WIPAC Monthly July 2021

WIPAC MONTHLY
The Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 7/2021- July 2021

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
Unlock data to improve water distribution systems operations.......................................
An article by Jeff McKraken of Itron about leveraging the data that is collected by instrumentation in the water
distribution network and how it can be used to improve network systems operation. Originally featured as part of
the SWAN Forum
12 - 13
The race to net zero and Digital Transformation............................................................
The race to net zero is most assuredly on as a number of the water companies released their plans this month. In
this feature article we look at how we can use Digital Transformation to reach this important global goal.
14 - 16
Optimising data intelligence during heavy rain events...................................................
During heavy rainfall events the number of alarms in a control centre peaks and there is normally so much data
that it's difficult to see the wood for the trees. In this article by Isabelle Chernier we look visualisation systems to
help provide insight and improve the efficiency of wet weather management
17 - 18
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months. 19 - 20

From the Editor

As we enter the run up to COP26 which is being hosted in Scotland this year we have seen a number of the Water
Companies release their plans for how to get to "Net Zero." It is something that we must do at personal and a
professional level. I quite often assess and review people for their professional qualifications and in the past couple of
years or so one of the stock questions that has been asked is -
"How would ensure that personally and professionally that we can reach "net zero?"
In truth there is no right or wrong answer for candidates to give the question is there to test their background knowledge
of the environment outside of their area of expertise. Its there to test their free thinking. This month we have seen the
free thinking by the water industry who have set themselves a lofty target of achieving Net Zero in the next eight years.
Alot of the answers that we've seen this month will get the water industry as a whole part of the way to the solution.
For example a move to electric cars is one solution (although this can be argued that this is transferring the problem to a
more centralised manner) but in reality the key is to change behaviours. I know from myself a few years back when I got a
hybrid car it was the data in front of me that changed my behaviours. I certainly fond myself watching the fuel efficiency
and playing a game driving to try and drive as efficiently as possible. When I look at a new car something that is important to me now is how efficient it is.
In short the measurement is something that matters, If I couldn't measure my driving performance it wouldn't mean as much to me and that is where Digital
Transformation and the various technological solutions that are available to the water industry are going to be crucial. Probably the best example of this that
we can see from the water industry is the advent of smart metering. The technology is being taken advantage of with gusto at the moment with millions of
meters going in around the world each year. Why? The data is useful, it has a value that enables us to drive down consumption, to protect water resources,
use the information on leakage and hopefully produce less water as there is less demand.
That is just one area that Digital Transformation and technology can help but of course it is only one tool in the box among many. If we are truly going to
address the situation there is a personal and cultural issue to adopt and again there are technological solutions that can help. Its something that we've seen
with social engineering, gamfication and of course more recently Serious Gaming. It something that i've covered in this years feature article.
The water industry has indicated that the aim is to get there by 2030, which is a lofty and serious challenge. The next eight years are certainly going to be
interesting. Let's see where we can get to as its certainly something that needs to be addressed.
Have a good month and of course stay safe,
Oliver

SMART breakthrough in detection of coronavirus variant in
wastewater
Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART),
MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, alongside collaborators from Biobot Analytics, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), have successfully developed an innovative, open-source molecular detection method that is able to detect and quantify the B.1.1.7 (Alpha)
variant of SARS-CoV-2. The breakthrough paves the way for rapid, inexpensive surveillance of other SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater.
As the world continues to battle and contain COVID-19, the recent identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher transmissibility and increased severity has
made the development of convenient variant tracking methods essential. Currently, identified variants include the B.1.17 (Alpha) variant first identified in the
United Kingdom and the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant first detected in India.
Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a critical public health tool to safely and efficiently track the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in a non-intrusive manner, providing
complementary information that enables health authorities to acquire actionable community-level information. Most recently, viral fragments of SARS-CoV-2
were detected in housing estates in Singapore through a proactive wastewater surveillance program. This information, alongside surveillance testing, allowed
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to swiftly respond, isolate and conduct swab tests as part of precautionary measures.
However, detecting variants through wastewater surveillance is less commonplace due to challenges in existing technology. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for
wastewater surveillance is time-consuming and expensive. They also lack the sensitivity required to detect low variant abundances in dilute and mixed wastewater
samples due to inconsistent and/or low sequencing coverage.
The method developed by the researchers is uniquely tailored to address these challenges and expands the utility of wastewater surveillance beyond testing for
SARS-CoV-2, towards tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Dr Wei Lin Lee, Research Scientist at SMART AMR and first author on the paper added,
“This is especially important in countries battling SARS-CoV-2 variants. Wastewater surveillance will help find out the true proportion and spread of the variants in
the local communities. Our method is sensitive enough to detect variants in highly diluted SARS-CoV-2 concentrations typically seen in wastewater samples, and
produces reliable results even for samples which contain multiple SARS-CoV-2 lineages.”
Led by Associate Professor Janelle Thompson of NTU, and MIT Professor and SMART AMR Principal Investigator Eric Alm, the team’s research “Quantitative SARS-
CoV-2 Alpha variant B.1.1.7 Tracking in Wastewater by Allele-Specific RT-qPCR” has been published in prestigious journal, Environmental Science & Technology
Letters. The research explains the innovative, open-source molecular detection method based on allele-specific RT-qPCR that detects and quantifies the B.1.1.7
(Alpha) variant. The developed assay, tested and validated in wastewater samples across 19 communities in the US, is able to reliably detect and quantify low levels
of the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant with low cross-reactivity, and at variant proportions down to 1% in a background of mixed SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
Targeting spike protein mutations that are highly predictive of the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant, the method can be implemented using commercially available RT-qPCR
protocols. Unlike commercially available products that use proprietary primers and probes for wastewater surveillance, the paper details the open-source method
and its development that can be freely used by other organizations and research institutes for their work on wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
The breakthrough by the research team in Singapore is currently utilized by Biobot Analytics, a global leader in wastewater epidemiology headquartered in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the US, serving states and localities throughout the country. Using the method, Biobot Analytics is able to accept and analyze
wastewater samples for the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant and plans to add additional variants to its analysis as methods are developed.
“Using the team’s innovative method, we have been able to monitor the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant in local populations in the US - empowering leaders with information
about COVID-19 trends in their communities and allowing them to make considered recommendations and changes to control measures,” said Dr Mariana Matus,
Biobot Analytics CEO and Cofounder.
The SMART AMR team is also currently developing specific assays that will be able to detect and quantify the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, which has recently been
identified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.
“This method can be rapidly adapted to detect new variants of concern beyond B.1.1.7,” said co-corresponding author Professor Eric Alm of MIT and Principal
Investigator at SMART AMR. “Our partnership with Biobot Analytics has translated our research into real-world impact beyond the shores of Singapore and aid in
the detection of COVID-19 and its variants, serving as an early warning system and guidance for policymakers as they trace infection clusters and consider suitable
public health measures.”
Page 4
Industry News

450,000 NB-IoT smart water meters coming in Spain
Pollution reports fast-tracked to help protect rivers
Valencian water company Global Omnium is to deploy 450,000 next generation smart water meters utilising Telefónica narrowband IoT connectivity.
The meters will be installed for domestic and business customers in the company’s service territory across Spain, with 150,000 NB-IoT SIM cards installed from
the Spanish telecommunications operator and benefitting more than 3 million consumers.
The initiative is expected to improve the quality and efficiency of service to customers and to enable expansion of the full range of services to areas that are
currently unreachable due to lack of communications infrastructure.
The deployment should increase the frequency of meter reading from daily to hourly.
It will be implemented together with Global Omnium’s GOAigua data analysis platform, which translates consumption data into a range of services including
notices of increases in unusual consumption, alerts for water use in closed homes such as second homes, possible interior leaks and social emergency alerts of
zero consumption in homes with people living alone.
In addition, operational benefits that accrue include remote reading of consumption, predictive maintenance of the water infrastructure and other initiatives to
reduce water losses and support water saving.
“The commitment that we have been developing for more than 10 years is to unite water and technology to offer sustainable water management and the best
services for our clients,” said Dionisio García Comín, CEO of Global Omnium.
“Narrowband IoT connectivity will make it possible to democratise the service by being able to extend it to other cities and towns where up to now the
technology is such that it is necessary to deploy local [communication] infrastructures.”
The project forms part of Global Omnium’s drive to advance in compliance with government requirements to replace all water meters in Spain of over 12 years
old before 2025, in order to guarantee the accuracy of meter readings and save water.
Global Omnium previously piloted NB-IoT smart water metering in Valencia with Vodafone and Kamstrup, achieving 98% smart meter accuracy.
Customers reporting a pollution are now fast-tracked through Thames Water’s call
centre as part of its commitment to keeping rivers clean and healthy.
Changes to the company’s telephone and online channels have helped reduce the
amount of time it takes to investigate pollution incidents when they happen. There is
also now a dedicated ‘Report a pollution’ button on the homepage.
Once reported, a rapid response team will be at the scene within two hours to take
swift action. This has been reduced in many cases to under 60 minutes since the
upgrades last month.
Richard Aylard, Thames Water’s sustainability director, said: “Our aim will always be
to try and do the right thing for our rivers and for the communities who love and
value them, and we’re grateful to anyone who takes the initiative to tell us about a
possible pollution. We have made it as quick and easy as possible for people to report
something when they see it, because the sooner we can get to a problem the better.”
A pollution could be caused by an overflowing or blocked drain, or from a burst water pipe that washes a substance into a watercourse. All these types of
occurrences can potentially pose serious short and long-term impacts to the environment.
Thames Water crews carry equipment in their vans to take immediate action and can call on specialist resources if needed. But reaction time is always the most
important factor in avoiding or reducing damage to the environment.
Stuart Singleton-White, Angling Trust’s head of campaigns, said: “This initiative from Thames Water to simplify its pollution reporting and to commit to responding
more quickly is a welcome step. It would be good to see all water companies following this lead, making it straightforward for people to report and ensuring swift
action in response.
“Often time can be a crucial factor in turning a minor issue into a major one. It is why it is important for anglers and other river uses to report pollution as soon as
they see it, not to wait a few hours or days. Too often, however, the frustration has been, that after reporting, nothing happens. It is good to see Thames Water
seeking to tackle this.”
Page 5

From Satellite To Smartphone, App Warns Public Of Unsafe Water
Each year, there are 1.3 to 4 million cases of cholera worldwide, causing upwards of 140,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
In developed countries, such as the United States, people don’t generally have to worry about their water causing cholera, an acute diarrhoeal infection induced
by drinking water that is contaminated with bacteria. But in developing nations in Asia and Africa, safe water is not guaranteed, and cholera remains a major
threat to public health. Due to changing climatic conditions and recurrent natural disasters in the Bengal Delta area of Bangladesh, the population is especially
susceptible to persistent cholera and seasonal fluctuations of the disease throughout the year. With that most vulnerable population in mind, University of
Rhode Island Professor Ali Shafqat Akanda and a team of researchers have developed an application for smartphones called CholeraMap to serve as an early
warning device for cholera.
CholeraMap creates early-warning risk maps based on environmental conditions derived from NASA satellite observations. The risks are communicated to the
smartphones of villagers in Bangladesh, who had input in the design of the app. Akanda, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been
collaborating on the project with researchers from other majors at URI and those from other universities. The team at URI has spearheaded the development
of the app. Working with Akanda has been Akanda’s doctoral student Farah Nusrat; Abdeltawab Hendawi, a computer science professor; and Abdullah Islam, a
computer science doctoral student.
The lead investigator on the project is Sonia Aziz, associate professor of economics at Moravian College in Pennsylvania. Other researchers on the project include
Emily Pakhtigian, assistant professor of public policy at Pennsylvania State University; and Kevin Boyle, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at
Virginia Tech University. Akanda has been studying the link between cholera and the changes in the climate and the water environment since he was a doctoral
student at Tufts University, working with Professor Shafiqul Islam, director of the Water Diplomacy program.
The idea of using data from satellite images to track cholera was introduced to Akanda by his mentor, Professor Rita Colwell, of the University of Maryland.
Since graduating from Tufts in 2011, cholera has been a subject Akanda has been passionate about. With dozens of articles published in some of the highest-
rated journals in the field, Akanda is considered an expert on the subject. By developing the app, Akanda is hopeful that his knowledge of cholera can be used
to reach those who are at the greatest risk.
“When you write a paper, you hope many people will read it, but often it just sits in a journal,” said Akanda. “My motivation for working on the app is to actually
transfer the research into application and practice in order to make a difference in the lives of people living in vulnerable countries.”
Designed for people living in villages that are most in danger of getting cholera, the app provides three important pieces of information:
• The app displays a colour-coded map where the cholera “hotspots” are located based on environmental data monitored by satellites, such
as water scarcity, the temperature of the air and ground, and rainfall extremes
• The hotspots are categorized as low, medium or high, indicating how careful residents should be
• Recommendations are also provided on how to stay safe based on the risk levels, such as boiling water before use, not swimming or fishing
in bodies of water, and not rinsing fruits and vegetables with water that may be high in bacteria
Developers of the app plan a year-long trial by users in Bangladesh. To implement the study, there needs to be enough people with access to the technology.
As it turns out, there are communities in the targeted area that don’t have infrastructure in place for traditional communication, such as good roads connecting
landlines, but rapid development of mobile connectivity has allowed people even in those regions to gain access to cell phones.
“There’s been a huge increase in smartphone penetration in recent years because the prices of both handsets and data services have come way down,” said
Akanda.
Identifying people to test the app and educating the public on the purpose of the study has taken a grassroots effort in Bangladesh.
One of the world’s leading global health research institutes, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, known as icddr,b, based in
Dhaka, has collaborated on the project by helping to line up 1,500 people to participate in the trial. The app was developed in Bangla, the native language of
the region.
During the course of the study, a comparison will be made between those using the app and those not using it. Some of the metrics that will be tracked and
analyzed are cholera-related hospital visits, water-usage behaviour of the people in high-risk areas, the cost of treatment and lost productivity due to bouts of
diarrhoeal disease and hospital visits.
In time, the app could be implemented in other parts of the world where cholera has become a serious health risk. However, according to Akanda, the
learning curve about the infection could be a greater challenge than implementing the technology. “Cholera is a growing problem in parts of Africa, such as the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon, but the transfer of knowledge to areas not familiar with cholera is not easy,” said Akanda. Because Bangladesh
has a much longer history with cholera, the public has learned how to combat the infection with oral rehydration solutions.
The project is funded by the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization Resources for the Future under the aegis of the Valuables consortium, a collaboration
with NASA to measure how satellite information benefits people and the environment.
Page 6

Mathematical Model Predicts The Movement Of Microplastics In
The Ocean
A new model tracking the vertical movement of algae-covered microplastic particles offers hope in the fight against plastic waste in our oceans.
Research led by Newcastle University’s Dr Hannah Kreczak is the first to identify the processes that underpin the trajectories of microplastics below the ocean
surface. Publishing their findings in the journal Limnology and Oceanography the authors analysed how biofouling – the accumulation of algae on the surface of
microplastics, impacts the vertical movement of buoyant particles.
The researchers found that particle properties are the biggest factor in determining the period and characteristics of the repetitive vertical movement below the
surface, while the algal population dynamics determine the maximum depth reached.
Their findings also show that the smallest particles are extremely sensitive to algal cell attachment and growth, suggesting they are always submerged at depths
surrounding the base of the euphotic zone, the layer closer to the surface that receives enough light to support photosynthesis, or could become trapped in
large algal colonies.
In general, the results suggest that a higher concentration of biofouled microplastic is expected to be found subsurface, close to the euphotic zone depth rather
than at the ocean’s surface.
Microplastics (fragments with a diameter smaller than 5mm) make up 90% of the plastic debris found at the ocean surface and the amount of plastic entering
our ocean is significantly larger than the estimates of floating plastic on the surface of the ocean. However, it is not exactly known what happens to these
particles once they enter the ocean, and 99% of microplastics within our ocean are considered missing.
This new model has the potential to understand the distribution of fouled plastics in the ocean and therefore the ecological impact, particularly in areas of high
concentration.
Dr Kreczak, EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow at Newcastle University’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, said: “Mathematical modelling has been
extremely beneficial in identifying hot-spots for marine plastic pollution on the ocean surface. I hope this research can be a constructive step in understanding
the impact plastic pollution has below the surface and aid in the effort towards a more sustainable ocean.“
Co-Author Dr Andrew Baggaley, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, added: “This is an exciting first step in our
project to develop a comprehensive modelling framework to understand the transport of microplastic particles and their distribution in the oceans.”
Future research by the team will focus on the fluid motion in the ocean mixed layer, to allow for even more complete assessment of microplastic vertical
distributions in the ocean.
Smart sewer network pilots to enable systematic approach to
Yorkshire’s wastewater
Yorkshire Water is planning three innovative smart wastewater network pilots, which will better inform a systematic approach to the management of Yorkshire’s
wastewater. The pilots will be use cutting edge monitoring and communications technology, Digital Twins (DT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Operational
Technology (OT) solutions to improve understanding of sewer network performance, to reduce sewer flooding and pollution. This approach will enable Yorkshire
Water to pro-actively intervene, protecting customers and the environment.
One pilot will be conducted in Ilkley, where the smart monitoring, analytics and control solutions will be used to manage the flow of sewage from homes to
treatment works and, once treated, discharges back into the environment. The pilot will ultimately offer real-time, end-to-end management and control of
wastewater flows and assets, reducing intermittent discharges from CSOs, sewer flooding and improving energy efficiency to reduce carbon emissions. In
conjunction with a range of wider initiatives the smart wastewater pilot will contribute to planned river water quality improvements in the River Wharfe.
Two further areas have been identified. The first in Hadfield, Sheffield will build on the existing smart water distribution and metering scheme to reduce water
leakage and detect bursts. The smart wastewater network will use the same communication technology to monitor wastewater at an individual property level.
The data will be used with water consumption data to help determine the normal function of the sewers in a small area. This brand new approach will detect
unexpected fluctuations in flow and level, enabling blockages and other network problems to be quickly attended and resolved, reducing the potential for sewer
flooding in homes and gardens.
A further pilot scheme in Holbeck, Leeds will focus on predicting sewer network problems before they occur using increased monitoring and rainfall data,
ensuring Yorkshire Water’s teams can provide a pre-emptive response and reduce sewer flooding incidents.
Richard Kershaw, Yorkshire Water wastewater innovation programme manager, said: “The technology available to us now means we are better able to access
and analyse data from multiple sources. Ultimately, this provides us with greater visibility of what’s happening within the wastewater network so we can manage
and control it better and respond to changes quickly and efficiently.
“Each project will tackle specific issues that are important to our customers locally, but they will each offer important learning for how we manage our network
in the future and provide value to our customers throughout the region for the long term.”
Claire Green, Yorkshire Water’s manager of environment and wastewater strategy, said: “These pilot projects will increase our understanding of the performance
of the sewer network and could lead to a wide range of measures to improve the systematic approach we take to managing wastewater flows from sinks and
toilets, through our networks and treatment works, and back to the environment.
Page 7

Southern Water invests in teams and technology to tackle water
scarcity
Southern Water has increased the size of its leakage team and is employing new tools and techniques to find and fix leaks as the South East faces a future
of more people and less water as part of its commitment to halve leakage by 2050. The water company, which supplies 563 million litres of drinking water
every day to more than two million customers and treats and recycles 758 million litres of wastewater for more than four million customers in Kent, Sussex,
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has committed to triple the rate of leakage reduction.
Southern Water is making major investments in technology both to find and fix leaks to keep taps and rivers flowing as part of its commitment to both
customers and the environment.
During 2020-21, the utility installed 7,400 acoustic loggers, increased the number of find and fix teams and completed 20,000 leak repairs with 250 field staff
supported by 50 analysts and planners.
The company said it is on track to meet its commitment to reduce leakage by 15% by 2025, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 .
Since April Southern Water has fixed 5,443 bursts and leaks (1094 in Hampshire, 420 on the Isle of Wight, 1660 in Kent and 2269 in Sussex). That's the
equivalent of more than 44 leaks and bursts fixed every day.
Phil Tapping, Regional Demand Manager at Southern Water, commented:.
"We've worked hard over the last few years and have reduced the amount of treated water lost through leakage, including repairing more than 63 leaks a
day, every day, for the last year.
"It's important for people to know that we are chasing down every leak we can at the same time as we're asking them to think twice about the length of
their shower or not using a hose to water the garden or clean the car.
Millions of litres of water are saved each day by the leak alarms fitted on most water meters.
Southern Water's 200-strong leakage team also works pro-actively, moving from area-to-area and working around the clock to find and fix leaks on the
region's 13,905km of water mains.
In addition the team is now has innovative technology and new approaches to help drive down leakage faster and further.
Investments in technology include:
Acoustic loggers - During 2020-21, Southern Water installed 7,400 acoustic loggers. The sensors ‘listen' for the signature hiss of a leak and pinpoint the source,
so the teams can move in and fix the problem. In addition, new sensors are being trialled in the Sussex North area.
Advanced pressure management - Leakage is often greater when water pressure is high. Southern Water is part way through rolling out an Advanced Pressure
Management system, which should be complete in 2022. This is expected to improve leakage performance by giving the organisation better control over water
pressure across its network, including the ability to alter and optimise pressure remotely across the entire network.
Vacuum Excavation - Leakage specialist and Southern Water partner Clancy has also deployed a new method to repair leaks via a ‘Vacuum Excavation' machine.
This is expected to speed up repairs in a safe and efficient way, causing less disruption to customers and the users of the public highway. This has been successfully
used in the Southampton and Chatham areas.
Targeting household savings - Southern Water is installing 100,000 smart meters by 2025 and investing £14 million to support water-saving home visits and help
detect leaks in homes. Together, these initiatives will give customers a greater understanding of how much water they use and how they can use less, helping
them to reduce their bills while also using only what they need.
Alongside new technology, Southern Water is also changing its approach. Phil Tapping continued:
"Visible leaks may not be where big water losses are taking place. We have to go for high impact water loss - pipes deep underground or in remote areas. With
our new technology and investments in IT, which help us to analyse what's happening in the network, not only will we be able to find and fix plenty of leaks -
we'll be targeting our activity on the biggest losses."
Page 8

Meteor Communications wins £2m Scottish Water monitoring
contract
Meteor Communications has been awarded a multi-year shared framework
agreement by Scottish Water for the provision of multi-parameter wastewater quality
final effluent monitoring.
The contract has an estimated value of £2 million and follows a competitive
tendering process which began in November 2020. Bidders were invited to tender
for the supply of monitoring systems that are well suited to continuous remote
monitoring of final effluent. Flexibility was required in terms of the monitoring
parameters; the systems should be able to operate on low (ideally solar) power in
a turbulent final effluent discharge. Secure access to cloud-based data was a key
requirement, in addition to minimal levels of maintenance.
The data provided by the systems will allow operators to better understand plant
performance and resilience, and provide further insights into performance trends,
events and pollution incidents.
Following the contract award, Meteor Communications will supply ESNET
(Environmental Sensor NETwork) portable and kiosk systems in conjunction with
Xylem EXO multiparameter sondes to measure final effluent water quality. The
ESNET systems met the tender requirements and are ideal for this application - Meteor’s MD Matt Dibbs explained:
“Historically, the installation cost and on-site maintenance requirements of final effluent monitors at smaller wastewater plants have been preclusive, but
the development of ESNET systems has meant that water companies can now equip smaller rural plants with a comprehensive monitoring capability.
“There are hundreds of ESNET systems delivering water quality data from all over the UK, providing customers with high-resolution, real-time, accurate data
to manage their resources with greater confidence.
“In addition to fixed applications, portable ESNETs can also be deployed in minutes; providing users with the opportunity to easily move the monitors from
site to site in order to conduct short-term investigations and assessments.”
The contract award builds on the existing ESNET network in place with Scottish Water which is already providing data that can be viewed securely using the
MeteorCloud™ portal on a tablet, PC or smartphone. The Meteor Data Centre is integrated with Scottish Water SCADA as well as upcoming platforms to
deliver a future-proof solution.
As part of the framework, Meteor will provide training to Scottish Water personnel to build a comprehensive knowledge base around water quality monitoring
to enhance understanding of works performance.
Bristol Water to monitor dams remotely using state-of-the-art
satellite monitoring
Bristol Water will remotely monitor its 15 dams from space using pioneering DAMSAT satellite technology. The move demonstrates the water company’s
continued commitment to protecting downstream communities and ties in with the recently published Balmforth review on reservoir safety.
DAMSAT is cited in the review, which was commissioned in the wake of the near failure at Toddbrook Reservoir, as a way to help dam owners comply with the
report’s recommendations. The team behind the commercially-available system hopes that DAMSAT will increase the effectiveness of monitoring, allow better
allocation of maintenance resources, and drive down costs. Developed by HR Wallingford, DAMSAT uses satellite Earth Observation techniques – including the
analysis of spectral responses from satellite images and signals from navigation satellite systems – combined with real-time in-situ monitoring devices.
The technology can monitor and predict a host of safety indicators including: dam movement; leakage and pollution; and water level changes. Extensively
piloted on over 30 tailings and water dams in Peru, DAMSAT is designed with the user in mind, offering a suite of individual modules that can be selected to best
suit the particular dam and users’ needs. Opportunities to employ the leading-edge monitoring are considerable. Globally, nearly 60,000 dams are registered
with the International Commission for large Dams (ICOLD), which are estimated to hold 16,201 km3 of water.
Frank van der Kleij, head of asset risk and planning at Bristol Water said:
“Bristol Water is a proactive, innovative water company and dam safety is one of our highest priorities. DAMSAT will allow us to improve our surveillance and
monitoring of these critical assets.”
Craig Goff, supervising panel engineer for Bristol Water’s reservoirs and technical director at HR Wallingford said:
“The benefits of this system are immense. Having continual surveillance and early analysis of behavioural changes between visits, allows me to focus my
attention on the right area of the right site, at the right time. Bristol Water’s reservoir portfolio is safer as a result.”
Page 9

Preventing rising main pollutions through machine learning and
predictive data analytics
Mounting pressure on utilities to achieve zero pollution events has accelerated sewer investment and action planning but rising main sewers pose a unique
challenge. Better analysis of existing data can mitigate risks, says George Heywood, analytics innovation lead for technology specialist Ovarro.
Requiring particular focus will be rising main sewers – pressurised pipes that pump wastewater from a pumping station towards a treatment works. These
are high risk, critical assets but with many in the UK ageing and becoming more vulnerable to bursts, historic programmes of proactive maintenance and
investment may no longer be enough to keep up with the rate of deterioration.
Often situated in hard-to-reach, remote locations, including beneath rivers, railways and roads, and in environmentally sensitive areas, a burst rising main
can have catastrophic ecological impact, with consequences that are unacceptable in the eyes of customers, regulators and stakeholders.
Technical and logistical limitations in rising main monitoring can mean utilities are alerted – often by a member of the public - hours or even days into the
event. This is too late to take action that would prevent a pollution, so the likely result is a costly clean-up operation, financial penalties, prosecutions, and
long-term reputational damage.
Advances in data science and artificial intelligence, including machine learning, mean the sector is now able to go beyond the basics of, for example, setting
alarm thresholds on high flow rates. Sophisticated analysis of readily available data in near real-time means that much more reliable monitoring of rising
main activity is now possible.
BurstDetect, Ovarro’s cloud-based early-warning system, accepts data at a range of monitoring frequencies with an algorithm being applied to understand
and characterise ‘normal’ pumping station behaviour.. If a potential burst is detected an alert is sent to control rooms, often within 30 minutes of the incident
occurring, significantly improving historic reaction time.
This “training and testing” approach to machine learning is becoming increasingly important to water companies, giving them more actionable insight than
ever before, utilising data that may not have been fully harnessed otherwise. With so much available data, it is just not possible for humans to process and
analyse the information themselves. By having the correct technology and processes in place, the stage will be set for utilities to rapidly increase their real-
time and predictive capabilities.
Automated algorithms, such as those created for BurstDetect, can always be improved and as water companies begin to implement the technology, Ovarro’s
data scientists will work with them to assess the accuracy of alerts. By growing this dataset, through continuous feedback, BurstDetect’s algorithms can learn
and the data science teams can improve the technology continually.
Utilities have thousands of pumping stations to monitor but rising main pollution is considered inexcusable by the regulators, with the wider community
becoming increasingly sensitive to incidents that impact the environment.
Havingaccesstothelatestdigitaltechnologiesputspollutionpreventioninthehandsofoperatorsandwillplayasignificantroleasutilitiesseektodemonstrate
and deliver their commitments to environmental stewardship.
Anglian Water on track with £180m programme to install over 1
million smart water meters
Anglian Water is making rapid progress with the installation of 1.1million new upgraded water meters for homes and businesses across the region as part of a five-
year project investing more than £180 million. The water company has activated over 200,000 smart meters across the region this year to help tackle increased
water use as a result of Covid19.
Since the first lockdown in March 2020, water consumption has increased by 10%, with the average person using 146 litres of water a day, compared to 133 litres
18 months ago. This is mainly due to most people being at home resulting in toilets being flushed more, and people using more water in the garden during the
warmer weather. Anglian’s largest ever water metering installation programme will help customers better understand their water usage, plus detect leaks quicker
both on the customer side and Anglian Water networks.
Helping customers use less water forms a substantial part of Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP). The document sets out how the water
company will meet the increasing demands of customers, combined with the significant pressures of a changing climate and fast-growing population, and balance
them with the needs of the wider environment over the next 25 years and beyond. The upgraded metering programme is just one part of the plan to protect
future water resources, alongside tackling leakage and installing around 500km of new strategic water mains. Without taking this combined action the region will
face a water deficit of 30 million litres of water a day by 2025.
The mass installation programme began last year and will see this project continue over the next four years to reach their 1.1million target. With over 200,000
installed and activated so far this year, the water company is well on their way to reaching its goal.
So far, of the 200,000 new meters installed almost 15% of households have been identified as having a leak, and Anglian Water are pro-actively contacting
customers to inform them. To date, by helping customers find leaks Anglian Water has saved six million litres of water since January. The most common leaks have
been found on customer toilets, wasting around 450 litres a day.
Page 10

Public Debate On Water Pollutions 'Oversimplified
The rise of citizen science is placing increasing pressure on water companies to improve their environmental performance and protect river and bathing water
quality. The water sector must get better at communicating the challenges of tackling pollution and why there is an urgent need for better collaboration between
utilities, government bodies, regulators and customers.
This was the key message from Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee, during a keynote address at the Zero Pollutions
Conference 2021, hosted by technology consultancy Isle.
Speaking on 14 July to an audience of international water professionals, including utilities, academics, consultancies and suppliers, as well the Environment
Agency (EA), Dunne said: “The public is becoming increasingly concerned about the environment in general, and especially around the state of beaches and
rivers. Those who have responsibility for managing water need to be aware – it is not going to go away. All those who bear responsibilities need to develop robust
strategies to try to manage their contribution to these challenges. Collaboration and cooperation will be key. There needs a united voice to communicate with
the public.”
The conference, hosted by Isle to support the UK water sector as it strives to achieve ambitious pollution targets over the next five years, took place days after
Southern Water was fined a record £90m after pleading guilty to 6,971 unpermitted sewage discharges between 2010-2015.
During a panel discussion – comprising participants from The Rivers Trust, Environment Agency and a number of water companies - there was recognition
from the EA that while passionate members of the public are more engaged with environmental issues than ever - especially in the aftermath of high-profile
prosecutions - there is a risk the debate has lost nuance.
Helen Wakeham, deputy director of water quality, groundwater and land contamination, at the EA said: “The public debate on water quality and pollutions is
at risk of being oversimplified – generally people do not understand how wastewater systems work. It’s complicated, challenging and there are things people
can do individually to help. The risk is we become so focused on water company failings that we lose sight of how everyone can make a difference in preventing
pollutions.”
With a focus on how data-driven decision-making and smart technologies can help tackle pollutions, the conference also included presentations from Brian
Moloney, managing director of technology company StormHarvester, on how artificial intelligence and smart systems can move us towards zero pollutions. Also
speaking was Anna Boyles, head of performance, risk and optimisation at Thames Water, who explained the company’s intelligence-led approach to pollution
reduction.
Other speakers included Richard Martin, pollution & flooding systems architect at Southern Water, who presented on proactive intervention measures and
how the company have been using their enhanced signals pumping station to pro-actively identify deterioration before failure. The benefits of using an event
duration monitoring improvement approach was discussed by Erica Brown, Head of Environmental Performance at United Utilities. Anglian’s Melissa Tallack,
head of data & digital services, and tactical operations manager Colin Usherwood, gave a rundown of their pollution control centre and cutting-edge mobile
reporting app for field staff.
Thanking participants after the event, Isle’s UK managing director Dr Ben Tam said: “The industry is working hard to tackle this issue and companies like
StormHarvester are out there helping to reduce pollutions. Nationally as a sector we need to engage more with the public - the debate has shifted and evolved.
“There is lots to do, and lots we can do together. With advances in new technologies, increased investment and greater collaboration inside the sector and with
third parties we will get to zero pollutions.”
Aquarius Spectrum To Provide Leak Detection Services In
Singapore
Aquarius Spectrum, a leading provider of water leak detection and pipe condition assessment solutions, will deploy its innovative acoustic monitoring system
(AQS-SYS) on Singapore's drinking water supply network. Aquarius Spectrum’s solution was part of the proposal submitted by its local partner, which was
awarded the tender by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency for provision of leak detection services.
Aquarius will provide 900 hydroponic sensors to be installed on Singapore's large water mains – with diameters ranging from 500mm to 2,200mm. These
sensors, designed specifically for underground installation, will perform leak monitoring on approximately 400km of the water pipeline for the next 5 years.
The hydroponic sensors detect and record the sounds within the pipe, sending them directly to a cloud-based server for analysis using a wireless network and
special algorithms. The results are translated to system alerts including a detailed GIS map of identified leaks and their estimated size. A unique feature of the
AQS monitoring system is an automatic correlation between every two measuring sensors, generating reliable and accurate results in a very short of time.
“Aquarius is proud to deliver to PUB the gold standard performance in leak detection in a large-scale project, having successfully provided leak detection services
in all five continents”, said Naama Zeldis, CEO of Aquarius Spectrum”. “Aquarius allows utilities around the world to significantly reduce their Non-Revenue
Water and their operational costs by providing accurate and continuous data on the quality of the pipe system, on points of vulnerability and on potential and
actual leak events.”
“The best way to minimize water losses, optimize the water network asset and avoid unnecessary capital investments such as emergency treatments and piping
replacement, is by taking a proactive approach, while implementing data-driven tools and big-data analysis”, added Zeldis.
Page 11

Article:
Unlock Data To Improve Water
Distribution System Operations
Water distribution system infrastructures are designed to deliver drinking water to end users, but utilities are continually faced with distinct challenges to
fulfill this fundamental objective. For example, these utilities improve customer service by delivering water with high pressure, but on the other hand, water
conservation policies push them to minimize water distribution leaks. For this reason, water utilities invest heavily in SCADA and telemetry technologies to
support operational decisions. However, unlocking historical operational data and fusing it with other data (such as billing information from AMR/AMI networks)
to generate actionable insights has proven difficult.
Deploying Sensors And Smart Meters And Mining Value From Their Data
The use of digital solutions and sensors has revolutionized several industrial sectors. The water industry has the potential to benefit from these technologies.
Water utilities will need to rapidly transform to accommodate future demands, such as minimizing water losses, managing pipe assets, and better engaging end
users.
To do this, they’ll need to effectively deploy the right advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) — including both sensors and smart meters, as well as an
overarching network layer that makes it possible to properly leverage data from those sensors and smart meters. Like other sectors, the water industry has been
gradually deploying sensors in select locations, such as pump stations and water tanks. Going forward, however, water utilities will need to deploy sensor and
smart meter tech more broadly across their physical infrastructure, distribution networks, and at customer endpoints. For example, using sensors to measure
water pressure and water quality. So far, this has proven costly and difficult for water utilities relying on traditional SCADA infrastructure.
In addition to the challenge of deploying and connecting sensors and smart meters throughout their infrastructure and distribution networks, it can be hard to
manage and make sense of all the data these components collect. Even limited sensor deployments (at pump stations and water tanks) produce a large volume
of data. Once water utilities expand these deployments, they’ll have far more data being generated. To gain value from that data, water utilities will need the
ability to organize, manage, visualize, and analyze it — as well as run advanced applications, like machine learning (ML), on that data.
Manage Data With A Comprehensive Overlay Network
Ultimately, water utilities are tasked with a massive digital transformation effort that will allow them to leverage a variety of disparate data sources to efficiently
manage their resources. To execute this shift, water utilities need to adopt an end-to-end, cloud-based software platform. This type of solution will make it
much easier to deploy, connect and scale up data-driven components that help operate their physical layer of pipes, pumps, reservoirs, and valves.
As noted above, one of the most difficult parts of leveraging sensors and smart meters is managing and gaining value from all the data being collected by
these components. To address that problem, the right AMI platform should support a comprehensive top network layer. This layer sits above both the physical
infrastructure layer and the utility/customer database layer. This overarching network layer makes it possible to manage all the data they are collecting in a
single place, enabling utilities to visualize, analyze, and run ML on that data.
With these capabilities, utilities can leverage sensors and data technologies across the entirety of their water networks, including water sources, production,
transmission, distribution, consumer endpoints, and even internal piping. Leveraging all this data unlocks potent new insights about water networks from top
to bottom, supporting better operations through better knowledge and tighter control of the network’s extensive and complex assets.
The key here is that the network becomes cleanly layered. At the bottom are sensors, remote control, and enterprise data sources; in the middle are data
collection and communications technologies; and sitting at the top is the comprehensive data management component, which provides the display, integration,
and analytics capabilities. The overarching top layer benefits both the bottom and middle layers equally: Water utilities gain accurate and instant consumption
data, which helps streamline the billing process and improve revenue. Overall, by getting clear insights from sensor and smart meter data, water utilities can
pro-actively manage their distribution assets in a timely manner.
Putting It To The Test With Real-World Use Cases
This approach can help water utilities address two key challenges: (a) improving operational visibility and (b) leak management. To use a real-world example, a
utility recently had physically deployed district metering areas (DMA), but had major gaps in operational visibility. To remedy this, they implemented a cloud-
based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that allowed them to integrate data from several sensors (including sensors measuring both water pressure and
flow rate) and gain real-time visualization of this data. In addition, the utility was able to calculate key performance indicators (KPIs) from a water balance table.
Managing their data in real time, the utility was able to establish continuous feedback to monitor infrastructure performance, helping them focus resources and
time on specific areas of improvement. The solution ultimately saved the utility 26 gallons per connection per day.
Another example is a water utility that leveraged DMAs to gain insights into the health of its water distribution system. By managing their network from the top
down, the utility was able to gain better operational visibility and even use advanced applications like hydraulic modelling. In addition, with greater visibility into
its network, the utility was able harnesses meter data to quickly identify and respond to potential leaks. With access to innovative algorithms and dashboards,
the utility now holistically manages devices, software, and services to combat apparent and real water loss.
Page 12

Improving Water Operations With Technology
Like energy and gas companies, water utilities face increasing operational and service challenges today. To address these challenges and streamline operations,
water utilities are deploying sensors, smart meters, and other components that gather massive amounts of data in real time. For those efforts to pay off, utilities
need to integrate and organize that data in a centralized location. With a cloud-based SaaS platform, these utilities can create a comprehensive top network
layer to manage, visualize, and analyze all their data. In addition, they can integrate this solution into their business processes to track actions and generate
meaningful results that will reduce operational costs. Having a holistic platform at the top layer helps to improve the effectiveness, longevity, and reliability of
the underlying physical water network while also boosting cost efficiencies across the organization.
About this article
This article was written by Jeff McKraken of Itron and was part of the SWAN Forum "SWAN Corner series"
SWAN, the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN), is the leading global hub for the smart water sector. A UK-based non-profit, SWAN brings together leading
international water utilities, solution providers, academics, investors, regulators, and other industry experts to accelerate the awareness and adoption of
“smart,” data-driven solutions in water and wastewater networks worldwide. Learn more at www.swan-forum.com.
New Web Platform For Planning Flood Prevention In Cities
Heavy rain and flooding are currently making headlines - as they did last winter. Floods like these, but also rising sea levels and storm surges, together with
storms, represent the greatest natural hazard in terms of economic damage and can also threaten life and limb. SaferPlaces, a new web service for flood
prevention, will help cities and municipalities to identify areas at risk and to plan protection and prevention measures systematically and efficiently, for example
on buildings, dikes or by creating infiltration areas. The interactive online tool is being developed within the framework of the EU Climate-KIC initiative with the
participation of the GFZ Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences and is already available as a prototype. It relies on open data and is based on new
climatic, hydrological and hydraulic, topographical and economic modelling techniques.
As climate change progresses, extreme weather events are increasing, making flood and flood prevention a permanent task in many regions of Europe as well.
In densely populated cities and towns, the damage potential is particularly high.
Information on the extent, frequency and consequences of floods is becoming an essential basis for urban planning. To enable municipalities to plan protection
and prevention measures in a targeted and efficient manner, a web-based tool for this purpose has been developed as part of the three-year EU project
SaferPlaces. Under the leadership of the consulting company GECOSistema, and with participation of the GFZ, three other research institutions and universities
are involved in the project, as well as three other companies and the three pilot cities of Cologne (Germany), Rimini (Italy) and Pamplona (Spain).
"What is special about our system is the platform idea," says Kai Schröter, who heads the project at GFZ. "The effects of measures can be calculated and
presented directly on our platform, from the inundation to the loss incurred. Corresponding scenarios can thus be played out and discussed directly by the
multi-disciplinary teams in planning meetings, for example." User workshops have already taken place in Cologne with the municipal drainage companies, flood
protection authorities and insurers.
To ensure that this works quickly and easily, all calculations take place in the web cloud: The users do not need any extra software, but only a browser to enter
the available data. "In this way, we also want to explicitly address smaller cities and municipalities and make our tool usable in many countries and cities,"
Schröter emphasises.
The calculations are based on open data, i.e. generally available data sets such as precipitation amounts and frequency, discharges and water levels of rivers and
the sea, frequency of rainfall, flow rates in rivers as well as the short- and long-term forecasts that already exist for the next two to three decades. In addition,
there is information on topography, the landscape and infrastructure of the respective regions.
First of all, the hazards and damages can be mapped: Where does the greatest damage occur? Where does the water spread when heavy rain falls, rivers burst
their banks or sea levels rise? Which buildings and infrastructures are affected and how?
Measures can then be planned on this basis. They range from modifications to existing buildings, such as raised buildings and sealed basement windows and
entrances, to new or improved dikes and flood protection shields, to the creation of decentralized retention areas and infiltration ditches such as low-lying
parks and green spaces that can remain flooded for weeks if necessary. In order to be able to directly simulate the effects of the measures on the platform, the
researchers - in contrast to existing software and modelling systems - explicitly pursued simplified calculation approaches. In order to keep the computing effort
low, they had to develop algorithms that require as little computing capacity as possible.
While other project partners modelled natural hazards such as pluvial, fluvial and coastal flooding taking into account the topography, i.e. the shape of the
landscape, the GFZ research focused on modelling damage to residential and commercial buildings. For this, additional information on the type of land use,
building types such as detached houses or commercial buildings, but also on the socio-economic characteristics of the inhabitants such as their income level
were taken into account. "Since we use probabilistic models, we can also describe the uncertainty associated with the predictions," Schröter emphasises.
The first phase of the project ended in July. "The three original pilot applications are running and are already quite mature, also in terms of user friendliness,"
Schröter sums up. In the meantime, further case studies have been added with Fuenlabrada and Coslada (Spain), Milan and Cervia (Italy), as well as Byronbay
(Australia).A global application of flood hazard calculations is also possible now.
Page 13

Feature Article:
The "Race to Net-Zero"
and Digital Transformation
Introduction
This month in England & Wales we have seen a number of the water & sewerage companies publish their strategy documents for the “Race to Net Zero,”
explaining to the general public how they are going to reach the lofty goal by 2030. The size of the challenge is somewhat staggering but it is a challenge that
needs to be faced and achieved – with most saying they are going to achieve it in the next 8 ½ years. The global target of achieving it by 2050 is hard enough
and even if we limit the target to net operational carbon then to borrow the phrase from when I was at Anglian Water it is a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.”
But let’s take a step back and define what net zero is which is the pledge that all companies involved have to take which is on the IPCC website
Pledge at the head-of-organization level to reach (net) zero GHGs as soon as possible, and by mid-century at the latest, in line with global
efforts to limit warming to 1.5C. Set an interim target to achieve in the next decade, which reflects maximum effort toward or beyond a
fair share of the 50% global reduction in CO2 by 2030 identified in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C.
Underneath the pledge there are few rules to follow as well and these are important:
1. In the transition to (net) zero, prioritize reducing emissions, limiting any residual emissions to those that are not feasible to eliminate.
2. Clearly specify what sinks or credits are used to make what, if any, neutralization claims, clarifying how sinks and credits are used both on
the path to (net) zero, and after (net) zero is obtained. Any neutralization of residual emissions must transition to permanent removals by
the time (net) zero status is achieved.
3. Encourage immediate contributions to the preservation and restoration of natural sinks, not necessarily linked to neutralization claims.
4. Ensure that any credits achieve robust outcomes for additionality, permanence, and accounting, and do not undermine social justice or
harm biodiversity
Most, if not all, of the water companies have pledged to reach net-zero and have bravely set out plans on how to do it but how can Digital Transformation
contribute to it and how can we use it, as an industry, to help us get there.
A synopsis of the plans so far
If we look at the published plans so far there are a wide range of statistics and number and promises that have been made. Looking at them all, in terms of the
clear definition of the target that has to be reached has been the plan from Thames Water
Figure 1:The Thames Water Challenge to Net Zero
Page 14

The reason I, personally, like it so much is it clearly states what they've done so far and what the remaining challenge is. Reading off the graph in figure 1 taken
from Thames Water's "Journey to Net Zero" document that they have released the target is around 260ktonnes of CO2 equivalents. Now reading through the
rest of the document and even the documents provided by the water & sewerage companies so far it reminded me very much of the strategy that I was taught
at Kingston University a few decades ago and that was the "Three R Principle" quite literally:
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
Why do I say this? Well when you look at the plans they are all about
• reducing the emmissions from the wastewater treatment system by increasing the efficiency of the processes
• reduce greenhouse gases from fugitive emmissions with a special reference to Nitrous Oxide which is a strong GHG produce from activated
sludge plants
• reduce the impact of business operations by switching to electric vehicles
• Reuse the products that can be generated
• Recycle heat from sewage and final effluent to supply to others
• Reduce water and wastewater demands
• Reuse the biomethane that is produced by using gas to grid
and so the list goes on and in short I am sure over the next few years things will change and ideas will develop to see how close that the industry can get to the
target and how much of the net zero will have to be achieved by using carbon credits in at least the short-term.
What about the Digital Transformation?
IdidpromiseyoutomentionhowDigitalTransformationcanhelpinachievingNetZeroandhaven'tmentioneditsofar.WellbeforethetermDigitalTransformation
existed (ten or so years ago) the Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research produced a paper about the Wastewater Treatment Plant of 2030 and very much
talked about the "Production Factory" approach for wastewater treatment. It was a lofty goal and looked at the various products that we can produce from
the wastewater treatment plant including energy, water, biosolids and potentially in the future a whole lot more. There target was 20 years and arguably they
had already achieved it last year, only ten years later. In fact research by KWR and TU Delft have identified products that we can produce from the wastewater
treatment process.
The production factory needs monitoring, like any factory you have to monitor "the product" that you are producing and make adjustments to the process. This
is basically process based control a concept that the Environment Agency wanted to use as part of their OPRA (operator performance risk assessment) around
15 years. The concept was that you control a wastewater treatment works very much around process control parameters which, as long as the wastewater
treatment works remained between, the product produced would be "acceptable". At the time it wasn't financially viable, it was a great concept but the benefits
of running a wastewater treatment works in that way. Even the largest of treatment works didn't provide a sufficient enough benefit and perhaps the technology
wasn't particularly ready. However, with the value of the "Race to Net Zero" and the environmental benefit combined with the reduction in cost plus the value
of the products that are produced may just make it a concept that needs reviving.
This is especially the case when we look at not just the wastewater treatment plant but we look at the whole wastewater system and we take into account the
pressures around pollution that have recently come to ahead coupled with work done by the University of Exeter around 5-6 years ago now. In that work one
of the conclusions is that we, as industry "could get a better environmental benefit for less of a financial cost" by regulating using process-based control of the
wastewater system.
In short it was ensuring that spills from CSOs don't happen and treat as much wastewater flow (and load) through the wastewater treatment works. By running
the wastewater treatment works at peak efficiency by operating on a process-based control then we get better overall environmental benefit by reducing
pollution load and by reducing the impact of the treatment works.
All of this sounds impossible but its not and there are case studies from the past 15 years of technologies that have been broadly badged under the terms
Smart Water or Water4.0 that help achieve all of this. Researchers for many years have realised the benefits of Multi-Variate Process Control and its seeing
a resurgence under the broad term of "Artificial Intelligence" (it broadly under this terms as its uses Artificial Neural Networks) and this can help control a
wastewater treatment plant (or indeed a whole system) based upon the performance of different aspects in different conditions. Even if we use a Real Time
Control System that will concentrate on one part of the wastewater treatment process or multiple parts if different controllers are use then the savings that can
be realised increase the efficiency of the wastewater treatment works, reduce the stress on the process (and reduce the nitrous oxide emissions) and provide a
credit in the "net zero" column.
All of this is before we even consider the environmental benefit of reducing the pollution affect through the wastewater collection system and providing a balance
in the wastewater treatment works. Basically at the moment there are nutrient control schemes that see the phosphorus consent reduced to under 0.5mg/L.
Technologies have developed and it is possible but if we use upstream thinking, control the network to reduce the pollution load, is it actually something that
we need to do or is it something that we can do by looking holistically at the whole system.
Page 15

In the "Race to Net Zero," this is just one aspect of treating the wastewater system in what it actually is....a system of systems that if we get it right we can address
a whole range of problems that the industry is currently (and has always) faced from efficiency, to pollutions to in reality the environmental cost of what the
industry does and in the medium to long run make sure that the impact that the industry has in providing sanitation for all and improving public health is most
assuredly in the positive column.
Going a step further?
Controlling the system, producing products and reducing the impact that the industry has isn't going to go far enough. Even if we implement Digital Twins of
whole systems and control things absolutely perfectly we are still not going to get to Net Zero by 2050 let alone the target of 2030. The need for offsetting by
using carbon credits, although regrettable will become a reality. The key is not all within the immediate power of the water & sewerage companies and this is
where the engagement with the customer comes in much more forcibly that ever as is upstream thinking as is Government policy and collaboration with other
industries.
Over the past decade or two the water industry have undertaken some great customer engagement programmes from "The 3P campaign, Bin the Wipe and
"Slug it Out" to social engineering and more recently Serious Gaming." It is in these campaigns and in these battlegrounds that some serious savings can be
made by helping to avoid sewer abuse and stop dangerous chemicals from getting into the wastewater system all the way to the massive programmes of smart
water meters going into the ground in both previous asset management periods and the current projects happening across the industry. Smart Water meters do
drive down the amount of water used but also most importantly help the water companies identify areas of customer side leakage. This does drive down bills
and revenue for the water companies but help with the water resource issue. Work at Thames Water has shown that the PCC target of 100L/hd/day is not only
achievable but is actually happening but it is customer-side leakage that is skewing the figures to make the PCC look alot worse that it actually is.
The impact of this is potentially huge, treatment works and the whole system is designed using PCC and so the higher that it actually looks the bigger the assets
are and the larger the embodied carbon is in the capital assets that are built each and every year. To change designs is again to limit the impact that the industry
has. PCC has also been influenced by social engineering that can again limit the volume of water that is consumed each and every day.
Innovation has also been tasked to bridge the gap that is there between what we can achieve to get as close to net zero as we can and the end goal. It was a
few months ago when I sat down with Mehdi Khoury of the University of Exeter and talked about "Toy Town" and his most recent Serious Game which basically
showed the water and wastewater system and the Circular Economy. Now the game wasn't quite finished but we played for an hour or so and the greatest
reductions we could achieve were not within the collection or distribution system nor at the treatment works. The greatest impact was with the customer. A
change from one sort of shower to another massively reduced or increased the impact that the customer had on the system as a whole.
I've always looked at Denmark as one of the leading countries in the world in terms of environmental responsibility and some of the case studies that come
from there are truly amazing but overall its a cultural issue. The PCC is around 101 litres per person per day domestically and non-revenue water is less than
10%. In fact any water supply company with losses over 10% are charged a penalty tax. This is something that has been in place since 1993. Quite simply poor
environmental performance is not tolerated. What this means is that environmentalism is simply embedded into the culture. The "Race to Net Zero" is simply
a given.
In the UK we miss some of these tricks, why are all new households not automatically fitted with smart meters be it water, gas or electricity, why are all new
homes not fitted with a device that allows the homeowner to track (a) the costs of what their utilities are helping them to manage their own bills and (b) showing
the customer the environmental impact that they are having
If we are going to reach the target of Net
Zero it is going to take the water industry
to change massively but it also going to
take a change in the way that people
think and interact with the environment
working towards reducing the impact
that we all have on the environment.
This is the case with the water industry
and in reality every industry and also in
the way that we live our lives.
Digital Transformation can gives us some
of the tools to achieve the end goal of
living in a "Net Zero" way
Figure 2 Water consumption in Denmark
Page 16

Case Study:
Optimizing Data Intelligence
During Heavy Rain Events
The City of Orlando Streets and Stormwater Division is responsible for maintaining and improving drainage facilities to prevent flooding and ensure all receiving
water bodies meet state and federal water quality standards. They oversee upwards of 100 lakes within the City and approximately 147 drainage wells with
70 monitoring stations for lakes and waterways, and have 23 rainfall stations collecting data by telemetry over a cellular network. The Streets and Stormwater
Division keeps two million people safe from flooding during heavy summer rainfalls and periodic tropical events.
As cities move to more electronic monitoring and automation, there is an enormous amount of water data received on a daily basis, which can be extremely
cumbersome to access and manage across all the departments. The City of Orlando’s existing data management was largely done in Excel and lacked any form of
data defensibility. Additionally, the current system and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process were labour-intensive, preventing capacity for program
expansion.
In recent years, the City has experienced more high-intensity rain events that have caused localized flooding during the summer rain season. These events coincide
with an increase in the number of customer complaints that demand immediate response to ensure citizen safety and welfare. As the City was able to measure
these rainfall events, they began to look for ways to turn this data into an actionable asset. To do this, they would need a robust data management and decision-
support system that would allow them to expand their monitoring program, provide data defensibility, streamline data management and QA/QC, and help them
turn their data into practical insights.
The City implemented Aquarius to manage their data and publish information to all stakeholders. By connecting to sensors in real time, the software automatically
imports and integrates data, giving operators a continuous stream of central intelligence without manual input. The platform keeps permanent records of original
data and data quality is tracked with qualifiers and quality grades, giving operators the ability to compare raw and corrected data on a single chart and defend
or retrace data with an automatic audit log. Operators can centrally manage data from all monitoring network locations, ensuring a single source of truth from
disparate data sources.
Hensley Henry, Aquarius Administrator for the City, who was responsible
for setting up and configuring the system said, “In the past, evaluating the
impact of these heavy rain events required multiple spreadsheets and hours
of manual effort. Now, with the push of a button, the software can create
and retrieve customized intensities to evaluate isolated street flooding and
protect the City against liability.”
The program can calculate derived data in real time and run rating curves,
calculate aggregates, and fill gaps in a matter of seconds. It is also capable
of building more sophisticated multi-input time-series models. Aquarius
pulls historical statistics and can visualize all types of data in different forms,
including meteorological data.
The data is easily accessible in real-time through an online dashboard for all
stakeholders to prioritize and focus their efforts where needed. To broaden
the sharing of data, in 2019 the City chose to make rainfall and stage
information available to the public through https://hydrology.orlando.gov/.
“The new platform has boosted the value of our monitoring operations by
making it easy to share data with citizens and actionable to professionals,”
said Richard Lee, Stormwater Assistant Division Manager for the City of
Orlando. Meaningful context (e.g., lake elevation criteria) and comparisons
with historical data help transform current data into information and provide better insights during episodic events to guide management actions. By utilizing
alerts and notifications based on custom levels, the City is pro-actively forecasting potential problems.
Internally, this means the overall efficiency for the team has improved.
“We are able to trust the timely delivery of data, enabling us to be
proactive, not reactive, and eliminate ad hoc data requests,” said Lee.
Efficiency has improved as the guesswork is removed from field visits.
“We now know what to look for and how to respond based on the
data. For example, a lot of rain in a certain area is likely to cause street
flooding because of debris obstructing storm drains. Reviewing the
data allows us to determine if the flooding is caused by an under-
designed system, or if it is simply an occurrence due to Mother
Nature. For this case, we will dispatch crews to the area before we get
customer complaints,” concluded Lee.
Flooding can also give rise to water-quality issues. The City is in the
process of expanding its water-quality data management through the
same platform which will then give stakeholders and citizens access to
things like nutrient levels, bacteria counts, and turbidity. At a glance,
citizens will be able to assess the health of Orlando’s waterbodies.
Alerts can be set so stakeholders can react to elevated E. coli values
Being able to visualize rainfall intensities on a map helps crews with maintenance checks for
flooding and gives residents insight on areas to avoid during these events.
Dissolved oxygen is one of the most important indicators of water quality and is essential for the sur-
vival of fish and other aquatic organisms
Page 17

and be made aware of nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll concentrations that exceed the state’s surface water quality standards. Stakeholders will be able
to evaluate the system quicker and develop management tools to help improve the water quality.
The City’s team now has time to catch up on important administrative tasks and work on plans to incorporate stormwater flow data into Time-Series. This tool
allows the City to centralize vast amounts of hydrologic time-series data, discrete measurement data, and complex river gauging measurements from various
locations. It makes it easy to integrate, import, and enter data quickly so they can effectively manage all their environmental information on one platform.
Aquarius has a unique portfolio of features for real-time sanity checking, error detection, data cleaning, and rating shift management.
“At some point in the future, we would also like to add contour elevations in order to correlate lake stages with topographic, bathymetric, and basic water quality
information for general purposes. Having this information will allow us to set the flooding levels at each location and have a better handle on the stage, area,
and discharge characteristics for each lake,” said Lee.
Maintaining and operating the City’s roadways and right-of-ways and ensuring efficient and safe transit on all City streets and pedestrian ways, as well as
maintaining and improving the City’s drainage facilities, all falls on the shoulders of the Streets & Stormwater Division. Having timely and accurate information
to empower better, faster decision-making helps guarantee public safety and government compliance.
About this article
This article was written by Isabelle Chenier and was part of the SWAN Forum "SWAN Corner series"
Isabelle Chenier the Strategic Accounts Manager for Aquatic Informatics (aquaticinformatics.com), which provides software solutions that address critical data
management, analytics, and compliance challenges for the water industry.
SWAN, the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN), is the leading global hub for the smart water sector. A UK-based non-profit, SWAN brings together leading
international water utilities, solution providers, academics, investors, regulators, and other industry experts to accelerate the awareness and adoption of
“smart,” data-driven solutions in water and wastewater networks worldwide. Learn more at www.swan-forum.com.
DWR To Use Innovative Airborne Technology To Map State's
Groundwater Basins
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is using an innovative, helicopter-based technology to gather information about the state’s groundwater
aquifer structure to support drought response and the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
DWR’s use of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys advances Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio goal of using technology to support the State’s
understanding of groundwater resources.
“The data collected during these surveys will provide a better understanding of California’s groundwater systems, and in turn support more informed and
sustainable groundwater management and drought preparedness and response approaches,” said Steven Springhorn, DWR’s SGMA Technical Assistance
Manager.
Beginning this month, DWR will conduct AEM surveys of groundwater basins in the Salinas Valley, Paso Robles and Cuyama Valley. During the surveys, a low-
flying helicopter tows a large hoop with scientific equipment approximately 100 feet above the ground surface. The helicopter, flown by experienced and
licensed pilots, will make several passes over the survey areas and may be visible to residents.
Surveys will be conducted over the next several years in high- and medium-priority groundwater basins around the state, where data collection is feasible.
Survey data creates an image of the subsurface down to a depth of about 1,000 feet below ground surface and provides information about large-scale aquifer
structures and geology. This information supports the implementation of local groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs), which can help local agencies sustainably
manage groundwater during drought. For more information, please watch DWR’s short 2-minute video on the introduction to the AEM method, provided in
both English and Spanish.
Page 18

Water, Wastewater & Environmental Monitoring Virtual
13th - 14th October 2021
The WWEM Conference & Exhibition has been changed to a virtual conference and exhibition for 2021 and a physical conference
and exhibition in 2022. Details on WWEM Virtual will be released in the coming months but it is sure to include huge amount of
technical workshops and events for attendees to enjoy.
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
29th September 2021 - How to get the best value out of sensors
20th October 2021 - Comms & protocols for sensors
Future Water Association - Network November 2021
5th - 25th November 2021
Future Water is excited to introduce Networks November 2021 – a series of webinars comprising of leading industry keynotes,
knowledge bites and technical presentations, taking place on 5th, 19th, and 26th November. Following on from the success of
Future Water Networks, we are launching Networks November to be a focal point for forward thinking about all things water, pipes
and sewers!
WEX Global 2022
28th February - 2nd March 2022 - Valencia, Spain
The WEX Global Conference. Sponsored by Idrica is currently due to take place in Valencia in Spain in June 2021. The conference
concentrates on the circular economy and smart solutions to resolve some of the global water industry's issues
Page 19
Conferences, Events,
Seminars & Studies
Conferences, Seminars & Events
2021 Conference Calendar
Due to the current international crisis there has been a large amount of disruption in the conference calendar. A lot of workshops have
moved online at least in the interim and a lot of organisations are using alternative means of getting the knowledge out there such as
webinars popping up at short notice. Do check your regular channels about information and events that are going on. Also do check on
the dates provided here as they are the best at the time of publishing but as normal things are subject to change.

WIPAC Monthly July 2021

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WIPAC Monthly July 2021