made cellular communication the best option for these sites.
HydroSphere was also an important choice from the perspective of simplicity, and in this case the contractor would set up and manage the HydroSphere
account, and give the team at the refinery full visibility of the data. Importantly it enabled the contractor to set up alerts and notifications. The sites were
remote—weather events there might not even be experienced by the team that lived in an urban centre about an hour away. In the case of a heavy rainfall event
and rising water levels, alerts would be sent to any team member, either from the contractor’s roster or at the refinery, via text or email. Sites in a state of alert
would also be visible online in HydroSphere. If an action was to be taken, notifications, and escalation of notifications to other team members, could be set up.
They could even alert on features like system battery voltage—this would help the team to schedule visits to repair or maintain the system in the event of a
power issue or unexpected change in performance. This 24/7 visibility on not just the data but also system health will help the contractor and the client to
minimize site visits.
This system is also scalable—it is easy to add sensors or monitoring sites in the future. If one the portable systems was transmitted to a new site that would be
very easy to set up in HydroSphere, without losing information about the original site where the system had been placed.
The system electronics, including the Storm 3, power system with a solar regulator, and a cellular modem, were housed in a portable data collection platform
(DCP). This rugged chest is a custom designed welded powder coated aluminum NEMA 4X enclosure able to withstand the harshest environments, yet easily
handled by two people. YSI engineers have designed an uninterrupted integrated solar power system with this enclosure which ensures long term autonomy,
and even battery voltage is reported to HydroSphere to keep tabs on system operability.
All of the system components were delivered fully assembled to make installation on site as easy as possible, and YSI could readily replicate the system for the
addition of more sites in the future. In this manner, the client will always stay abreast of their stormwater discharges
A case study of continuous monitoring
There are 16,000 miles of waterways within the Houston Galveston region of Texas, USA. These waterways provide an estimated 80% of the region’s drinking
water, however more than 80% of monitored waterways don’t meet state water quality standards.
In 1991, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) passed the Texas Clean Rivers Program—a program focused on conducting water quality
monitoring, at the watershed level, within each river basin. As part of the ongoing program, the Houston-Galveston Area council (H-GAC) serves as the regional
water quality partner for the TCEQ. They contracted the Environmental Institute of Houston (EIH) to install and maintain two continuous flow measurement
stations in the San Jacinto-Brazos and the Brazos-Colorado Coastal Basins. These sites were selected on Caney Creek in Matagorda County and Oyster Creek in
Brazoria County—both located about an hour and a half south and southeast of Houston.
Jenny Oakley is an Environmental Scientist for the EIH and leads the research team that installed the stations at both locations in February 2017, and who is
responsible for the maintenance and operation on an ongoing basis. They worked very closely with YSI’s partner in Texas, Randy Rushin and his company Water
Monitoring Solutions. Rushin suggested the Amazon bubbler for water level monitoring. This low-power system is ideal for a battery-powered station, and the
display with anti-sun glare technology is great for working in the Texas sun. The Amazon is also easily set up with the menu-driven display, and has capacitive
Page 13

touch buttons so that wet or muddy fingers won’t damage the electronics. The rugged aluminum housing would also protect the electronics and especially the
air compressor from water intrusion. The orifice line passes through a desiccant canister on its way into the water where stage would be monitored. The bubbler
measures stage height every 15 min of every day. Via a Storm 3 datalogger and a GOES satellite transmitter, gage level in feet is delivered every hour to EIH’s
team. GOES was used because cellular reception can be unreliable at these remote sites.
According to Oakley, the team needed to do preliminary work so that ultimately the Amazon’s stage data could be used to complete loading calculations.
Instantaneous discharge measurements were made using two of SonTek’s leading technologies: a SonTek Flow Tracker and SonTek M9 RiverSurveyor. These
were used to develop a flow rating curve based upon a stage-discharge relationship. Basic stream morphology data were collected, and elevation relative to the
bubbler was measured for bank full (first terrace) and flood stage (second terrace). These elevations are shown along with the gauge height data to illustrate the
water level relative to these two stage markers.
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast. This record-shattering storm battered south-eastern Texas for several days before moving
inland, causing billions of dollars in damage and catastrophic flooding that impacted thousands.
“Prior to [Hurricane Harvey] making landfall, both streams were in typical summer base-flow conditions. We didn’t remove any equipment because the storm
appeared to be heading much further south…we weren’t expecting any major impact from the storm other than rainfall,” states Oakley. “Yet, in less than four
days, the region received over 127 cm (50 inches) of rain – or approximately an average year of rainfall. My home was flooded and other staff at the Institute
experienced the intense flooding as well. The following week when we were able to make it back to work, but still weren’t able to reach any of our sites.”
Within 30 hours after the hurricane hit, both monitoring stations were above flood stage with Oyster Creek peaking at over 7.9 meters (26 feet) and Caney Creek
above 7 meters (23 feet). The roads to the monitoring sites were flooded for weeks, but the team knew that the sites were still active.
“I had been checking the real-time data and it looked reasonable,” Oakley continues. “I felt confident in what the state of equipment would be when we got out
there. I also knew what the flood stage level was, so I knew we had surpassed those thresholds by just looking at the data.”
Oakley and her team were relieved knowing the instruments at the monitoring locations were still functioning, but, unfortunately, the surrounding areas were
not as lucky. “Every single home that you drove past going to and from the [Oyster Creek] site had mountains of people’s possessions piled along the flooded
streets,” she recalls. “Drywall and flooring… furniture and mattresses…everything from their home, out along the street… the entire area was severely impacted.
The houses directly next to our site all had some sort of damage from the flood. At a certain point I became a little numb to it because I saw devastation in every
direction.”
EIH has developed a page on the university website to allow landowners in the area to see real-time gauge height and discharge measurements for nearby
waterways. This is greatly facilitated by their upgrade from YSI’s legacy Storm Central website to HydroSphere, the cloud-based platform that facilitates public
viewing of real-time data via a public URL that can be shared by EIH.
“There are some landowners that I’ve had contact with in the direct vicinity of our monitoring stations that have a second home there, don’t live there full-time
or use the land as range-land for cattle,” Oakley explained. “I know that our data were also used by a family much further downstream to make the decision of
whether or not to evacuate [during Harvey]. They were watching the gauge height in real-time to decide whether it looked like the water would get very much
higher. Luckily, it ended up not flooding in their area and people were able to stay in their homes, especially because traveling at that time could have been
dangerous.”
The Environmental Institute of Houston continues to maintain these sites and report the gage level data to the public. Real-time discharge data will be available
to the public soon at EIH’s website—thanks to a scientist with a creative mind and genuine concern for local residents.“This is a great resource to have our finger
on the pulse of our watershed,” she added. “Especially in a situation like this where it was an extreme event and lives and property were at stake.”
Page 14

Article:
5G - a game changer for
the water industry
In 2020, the deployment of 5G technology gained momentum on the global stage. Although it had been consolidated in some regions, a large number of
countries have recently begun to move beyond the pilot testing phase, transitioning to the business model. All of the technology generation changeovers (2G,
3G, 4G) have brought significant advances with them in the telecommunications industry, the functioning of public and private-sector companies, and in the
broader range of services they deliver to the market and consumers.
However, the implementation of 5G outstrips by far all previous technologies in terms of relevance and importance. According to some experts, it could even
be the new space race or the next stage of the industrial revolution, the so-called Industry 4.0. In fact, the world’s major powers —Europe, China, the United
States and Russia— are all competing to spearhead its development. The strategic nature of 5G stems from its potential to transform all fields, including, of
course, water cycle management. It represents a profound change in the way mobile networks are designed, and in the way their different uses are addressed,
resolving the difficulty of implementing use cases with increasingly disparate requirements in telecommunications networks. The ultra-flexibility of 5G networks
opens up a whole range of possibilities globally.
5Gishere.Nowisthetimetodefineandimplementusecasesthroughthenetworkdeploymentsalreadyavailabletotransformwaterinfrastructuremanagement.
5G is set to transform the way mobile networks are designed and how they are utilized. To a greater or lesser extent, 4G networks overcame connectivity and
network access (coverage) issues. In addition, they helped to transcend limits in terms of speed, understood as bandwidth, or the ability to watch videos, audios
or make a video call with a reasonable degree of quality.
Although the improvements in connectivity and speed brought by 5G will be extremely useful, when watching high quality videos (4K, 8K, 16K) or playing online
games, for example, these shortcomings could have been solved by improving the existing 4G network at a much lower cost. What truly makes 5G technology
different is that it goes beyond simply improving the functionalities already offered by 4G, and opens up new business opportunities and value-added services,
thanks to its low latency and its ability to connect millions of devices in a small area. Companies will be able to use the data obtained from business processes
in real time to make better decisions.
5G intends to solve the difficulties in the implementation of new use cases. It is the best way to harness the breakthroughs in new technologies and the increase
in use cases with very different requirements which, up to now, have had to be developed on the same infrastructure. In a world in which there will be 26 billion
devices connected by 2022, according to the consulting firm Gartner, 5G is another step on the inevitable road to digital transformation. The main elements that
set 5G technology apart from previous generational transitions are listed below
5G networks are renowned for being ultra-flexible and able to cater for needs which have very diverse characteristics. They are valid, for example, both for the
massive connection of low complexity devices (IoT or the Internet of Things), as well as for remote assistance in operating theaters using virtual reality. In the
first case, the devices send little information and do so infrequently, i.e., only a few times a day, so practically no bandwidth is required. Moreover, the fact that
no data is received has no major impact on the service. Conversely, the second case requires high bandwidth and the connection cannot fail at any time.
The use cases that can be built on 5G networks are based on the following functionalities.
• Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) supports services that require high bandwidth and good coverage. For example, ultra-quality video,
and virtual and augmented reality.
• Massive Internet of Things (MIoT) is used for services that require a large number of devices to be securely connected, such as smart cities,
farming and industry.
• Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC). This comes into its own in services that require low latency, i.e. reduced response
time, and very high reliability. It is essential in remote surgery operations and autonomous driving vehicles.
5G leverages the option to build virtual corporate networks within the network itself, a function known as network slicing. Each of these slices is created with
guaranteed service quality parameters and customized according to the specific needs of each company or organization. Their personalization, i.e., their creation
as private networks, ensures a good service, increasing their reliability and quality. Any facility will be able to have its own 5G node, which will provide a specific
network segment adapted to its own particularities.
We can attribute the existence of this adaptive network model to two technologies: network virtualization and edge computing. The former is the result of
the combination of two technologies: NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) enables applications to be deployed on one or more virtual machines, while SDN
(Software Defined Networks) centralizes the management of these distributed applications. Thanks to edge computing, or cloud computing, companies can
process data and apply decision algorithms in close proximity to the IoT devices that generate the information.
This fact, which may seem insignificant, helps to alleviate the load on cloud traffic, reduce latency and speed up data analysis in real time. This new approach to
transmitting information opens up exciting new possibilities across the board, especially when compared to the long distances that data has to travel today with
the need to send it to processing environments.
Page 16

The application of 5G is set to revolutionize industry worldwide. In the water sector, the versatility of this technology, together with progress in other areas
such as sensors, is making innovative use cases a reality. Autonomous operation of infrastructures, the use of real-time data and remote driving are just a few
examples of how 5G is set to transform water infrastructure management. These are the main use cases that we are already starting to see in the industry
Remote technical assistance - Augmented reality calls are a very interesting alternative to face-to-face technical assistance. They would eliminate the need
for experts to travel whilst providing utilities with access to highly specialized knowledge from anywhere in the world. In addition, 5G could be used to drive
autonomous vehicles for sowing and harvesting in agriculture.
Proprietary network slicing
Critical infrastructure operators will be able to apply the network slicing concept and have their own communications network. The implementation of robust,
preset quality parameters will be crucial when designing and managing use cases for these communication networks.
Improved security protocols - As infrastructure becomes more digital, utilities must be ready to stop cyber-attacks that could put the population at risk. This
technology delivers increased reliability thanks to improved security protocols. 5G will ensure network ubiquity (uninterrupted coverage) when managing
critical infrastructures.
Safe decisions close to the sensors - One of the results of a larger number of connected sensors is an increase in the volume of information available to perform
analyses, identify usage patterns and improve performance. This fact, coupled with edge computing technology, will enable algorithms to be defined to make
safe decisions close to the data-generating sensors. Decision-making will improve by using data from business processes in real time. In short, this will enhance
the performance of algorithms for process automation, energy efficiency and infrastructure maintenance, among other new applications.
Connecting millions of devices - Many of the applications and improvements that 5G will bring to water resource management are related to anything a sensor
can be connected to and transformed into data that can be transmitted. This technology can handle up to 1,000,000 sensors per km2, ensuring the coexistence
of smart meters with the digital transformation of other meters, and with smart devices on the streets and in homes. The connection of millions of devices in
a small area, thanks to MIoT (Massive Internet of Things), is one of 5G’s major innovations.
Real-time remote control - In Industry 4.0. and smart factories,autonomous irrigation and plant operation, as well as robot driving via 5G, will be commonplace.
In the area of wastewater, sewerage inspections could be conducted by drones in real time in the future, improving visibility in areas that are difficult to access
or unsuitable for operators.
Extending the lifetime of sensors - Some 5G features reduce battery consumption by up to 50% compared to current levels. This will extend the lifetime of
sensors, decreasing costs and enhancing the sustainability of the active sensor network.
Of course the utility of the future, more than likely will not use only one communication methodology especially when PSTN lines become a thing of the past
but what is sure is that 5G will at least in the short to medium term be part of the solution for the water industry
Page 17

Article:
SW
AN Corner: Building Trust Into
Water Service Agreements
Water utilities need to secure reliable infrastructure, yet often lack the internal capacity to do so, thus gaining support from external partners is becoming
increasingly important.
In service arrangements, contracts and relationships must serve as complements. A poorly written contract cannot be overcome by friendly account managers
while substandard contracts generally make for poor relationships (Goo et al., 2009). Therefore, trust is really the glue between contracts and relationships.
Trust is a combination of integrity, reliability, and mutual caring, beneficial to all types of partnerships that face risk and require constant flexibility. However,
very high trust partnerships sometimes fail to innovate. If a team enjoys a high-level of trust and mutual caring, there may be too much compromise. In such
cases, a team member would prefer to please his partner rather than to openly question the partner’s ideas, decisions, and actions (Bidault & Castello, 2010).
There are many ways a water utility can approach a service contract, which fall into two main categories: supplier product support and customer process
support. Product support services can include basic maintenance or preventive services and customer support can include training, workshops, and in-depth
collaboration.
In certain cases, customers may be more inclined to take a passive role, for example relying on autonomous, remote monitoring or advanced telematics (e.g.,
LoRa or Sigfox) managed directly by the service provider. Similarly, some customers may lack time, resources, or incentives to be actively engaged. In other cases,
customers may be heavily involved in service deployment, integrating their internal skills, staff, and time to learn about the offering in order to achieve the best
outcomes and upskill their workforce.
Thetablebelowshowsahelpfulvisualizationofthedifferenttypesof
service relationships as referenced in the 4C framework developed
by Carlborg et al. (2018). It shows examples of passive vs. active
customers and the critical success factors for each relational mode:
Caretaker, Constructor, Cicerone (Facilitator), and Consultant.
Application To The Water Sector
Caretaker: Usually relating to capital-intensive products, the
customer is willing to allow a knowledgeable party take care of its
problems or manage the equipment in question. Within the water
sector, this applies to the Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) model, in which
a technology supplier operates and maintains certain hardware
equipment to collect, transmit, and process data and the utility
only pays for the final results.
Constructor: The customer is less inclined to commit its own
resources (staff, knowledge), so the supplier engages more actively
with the customer’s processes. Within the water sector, this relates
to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, in which a technology
supplier must develop deep skills to systematically measure and
learn about the customer’s situation and internal processes.
Cicerone (Facilitator): The supplier engages and guides the
customer, who then becomes increasingly able to manage the situations alone. Within the water sector, this is performed by industry forums such as the SWAN
Forum, Cleveland Water Alliance, and specialized experts.
Consultant: The customer actively contributes its own resources and labour to solve unique challenges in collaboration with the supplier. This may include
building teams of operatives that can work together at different levels of management. Within the water sector, this applies to design engineering and consulting
firms.
To be successful, each of these roles depends on effective collaboration and co-creating value. Directly linked to this is the core issue of trust. Can water utilities
fully trust technology providers? What is the “right” level of trust, and can there be too much trust?
Page 18

Water, Wastewater & Environmental Monitoring Conference & Exhibition
Birmingham, UK
9th - 10th October 2024
WWEM is moving to the Birmingham NEC in 2024. Planning is still underway but the firm favourites like the Flow Forum,
Instrumentation Apprentice Competition and the Learning Zone will be returning as well as some surprises. Watch this space for
updates but what is sure that in its new home in Birmingham the WWEM Conference and Exhibition will be bigger than ever.
Sensor for Water Interest Group Workshops
The Sensors for Water Interest Group has moved their workshops for the foreseeable future to an online webinar format. The next
workshops are
25th January 2023 - Sensors for AMP8 and PR24 - Coventry
IWA Digital Water Summit
Bilbao, Spain
14th -16th November 2023
The highly successful IWA Digital Water Summit returns to Bilbao in November 2023 for its 2nd edition. These dates are provisional
at the moment. The 1st summit highlighted the potential and the 2nd summit will build on the first in November 2023
Sensing in Water 2023
Nottingham, UK
27th -28th September 2023
After its break due to the Covid Pandemic the Sensors in Water Group 2-day conference returns to the Nottingham Belfry to talk
about all things sensing. What this space for more updates
SWAN Forum Conference
Glasgow, Scotland
9th -11th May 2023
This year the SWAN Conference returns to the UK and specifically Glasgow with the aim this year to ask attendees to answer the
question of how to make Smart Water mainstream.
WEX Global 2023
Seville, Spain
27th -29th March 2023
Water & Energy Exchange Global is one of my favourite conferences in the calendar. This year moving from Valencia to Seville in
Southern Spain the B2B conference is bound to concentrate on what we can do to use Smart Circular Solutions to build a better
world,
Page 19
Conferences, Events,
Seminars & Studies
Conferences, Seminars & Events
2022 Conference Calendar

Water, Energy &
Climate Change
Smart Circular Solutions to
build a better world
Join us at WEX Global 2023
27th – 29th March, Seville Spain
Co-Host: Global Business Development Partner:
Welcoming Utility:
FIND OUT MORE & TO BOOK YOUR PLACE VISIT www.wex-global.com
Meet-4-Business at WEX Global
The relaxed but business focused atmosphere
at WEX Global offers the perfect environment
to grow your international network. A busy
timetable of both formal and informal
networking events will present you with an
array of opportunities to meet everyone that
is important to you.
WEX Global occupies a unique place in the water
conference calendar. Business discussions and
connections lie at the heart of WEX, along with
the principle of ‘exchange’; the exchange of
ideas, philosophies, business opportunities and
methodologies to build the strong networks that
will meet the challenges of the circular economy in
mitigating climate change, achieving net zero and
turbo-charging digital transformation.
“being part of the WEX Global
network is not an expense,
it’s an investment”
Mohsen Mortada,
President Cole Engineering
Page 20

WIPAC Monthly - January 2023.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to WIPAC Monthly - January 2023.pdf

Similar to WIPAC Monthly - January 2023.pdf (20)

More from Water Industry Process Automation & Control

More from Water Industry Process Automation & Control (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

WIPAC Monthly - January 2023.pdf