WIPAC Monthly June 2020

WIPAC MONTHLYThe Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 6/2020- June 2020

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
Wastewater-based epidemiology: wastewater as a reflection on society.......................
Wastewater-based epidemiology is something that has been studied for a long time with experts using it to study
levels of pharmaceuticals, narcotics and other things within the wastewater environment. With the onset of
Covid-19 it has of course been used as an early warning system for the onset of the pandemic in urban areas. This
article looks at the methodology to achieve this in a science that is rapidly developing to deal with a pandemic.
12-13
Foundations for building a Digital Twin for Water Utilities...........................................
This article was originally published with the SWAN Forum in a consortium that was led by Gigi Karmous-Edwards.
The article looks at the fundamental components of the Digital Twin technique and gives readers an insight in
what can be done and how to achieve it.
14 - 21
Covid-19 and wastewater utilities.................................................................................
In this article by Itai Boneh of Kando we look at the need for digitisation of the wastewater network in both the
pandemic and post=pandemic era that the wastewater industry is now facing
22-23
The end of the twisted pair: Preparing for the PSTN replacement...................................
The private line is ending in industry in general and despite this fact there are still a huge number of PSTN lines still
in active service. In this article by satellite specialists, Wireless Innovation, we look at the options for what is going
to replace PSTN lines which are the arguably the most common communication method still in use.
24-27
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months. 28-29

From the Editor
Over the years I have caught myself saying to people that an innovation, a method, a process is “ahead of its time.”
you can see that it is ready but the people who are going to buy it or use it are just not ready as yet to invest in that
decision. If you are about in the water industry, going to different meetings and panels you can’t help but see it. Before
the recent crisis I used to a lot of this and that has now moved to online forums, webinars and the likes. It is not quite
the same as you don’t have the personal chats that you normally do at these events. However I knew if I saw something
interesting that it would be more or less mainstream in somewhere between 3-5 years. Of course what sat behind
that product or process that was “ahead of its time” was years of work in research laboratories, development labs and
manufacturing to get that end product. This is something that is seen in research too and I remember going to a meeting
about six or seven years ago when the subject of micro-plastics coming up. At the time it was a discipline that wasn’t
really thought about as horrific as it maybe. However the environmental awareness hit and the subject of micro-plastics
suddenly became mainstream. And where we think of micro-plastics then we can think of a number of different things
including anti-microbial resistance (AMR), FOG & unflushables. With the recent crisis the discipline around wastewater
based epidemiology (WBE) has hit the news.
Now wastewater based epidemiology is not new. I’d certainly not heard it called WBE but I had heard people talking about the amount of pharmaceuticals
in the wastewater network along with the amount of illicit drugs and their use in urban areas. In fact a colleague on the Wastewater Education Charity that
I serve as Chairman of encourage a colleague of his to do a webinar on it that you can access by clicking here. It is also something that I recently heard from
Professor Dragan Savic at KWR say that had been going on for years in the Netherlands. However with the current Covid-19 crisis it is something, that I think it
is fair to say, has hit the industry headlines and is also something that is becoming more and more mainstream with samples starting to be taken at the inlets of
wastewater works in the UK (at least_ on a 24 hour composite basis to identify hot spots of infection rates. The amazing thing is that it can be picked up in the
sewage up to six days before it becomes a problem. For those who want to dig further into this then Professor Savic did a presentation to both the Foundation
for Water Research and the Chartered Institute of Water & Environmental Management which is available to watch by following the link here. There were a
number of things presented at the same meeting including the work that Isle Utilities has done in bringing the global water industry together under a Digital
Communication and Collaboration programme....or as some people know it....Whatsapp. This remarkable display of leadership brought together over 630
people in 363 organisations in 60 countries. This scale of collaboration is unheard of on a global basis normally so why, with modern day tools, is it not done
more often. Incidentally the Covid 19 webinars that Isle Utilities put together are all available here.
There has been talk about rebooting economies in the right way moving towards a more “Digitally Transformed” future with a reboot into a green economy
where we practice more of a circular economy. The first I suppose is possible to an extent insofar as people have got more and more used to calls based over
the internet with a number of different computer-based methods, people have got used to working from home but it is arguable whether this will all lead
to a “Digital Transformation,” it is certainly more on people’s minds. However in truth there are some really big hurdles to jump over in terms of concepts
like monitoring the sewers on a widespread basis for pathogens, viruses and take your pick as to a parameter of choice with the main hurdle being how on
earth do you get sampling equipment in the sewer let along the “laboratory on a chip” devices that some people seem to have hung their hopes upon. Add
to this the question of what do you actually analyse for? For Covid-19 it is strands of RNA specific to Corona-viruses (and presumably Covid-19) but this is one
thing,,,what else do you analyse for. As to green and circular economies these take time to develop, they take time to deliver and the planning that it takes
to deliver this is not within the same timescale that we will want to reboot the economies of the world. There are some countries that are naturally ahead in
this regard. To my mind I would certainly put both Holland and Denmark on the list and you have to ask why these countries are so far ahead. The answer is
simple....they thought of it and started their journeys many years ago. For example the Dutch Roadmap towards the Effluent Factory of 2030 (click here) was
published 10 years ago this month and was probably thought about a few years before that with the concepts realistically delivered over a ten year period (or
more). So think that we are going to be a Digitally Transformed Circular Economy Based society is somewhat ambitious if we think we can deliver it overnight.
Have a good month and of course stay safe,
Oliver

Artesia Consulting and i2O Water announce strategic partnership
Artesia Consulting and i2O Water are delighted to announce a global strategic partnership that will
make Artesia’s Data Analytics software available to i2O’s clients as part of the iNet advanced analytics
solution.
Artesia provides specialist water sector consultancy based around data science. Their combination of
extensive industry knowledge and data science skills enable them to develop leading edge solutions
for leakage management, water resource planning, water conservation, demand forecasting, network
and asset management, and smart metering. They have an unrivalled reputation in the UK for helping
clients to solve complex problems, particularly where data analysis, statistics and mathematical
modelling are required.
i2O delivers intelligent water networks to 100 water companies in 45 countries around the world to
reduce water loss by providing solutions that enable clients to instrument, analyse and control water
networks to reduce leakage, reduce energy consumption and improve supply.
Under the agreement, i2O will be creating modules in its iNet advanced analytics solution that leverage the software and algorithms that Artesia Consulting
has developed to solve individual clients’ challenges. It will extend the reach of Artesia Consulting globally and improve the breadth, depth and effectiveness of
i2O’s analytics solution.
iNet can ingest data from a wide variety of sources and is not limited to i2O hardware. That data is analysed and made available along with derived insights
in graphs, tables, dashboards and maps to ensure that it is actionable. iNet reduces the time it takes to identify and diagnose network issues, makes the
maintenance of assets on the network more efficient, and identifies opportunities for network optimisation. This enables water companies to reduce the
number and extent of Supply Interruptions, Leakage and Bursts.
Dene Marshallsay, Director Artesia Consulting commented: “The Artesia-i2O partnership is a powerful combination. Artesia has a deep understanding of water
companies’ challenges and has the data analytics expertise to solve those.”
Joel Hagan, CEO of i2O, added: “i2O has a large number of clients across the world and an enterprise-grade analytics platform with a wide range of functionality
that can operate at scale, with low latency and high availability, and offering high levels of security appropriate for critical national infrastructure. We are
delighted to be working with another company that has a reputation for excellence to bring the benefits of their work to a larger number of clients.”
Metasphere launches first ever IOT Intrinsically safe data logger/
RTU
Metasphere has announced the launch of its new Point Blue IoT: the FIRST-ever ATEX/ IECEx
(Zone 0, Gas Group IIB), 4G NB-IoT, Cat-M1 battery-powered datalogger/ RTU suitable for use in
Intrinsically Safe environments. Point Blue IoT is the latest addition to the Point Colour family of
RTUs, following in the footsteps of Point Orange IoT, released in 2019.
Point Blue IoT includes support for two LPWAN technologies, NB-IoT and LTE-M, and can be
connected to these networks across the globe. Metasphere’s innovative device provides flexibility
and simplicity with remote, configurable solutions. NB-IoT and LTE-M, developed to enable a wide
range of new IoT devices and services, offers significant improvements in power consumption of
user devices, system capacity and spectrum efficiency. This benefit translates into huge potential
for water, wastewater and gas utilities, allowing for deployment at multiple sites delivering efficient
IoT connectivity on their networks for sewer level, velocity and flow monitoring, wastewater
quality as well as gas applications such as District Governor and Gas Distribution Network Pressure
monitoring.
Tim O’Brien, CEO of Metasphere, commented:
‘’Our latest product offering has been developed in line with Metasphere’s core vision of using
telemetry to drive sustainable use of the world’s natural resources. Point Blue IoT offers our
customersaplugandplaysolutionthatmonitorswater,wastewater,andgasassetsinanintrinsically
safe environment; whilst contributing to sustainably manage these assets for a better future.’’
Page 4
Industry News

UK sewer networks to be opened up for
access to digital infrastructure network
providers?
The Government has flagged up the possibility of opening up the UK sewerage network as a possible
option for the installation of telecoms networks to deliver nationwide superfast broadband gigabit
coverage.
The proposal is part of a range of options put forward by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media
& Sport (DDCMS) with the launch of an open call for evidence for the UK government’s wide-ranging
review of the Access to Infrastructure Regulations.
The DDCMS is keen to explore how deployment costs and barriers can be further reduced, including
by improving access to the UK’s passive infrastructure such as the networks of ducts, cabinets, poles
and masts that deliver utilities services across the country. Sharing the existing infrastructure of
other telecoms and utilities has the potential to increase the speed and lower the cost of improving
both fixed and mobile networks dramatically.
The Communications (Access to Infrastructure) Regulations 2016 (the ATI Regulations) include
provisions for the sharing of physical infrastructure across the UK to deploy telecoms networks. The
Department said it also welcomes voluntary moves by infrastructure owners to open up access to
their passive infrastructure for the deployment of next generation digital infrastructure.
Although limited, there are some instances of access to utilities infrastructure sharing in the UK
to rollout fibre connections. Zayo, following its acquisition of Geo Networks Ltd in 2014, has an
extensive fibre network in London sewers and, in 2017, TrueSpeed signed a pole sharing agreement
with Western Power Distribution, allowing them to use WPD’s electricity network to deploy full
fibre.
More recently, SSE have been undertaking a trial with Thames Water to lay fibre cables in sewers for
mobile backhaul.
A key consideration for infrastructure sharing across telecoms and utilities would be how such
arrangements are effectively regulated.
Ofcom and other regulators are already interested in how to encourage greater use of the ATI
Regulations and sharing data on and use of infrastructure.
In September 2019 the UK Regulators Network (UKRN) published a report into the extent of
infrastructure data sharing across the transport, water, energy and telecoms sectors, including the
role of regulators in encouraging this.
The report identified a number of key barriers to sharing data on infrastructure, including concerns
over the misuse of confidential data, liability and data quality, as well as the lack of common data
standards and a user-friendly central portal. Differences in organisational cultures was also identified
asafactorthatcouldinhibitdatasharing.Asaresult,theUKRNmadethefollowingrecommendations
to improve infrastructure data sharing:
• Regulators should provide guidance around what data can be shared.
• Regulators should produce best practice guidelines around sharing data.
• Industry should work collaboratively, with support from regulators, to agree common data
standards, definitions and a shared framework.
The government and/or regulators should explore the creation of a central data portal that holds the
‘what, where and who’ for each asset in each sector.
Deadline for responses to the open call for evidence for the UK government’s review of the Access
to Infrastructure Regulations is 4 September 2020. Click here to access the Call for Evidence online
Webinar Highlights
this month
To say that webinars are popular at the moment is
somewhat of an understatement so what I’ve done
is put a selection of this month’s webinars together.
Click on the link or the graphic to access the webinars
IWA Digital Water - Oliver Grievson
Wastewater Education - Wastewater Based
Epidemiology - Tracking viruses and drug
use
Automation Village by VT SCADA
FWR/CIWEM Wastewater Panel Meeting
with presentations on Serious Gaming/
Sewers4Covid/Digital Cooperation &
communication in a pandemic
Page 5

City of Chicago installs over 300 Rotork electric actuators in
water purification plant upgrade
Hundreds of Rotork multi-turn and part-turn IQ electric actuators and gearboxes have been installed as part of a US water filtration plant upgrade.
The City of Chicago Department of Water Management specified over 300 Rotork intelligent IQ actuators combined with IW quarter-turn worm gearboxes and
over 200 IQT part-turn actuators to replace water hydraulic cylinders at the Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant.
Formally known as the South Water Purification Plant, the site was renamed in 2016 in honour of Chicago’s former mayor, Eugene Sawyer, and supplies drinking
water to the population of Chicago.
The Rotork actuators will operate 12 to 30 inch butterfly valves to provide improved flow control for water travelling into and out of the facility’s sand filters.
Water from Lake Michigan is collected from a crib, a structure which serves as an offshore water intake away from pollution closer to shore, and transported to
the Eugene Sawyer Purification Plant.
The water will be allowed to flow into the Eugene Sawyer plant’s sand filters via a 30 inch valve controlled by Rotork’s intelligent IQ actuator. The actuator
will also carry out modulating duties to ensure the filter is kept full. The water will then seep through the sand bed and supporting gravel material before it is
controlled by a 12 inch valve operated by a part-turn continuous modulating IQTM actuator to be sent to the clear water well and distributed to the public.
IQ actuators will also handle backwash and drain processes while the IQT actuators will carry out surface wash flow control.
The availability of Rotork Site Services (RSS) support for actuator maintenance was key in securing the order – RSS carried out initial set up of all the actuators.
RSS field support for repairs, commissioning, maintenance and upgrades is carried out by a fully trained and experienced team of service engineers. Actuators
can also be upgraded, repaired and tested at one of Rotork’s global workshops while RSS can assist with planned shutdowns through preventative maintenance
support and project management.
Page 6

Sewage monitoring to be used as advance warning system to detect
new Coronavirus outbreaks
Sewage monitoring is being established across the UK as part of an advance warning system to detect new outbreaks of coronavirus. Sampling from sewage
treatment works around the country will begin shortly. Data gathered will be used to refine the approach and feed into the Covid-19 Alert System created by
the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC).
The Government has set up new working group to measure for the presence of coronavirus in wastewater – members include a range of water companies and
experts across the UK.
The new approach is based on recent research findings that fragments of genetic material (RNA) from the virus can be detected in waste water. This could be
used to detect the presence of the virus in the population, including those who are asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic.
The World Health Organization is clear there is currently no evidence that coronavirus has been transmitted via sewerage systems.
Techniques are still in their infancy, so the government and Devolved Administration partners are working closely with academics, UK Research and Innovation
and the Natural Environment Research Council and water companies in developing and testing this cutting-edge approach.
The UK work is being coordinated by Defra, the Environment Agency and the JBC, working closely with water companies and the Universities of Bangor,
Edinburgh, Bath and Newcastle.
In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has begun analysis of the first samples of waste water provided by Scottish Water, coordinating the
work with the Scottish Government’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Health Protection Scotland.
In Wales, a number of options to support specific wastewater monitoring projects are being assessed, which would complement the UK programme to aid
Covid-19 surveillance.
Further details will be released as the work develops.
SES Water signs 10 year deal with Vodafone to use NB-IoT
technology to cut water leaks
SES Water will use Vodafone’s Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology to create an intelligent water distribution network that aims to cut leakage by
15% over the next five years and pave the way for more than halving it by 2045.
Commenting on the deal, Daniel Woodworth, SES Water’s Network Strategy Manager, said:
“At SES Water we already have industry-leading leakage levels, but we want to do more. This collaborative project has been worked on for a number of months
and will help us revolutionise how we detect and prevent water leaks – either our mains or our customers’ pipes – as soon as it occurs. In the future it could even
enable us to predict and prevent pipeline failure before it happens. It will put our operational teams in a position of knowledge, not only enabling us to reduce the
water we take from the natural environment but also further minimising interruptions to supply, and in doing so provide a gold standard service for our customers
for many years to come.”
In the UK alone an estimated 3 billion litres of water is lost to leaks everyday.
While SES Water has one of the lowest leakage records in the UK and has met its reduction target for the last 21 years, the company has set itself a challenging
target to go further. The project, now underway across east Surrey, west Kent, West Sussex and south London, follows Vodafone’s smart water network pilot with
South East Water last year. Vodafone and SES Water have been working over the past few months with partners to install specialist digital water meters, sensors
and acoustic loggers on underground mains water pipes. These were then connected using Vodafone’s NB-IoT network, which operates within a very narrow radio
band frequency enabling wider coverage and deeper penetration than traditional networks, making it perfect for use underground or within buildings.
Data will be collected and transmitted across the system, and advanced analytics will be used to monitor readings and alert SES Water immediately in the event of
a leak, low pressure or other network abnormalities. Acoustic loggers ‘listen’ for escaping water within the network to determine when leaks have occurred and
to assist in pinpointing the precise location. Readings from smart meters will provide valuable insight into customer demand patterns so that SES Water can help
customers to better manage their water usage, help reduce their bills and be alerted to leakage occurring on customers’ pipework before it can cause any damage.
NB-IoT operates at low power so that specially designed batteries within IoT devices in the field, such as sensors, can last up to ten years. This, combined with good
coverage indoors and underground, ensures that NB-IoT solutions are more sustainable, as well as being less expensive to install and run than current alternatives.
Anne Sheehan, Director, Vodafone Business UK, said:
“Internet of Things technology can make a real difference to the health of our planet. We are thrilled to be innovating with SES Water, helping to provide a more
accurate and efficient way of identifying and preventing leaks.
“With World Environment Day today serving as a reminder of the importance of sustainability issues, we are delighted to share a great example of the pivotal role
technology plays in preventing water wastage, and helping SES Water in improve the service they provide their customers, while also meeting important regulatory
and environmental standards.
Page 7

Northumbrian Water Group CIO Nigel Watson on getting
innovation to flow
CIO Nigel Watson is creating the most digital water company in the sector at Northumbrian Water Group (NWG). Part of Hong Kong listed CK Infrastructure
Holdings, NWG is one of the 10 main water businesses in the UK.
Like all CIOs, Watson’s reasons for a digital ambition is business centric, but a bigger picture is streaming towards the business headquartered near Durham.
Speaking from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Watson should have been in the throes of planning the fourth summer Innovation Festival, but the ever
positive CIO has plans for an autumn event and told diginomica the importance and value of innovation events to bring fresh clean thinking into the organisation.
In many ways we are a classic water business. In the North East we provide clean water and sewage services, in our Essex and Suffolk businesses we provide clean
water only. But we also do some other things, NWG creates energy from waste and puts that back into the National Grid and in Kielder we operate a holiday
business. Once you get under the skin it is a fascinating business.
All vertical markets are investigating digital methods. The hope is that digital methods enable organisations to change direction rapidly and Watson says rapid
movements in business flow is vital for a water company. Since 2015 NWG has had an open door event every year where suppliers, regulators and tech firms
sit side by side with NWG and in effect hack ideas that can improve water quality, customer service, the environment and business operations. Those events
became festivals from 2017 onwards when Watson became CIO, stepping up from his previous role as Programme Director. For 2020 NWG have completely
moved the event to an on-line format. We were initially sad not to be able to build on the momentum we’ve got with our festival, but we think going on-line
brings some great possibilities, so we’re feeling very excited about what we can achieve”.
People are at the centre of it, mixing people up is really important, so now we are looking at how we do that virtually so that we can keep the momentum,
because there has been a great pipeline of ideas that have come from these events. That momentum has seen 81 active ideas currently in the pipeline. The
progress of these ideas is reviewed by the Executive Leadership Team every month. Watson says the expectation is that three to four out of 10 ideas succeed,
which the CIO says is down to a focus by NWG to see ideas through.
This year we are looking to further strengthen the transition of the ideas into the business. You can get your sprints down to four days and then the fifth day
is a handover to the business. We will bring in all of the senior leadership team so they can pick an idea and take it back to their business units. We are often
procuring in the tent at the festival and these can be to the value of up to £50,000.
Collaborating across industry sectors is important to Watson. In 2019 NWG untapped the demand for innovation in the water sector outside of the North East
for the first time and partnered on a similar innovation festival, this time in East Anglia, where it operates two water companies. Innovate East is a partnership
between the Essex and Suffolk Water company which is part of the NWG group and Anglian Water. Watson says critics of the sector claim water companies
cannot work together and he believes Innovate East is a sign of a change in the industry.
Innovate East benefited all parties because it brought new external parties into the picture, broadening the innovation ecosystem of the sector.
Despite the digital ambitions of NWG and its CIO, there is no escaping that water utilities are large, complex organisations with a reliance on heavy engineering.
As a result a water company cannot work at the pace of change as a pure digital business. But becoming a digital business is about a cultural approach and that
flows through the business. Watson speaks passionately about the water sector and its’ been his home for over five years, so he is well aware of the challenges
of adding digital to utility engineering. The CIO goes on to describe how NWG, in partnership with BT, is working on smart meter methods as well as data capture
across all parts of the organisation. Innovations in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are taking place, NWG is pulling SCADA data from across the water
network and flowing straight into the cloud with Microsoft Azure. The focus is not just on newer technologies such as IoT, but improving existing business
processes can move a business as far forward as a new technology. NWG was told to improve its customer service in September 2019 by the sector’s watchdog
following a rise in complaints.
Watson doesn’t duck the issue and explains that in the last five year period (water companies work on five year commissions from the regulator) NWG went
through a £80 million IT transformation programme, with the customer facing technologies being a key part of that transformation programme. A new CRM and
Billing system was implemented, the first one for NWG in 24 years.
Imagine that I moved you from Lotus Notes to Outlook 365, it would take you quite some time to adjust. That’s what it was like for our Customer Service
employees. It took time for them to learn the new system and that meant that our average handling time of a customer issue went up by 30%. Customers found
it hard to get through during that time. Watson says that in a business with a high average tenure time for its staff, the scale of the change was more significant
than he had planned for. The people who have only been with us for two to three years quickly got used to the new system, but for our longer term team
members it took longer, but we are back to the normal level now.
Despite the challenges of adapting to a new billing and CRM system, Watson says NWG has improved its customer data set and the organisation now has a data
science team supporting both the customer facing teams, but also the engineers and operators in the below the ground and above the ground water resources.
We have 10 data scientists and they are having a massive impact on the business. We have had some good success with our leakage and pollution targets as
a result and we are at the top of the league tables for this. That is down to data and the people we have in those fields. As I saw a couple of years back when
attending a NWG innovation event, they bring together major vendors and challenger technology businesses. As a result Watson has a mix of suppliers, with
IBM, Microsoft and Oracle providing transformation, cloud and billing technology services respectively. Also in his pool are specialist data companies like Aiimi
and Jumping Rivers, a start-up out of Newcastle University. They also work with local providers like Shout to develop Apps for employees and customers to
deliver a great experience on top of the architecture that has been delivered in transformation. When you go into a big transformation it makes sense to work
with a big partner, but I also see lots of opportunity to work with smaller businesses to find new insight.
NWG has 190 people in IT and the CIO plans to reduce the number of contractors in use and Watson says the IT budget has been benchmarked and is average
for the industry.
Page 8

Thames Water cuts leakage by 15% in just one year after smart
water network upgrades
Round-the clock data from nearly 450,000 smart meters across the capital has helped Thames Water find and repair a record number of leaks, hit its regulatory
target and reduce overall leakage from its 20,000 mile network of pipes by 15 per cent in just one year.
Britain’s largest water company has achieved the industry’s biggest reduction in leakage this century.
Thames Water now has ambitious plans to continue modernising the capital’s Victorian network by ramping-up the use of advanced digital technology and
smart data to achieve a further 20 per cent region-wide reduction in leakage by 2025, and 50 per cent by 2050.
The company has also cut supply interruptions – where customers are off water for more than four hours – by half over the last two years, and recorded some
of its best ever water quality scores.
Steve Spencer, Thames Water operations director, said:
“We know reducing leakage and keeping the taps flowing are the most important things to our customers, and so today’s results are a huge step forward. Our
smart upgrades combined with the dedication and commitment of our teams has delivered this boost in performance.
“Working with our customers, the data has given us a much greater understanding of what’s happening underground and saved millions of litres of water every
day. The backlog of repairs to water pipes is down to its lowest level in a decade.
“We’re now determined to build on this momentum for another 20 per cent drop in leakage over the next five years, and then go much further as part of
ambitious long-term plans to replumb London and the Thames Valley. We know there’s no room for complacency as we face even tougher targets, and that’s
why we’re investing in our people and the best technology to keep upgrading our network.”
The company’s increased understanding of the underground network, ability to pinpoint hidden leaks, reduce the risk of major bursts and respond to incidents
more efficiently has helped maintain performance throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, which has seen record demand for water following hot weather and
lockdown restrictions.
Smart water meters are being progressively installed across the Thames Water region due to pressures on water resources from an increasing population and
climate change. It is the second biggest programme of its kind in the world, with latest figures showing that customers on a meter use up to 17% less water.
In 2019/20, meters helped detect 13,500 leaks on customer supply pipes and saved nearly 18 million litres every day. The meters provide 10 million readings
every 24 hours and have so far been installed in 15 London boroughs, including Bexley, Camden, Hackney and Islington, with the remaining areas and Thames
Valley due to be completed by 2025.
Thames Water has reduced leakage by 15 per cent from 2018/19 to 595 million litres per day, which is 11 Ml/d below this year’s target of 606 Ml/d. On average,
1,400 leaks have been repaired every week over the last year.
John Dickie, London First director, commented:
“A reduction in leakage on this scale is good for London’s environment and shows that Thames Water’s investment in digital and smart tech looks to be bearing
fruit. London’s business community backs continued investment to modernise the capital’s Victorian network and protect the city against the future challenges
of drought and flooding.”
Page 9

Anglian Water to roll out massive metering installation and
upgrade programme
Anglian Water has announced plans to upgrade and install 760,000
existing and new water meters for homes and businesses across the
region, over the next five years, as the company signs a £180 million
pound contract with Arqiva.
The programme marks the next stage of the company’s long-term
demand management strategy to protect future water resources.
In the biggest ever water efficiency initiative in the East of England,
Anglian Water engineers will begin installing meter upgrades to help
tackle a predicted 30 million litre a day water shortage.
The mass installation programme will begin next month, almost three
years after Anglian Water first trialled the technology in Newmarket.
The upgraded meters take regular, remote readings, meaning
customers can keep track of their water usage on a daily basis. Within
12 months, the town’s water consumption had reduced by 8%.
The first locations to be upgraded will be in the most water stressed and fastest growing parts of Anglian’s region including areas in Norfolk, Essex and Lincolnshire.
Teams of engineers will be fitting around 750 meters a day, although there will be very little disruption for most customers as meters are typically located outside
the home.
Alongside its war on leakage, helping customers use less water is central to Anglian’s plans to tackle future water shortages, as detailed in its 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.
Peter Simpson, Anglian Water’s CEO, commented:
“Our WRMP outlines a twin track approach to tackle these issues: the first part is managing demand for water by installing upgraded meters to help customers
understand their water usage, as well as helping us to pinpoint property-side leaks which can lose hundreds of litres of water a day.
“The second is to invest in our own supply-side infrastructure by installing up to 500km of interconnecting pipes and pumping equipment, as well as upgrading
existing infrastructure to better join up our network. This gives us the ability to move water around more easily from areas of surplus to those of deficit. This
£350 million programme will be delivered by a new alliance of construction businesses, working alongside Anglian Water.
“Despite the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic we have this week committed to these two major investment programmes to keep our region on track for a
more sustainable future. This combination of hundreds of thousands of upgraded meters, and our new Strategic Pipeline Alliance, underpins our plans to tackle
a projected shortage of up to 30 million litres of water a day in the East of England by 2025.”
Alex Pannell, Commercial Director, Arqiva said:
“We share with Anglian the imperative that water efficiency is one of the most important considerations for water businesses around the world today. The ‘dry’
nature and expanding households of Anglian Water means a decisive action is needed to preserve this most precious of commodities.
“Our solution will deliver the environmental and business value that only a secure, reliable and resilient network with clear service levels can and is built on
our critical national infrastructure credentials. We can also support other areas of the water cycle such as sewage monitoring and the long term nature of this
contract allows us to work together to that sustainable future.”
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Syrinix Launches Next-Generation Pipeline Network Analysis
Platform
Syrinix announced this month the launch of the next-generation version of its RADAR cloud-based water and wastewater network data analysis platform. RADAR
analyzes data collected from installed PIPEMINDER monitoring devices and displays and notifies utilities in a format that is user customizable and easy to digest.
The new RADAR platform has been developed to deliver network intelligence with a streamlined modern interface that is simpler, faster and more intuitive.
Featuring zone alarms that notify a high or low pressure breach, elevation options for plotting total head pressures, automated triangulation of major events and
pattern recognition so users can easily focus on key events, the new platform provides even deeper network insights to save time, increase operational efficiency
and build resilience by reducing disruptive pipeline leaks and bursts.
“This new version of RADAR is a great evolution of the existing functionality provided by Syrinix,” commented Richard Fielding, Smart Water Systems Engineer,
Anglian Water. “Some of the new features that have proved to be particularly useful are the ability to save elevation data and plot total head pressures, zone
alarms to manage alerts, and dial up regimes to maximize battery life whilst reducing false-positive insight alerts.
“Navigation remains intuitive and the user experience of the app is the best I’ve seen. RADAR will enable our analysts to work more efficiently, improve insight
generation and reduce operational maintenance requirements of our fleet of devices.”
Listening to clients like Anglian Water led Syrinix to develop groundbreaking improvements to the platform, originally launched in 2014, that continue to enhance
the RADAR user experience. The new multi-zone alarms alert the utility when a minimum network pressure level is breached, automatically switching to more
frequent data updates so customers can address network issues in real time. While previous versions of RADAR identified that a transient had occurred, the
new triangulation feature now automatically pinpoints the location of major transients so network events, like bursts, can be found more quickly. The innovative
pattern recognition feature compares and classifies transient waveforms against a standard set of reference transients specific to that network. By classifying
similar shapes into actions, like a pump stop or pump start, RADAR determines which events are typical and those that are unusual or abnormal and need urgent
attention. This advanced level of intelligence empowers users to focus on the uncommon network events, saving time and money.
“We are very excited to offer a new version of RADAR that was designed with features that are improving the customer experience,” said Syrinix CEO James
Dunning. “Our utility partners around the world can access deeper network intelligence instantly with customized warnings and alerts in an easy, intuitive
platform. Comprehensive remote monitoring that is easily accessible, even from home, prioritizes worker safety and data visibility that is more aligned than ever
with today’s changing utility workforce and working environment. It’s pipeline monitoring for a new world.”
SWAT Team On Hand To Help Protect Water Environment
A new piece of technology which has been designed from scratch by Northumbrian Water workers, is set to help protect the quality of rivers and watercourses
across the North East.
The SWAT (Site Wastewater Analysis Trailer) is a bespoke mobile unit which will be plugged into wastewater treatment works to help give detailed information
on the quality of wastewater going into the sites from customers’ homes, and back out again into the environment.
The 2.5 metre tall and 4.2 metre wide mobile unit conceals a myriad of pipework, which pumps up wastewater from the works and runs it through water
analysis software mounted inside.
This then gives operators instantaneous results on the incoming wastewater, allowing them to know straight away exactly what’s in the sewage and any
changes that might need to be made to how it gets treated.
A second SWAT unit will measure the quality of the water coming out at the end of the treatment process, meaning Northumbrian Water can continue to
make sure that it is of the highest standard before it gets safely returned to the environment.
The mobile trailers, which will be deployed on treatment sites across the region wherever and whenever necessary, will be named after past employees as
part of the company’s legacy project.
It was Northumbrian Water’s Technical Advisor, Laura Evans and her team who first had the idea for the SWAT unit over a year ago.
She said: “Ordinarily, an employee would take samples of the wastewater and either analyse the wastewater on site themselves or send it to the labs for
testing. This can be time consuming and limited in the information it gives us about what’s going on inside our sewage treatment works.
“We’ve spent the last year working on designing and developing the SWAT trailer to help us improve that process and I’m so proud that we’ve now got a
real-life, working product.
“The trailers will provide a vast amount of information that we’ve never had before, sending information about the wastewater quality 24/7 and removing
the need to take samples that only tell you about the wastewater at that moment in time.
“This will give us much better insight into the wastewater flows entering and leaving our works and will help to make us more efficient, both in terms of
making sure we’re using the right amount of chemicals to treat the water, as well as proactively identifying any potential issues.
“We’re passionate about protecting the environment and more importantly, using the SWAT trailer means we’re able to better monitor and improve the
quality of the final treated product from our works, before it’s returned to the environment.
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Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) uses sewage as a source of information about citizens’ health and lifestyle. Analysis of sewage can provide information
about the use of drugs and medications, the consumption of food and other products and about exposure to, for example, pesticides in the catchment area of
a sewage treatment plant. The monitoring of pathogens is also possible.
Research into such ‘biomarkers’ was first carried out in 2005 for illegal drugs, but then quickly expanded. Wastewater appears to reflect society. Standardising
the data for the population allows for comparison between different regions. Such information can help public authorities to test and improve their policy.
Wastewater as a reflection on society
In 2005, Italy became the first country to use a new method to measure the use of drugs in a city. The source: chemical analysis of sewage. The success of this
study at once made it clear that sewage can provide a wealth of information about a population’s health and lifestyle.
All kinds of chemicals and microorganisms enter the sewage system via the human body, or via direct discharge, and then go onto the sewage purification
system. Key to sewage epidemiology, or wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), is the identification of biological markers (biomarkers). These can be chemical
substances (that for example indicate consumption, use or exposure) or pathogens (bacteria, viruses or their genetic material). A biomarker is useful if it is
excreted by humans, ends up in the sewage in detectable quantities, has no other relevant sources, and is stable. Research into drugs use among the population
is the best-known application.
WBE step by step
The first step is to take samples, which involves collecting sewage daily every 5-15 minutes and mixing it to form a single aggregate sample. This is necessary
because the composition of the sewage can vary enormously throughout the day. The sample is processed, and possibly extracted and concentrated to optimise
measurement of the biomarkers. The concentration detected is then multiplied by the flow (the volume of water that flows through the water treatment plant),
so that the biomarker load is known. In the case of drugs, usage per day per 1,000 inhabitants can be calculated by correcting the load for human excretion and
dividing it by the number of people in the catchment area. Conversion to the number of doses per 1,000 inhabitants is also possible. See figure 1 for a diagram
of the steps and an example of a calculation.
S
S
Size of the population
With WBE, it is important to standardise the data for the size of the population. The official number of inhabitants in a catchment area is often not up-to-date
with respect to births and deaths, although these variations are small. Far more important is the influence of people’s mobility for work, entertainment or
holidays. It is therefore unclear how many people per day or even per hour discharge their biomarkers into a particular sewage network. This can be corrected by
working with ‘population biomarkers’. These are biomarkers whose excretion has a strong correlation with the size of the population, and that are independent
of abiotic factors such as the weather and the geographical location. If the average emission of such a population biomarker is known for an individual, the
number of people in the catchment area at a given time can be calculated. Common population biomarkers are sweeteners and ammonium.
Current applications of WBE
WBE was first used in Italy in 2005 to measure the use of illegal drugs. This study looked at cocaine, THC, ketamine, MDMA and heroine, and humane metabolites
of these substances. WBE was subsequently also used to determine the use of, for example, caffeine, nicotine, slimming aids and alcohol. It has also proved
possible to detect the use of new psychoactive substances (new drugs) and trace waste discharges from drug production in this way (Choi et al., 2015). Examining
Figure 1: The key steps in analysing sewage in wastewater epidemiology (WBE)
and the required data per step (according to Castiglioni et al 2014)
Figure 2:Example of a calculation
Article:
Wastewater-based epidemiology:
Wastewater as a reflection on society
Page 12

sewage also allows a differentiation to be made between the legal and illegal use of, for example, pharmaceuticals. For example, it was shown that in various
cities in the Netherlands, only one third of the Viagra used was obtained legally with a doctor’s prescription (Venhuis et al., 2014).
When using WBE, the influence of environmental factors on the measurements is important. One example is the increase in the nicotine load during periods
of rain. This turned out to be due to the transport of ashes and cigarette butt remains through the rainwater to the sewage system. As well as what people
consume, substances to which people are exposed in other ways were also considered. These might include pesticides, mycotoxins, parabens, plasticisers, fire
retardant substances and UV filters. The means of exposure varies, but biomarkers of all these substances can be found in sewage. Exposure can then be related
to location (close to industry, for example) and to trends in time (think, for example, of the seasonal use of pesticides).
The European network of sewage analysis, Sewage analysis CORe group Europe (SCORE), has shown that it is also possible to measure drugs use systematically
and on a large-scale. This network coordinates international studies and ensures quality control. This enables research to be carried out using the same validated
methods, yielding robust and comparable results. These data are then also used annually by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. In
2011, this allowed illegal drugs use in 19 European cities to be compared for the first time. Since then, the measurement network has been extended to almost
120 cities within Europe and beyond (González‐Mariño et al., 2020).
Future
A broad range of biomarkers in the wastewater can tell us a lot about a particular population in almost real-time and with a high geographical resolution. This
could be about behaviour (drugs use or eating habits, for example), exposure (to pesticides and industrial substances, for example) and health (pathogens or
resistance to antibiotics, for example). The majority of studies into biomarkers are still academic and exploratory in nature. In the future, the analysis of sewage
will be capable of delivering a wealth of socially-relevant information.
WBE can thus serve as a gauge of the population’s health. For example, it provides information about a population’s diet and the use of medications. For
antibiotics, furthermore, this can be related to preventing resistance to antibiotics, because sewage contains bacterial resistance genes. Analysis of specific DNA
fragments of pathogenic disease precursors can provide information about the spread of infections. Very recently, this technology was used to measure the
incidence of SARS-CoV2, the virus responsible for CoviD-19, in various cities in the Netherlands (H2O/Waternetwerk, 2020). Analysis of sewage can thus provide
a useful tool to monitor the outbreak of a virus on various geographical scales and even, if the resolution of the technologies is sufficient, to detect a virus in
a population at an early stage.
Linking to other data
In all instances, it is important that the methods used are robust and reliable, but also that data from the examination of sewage are linked to other sources of
information about the catchment area of sewage treatment plants so that correlations can be drawn. In the case of drugs production, this involves information
from the police and investigative services. WBE can also be applied at events. For example, it can be used to look at alcohol and drugs consumption at a festival
or the use of performance enhancers at a (non) professional sporting event. With regard to resistance to antibiotics, it is about a relationship between the use
of antibiotics on the one hand, and the detection of infections with resistant bacteria in patients on the other hand. It thus becomes a little easier to detect
antibiotic resistance in a population.
References
Castiglioni, S., Thomas, K. V., Kasprzyk-Hordern, B., Vandam, L., & Griffiths, P. (2014). Testing wastewater to detect illicit drugs: state of the art, potential and
research needs. Science of the Total Environment, 487, 613-620.
Choi, P. M., Tscharke, B. J., Donner, E., O’Brien, J. W., Grant, S. C., Kaserzon, S. L., … & Mueller, J. F. (2018). Wastewater-based epidemiology biomarkers: Past,
present and future. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 105, 453-469.
González‐Mariño, I., Baz‐Lomba, J. A., Alygizakis, N. A., Andrés‐Costa, M. J., Bade, R., Bannwarth, A., … & Bijlsma, L. (2020). Spatio‐temporal assessment of illicit
drug use at large scale: evidence from 7 years of international wastewater monitoring. Addiction, 115(1), 109-120.
“KWR Vindt Coronavirus in Rioolwater En Werkt Aan Ontwikkeling Screeningstool.” H2O/Waternetwerk, 24 Mar. 2020,
Venhuis, B. J., de Voogt, P., Emke, E., Causanilles, A., & Keizers, P. H. (2014). Success of rogue online pharmacies: sewage study of sildenafil in the Netherlands.
BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online), 349.
Verhoeven, M et al. (2020). Hoogheemraadschap de Stichtse Rijnlanden. Consulted on 16 March. Personal communication.
About the Author
Ruud Steenbeek is a researcher in the Chemical Water Quality and Health team. In March 2020, he completed his Earth and
Environment Master’s at Wageningen University, with a focus on aquatic ecology and water quality. While working on his thesis
at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, he studied the influence of N:P ratios on the toxicity of algae, and the impact of this toxicity on
the swimming activity of fish. Ruud then did an internship at KWR, working on the application of wastewater-based epidemiology
and analytical techniques to antibiotics and resistance genes in waste- and surface water. Based on this experience, Ruud will
pursue his work at KWR on the EUSEME project on drug analysis in wastewater in Europe.
Page 13

Introduction
Current impacts of water scarcity and pollution are already significant as evidenced by conditions in the Middle East, India, Africa, China, Latin America, and the
U.S. As witnessed in the recent headlines, the sixth largest city in India, Chennai, has literally run out of water. Most of us agree that water stress is increasing
all over the world. Climate change, urban population growth, tightened regulations, aging infrastructure, and water scarcity are some of the many global
challenges water utilities are faced with. Utilities are now forced to address them in creative and cost effective ways. We know we have to change the way
citizens and governments view, value, and manage our water resources. Deploying innovative technologies appears to be essential and urgent for helping to
solve these challenges.
What if water planners had access to a complete, up-to-date, holistic view of a water system and actionable, informative dashboards at all times? We believe
that a powerful software tool that can provide an accurate estimation and awareness of a community’s resource water (ground, surface, wells, desalination,
etc.), water production and distribution, wastewater treatment and recycling, as well as what is happening with potential storms nearby, would help societies
better manage our precious resource, water. This is the promise of Digital Twin. (In this document we will refer to Digital Twin as DT.)
What is a Digital Twin?
Today, DT technology is used in all industries, ranging from manufacturing and
medicine to transportation and now the water sector. In practice, a DT for a water
utility is a combination of modelling software that utilizes data from multiple
sources and usually across multiple departments and expertise. It is this end-to-
end
type of operational and business tool that has the potential to change how
utilities are managed today. It will unlock value by enabling improved insights to
support better decisions, leading to better outcomes in the physical world.
In this article, we aim at defining the term and providing solid steps for water
utilities of any size to start working toward achieving the holistic-style digital
management of utilities.
A new SWAN Digital Twin H2O Work Group was recently created to help accelerate the water sector’s adoption of DT technology. The group brings together
global water leaders and stakeholders from utilities, technology companies, engineering firms, government, and academia to help identify and solve relevant
utility challenges. The ongoing group will deliver best practices and a road map for developing and maintaining a DT based on agreed upon objectives. There
was a high level of enthusiasm and urgency on this important topic in the May 2019 workshop. The second SWAN Digital Twin H2O Workshop is now planned
for Nov. 6, 2019 at Aquatech Amsterdam.
There are many definitions of DT. One that was agreed to during the first SWAN DT H2O Workshop in May is:
“A Digital Twin can be defined as an actively integrated, accurate digital representation of our physical assets, systems, and treatment
processes with a constant stream of data pairing from the physical twin for continuous calibration. It will unlock value by enabling improved
insights that support better decisions, leading to better outcomes in the physical world.”
Key opportunities for utilities
There is a great deal of untapped value when data from the different specialized systems are used in concert with more holistic management. DT technology
brings all operations and business management together in one system through data and application integration. The increased computational power of cloud
computing makes it easier to run the models in continuous mode, and with constant “pairing” of near real-models can be calibrated or validated to behave
like the physical system or twin.
DT is a disruptive technology that provides a virtual/digital representation of both the elements and the dynamics of a water plant or system. If implemented
properly, DT can influence the design, build, and operation of the system throughout its lifecycle (design-build-operate) and help optimize operation through
informed insights. In other words, it is a dynamic software model (hydraulic model + machine learning) of the physical plant/system based on real-time
continuous calibration.
Since DT technology combines data from systems across the different departments as well as integrates the insights of specialized solutions, it becomes a
powerful holistic tool for utility management. This means that a more complex system of data and parameters is combined and algorithmically utilized for
never-before-seen insights. Although it sounds dramatic, that is the unique strength of a DT. This does not happen automatically; the DT is developed over time,
combining data and analytical algorithms to the core model, where it continues to become a more accurate representation of the physical process.
Some of the major applications for DT once developed and calibrated include:
Feature Article:
Foundations for building a
Digital Twin for Water Utilities
Page 14

• Leak detection and localization – combining insights from specialized solutions for detecting leaks with many other incorporated operational
parameters (i.e., flow anomalies, water quality, maintenance, fieldwork, etc.) results in more accurate localization
• Water quality – tracking chemical components through the entire network on a near-real-time basis
• Energy savings – provide algorithms for optimized pump schedule for low-cost energy usage while taking into consideration all critical
parameters, such as water quality, predictive demand schedules, etc.
• Optimization of pressure and flow – ability to detect anomalies when they occur and provide insights into optimum pressure control
• Asset lifecycle management – provides holistic knowledge about assets, including customized maintenance based on actual conditions,
fieldwork, historical knowledge of the brand, environmental conditions, etc.
Aside from the major applications, here are some other, more generic benefits to having DT:
• Drive outcomes from critical business
insights
• Reduce the data silos and departmental
silos
• Ability to run what-if scenarios at any
time
• Maximize ROI of investments of assets and
tools and extending lifecycle of systems
• Provide predictive analysis to avoid
future failures
• Bridge cross-discipline teams together
across the utility
• Virtual sensors • Proactive operation instead of reactive • Provide one comprehensive view
• Reduce maintenance costs and unplanned
outages by early alerts — alerted at first
signs of a problem
• A near-real-time holistic connection
between the physical world and the
digital world
• Leverage the Internet of Things (IoT),
hydraulic modelling, and machine
learning (ML)
• View the dynamic status of the physical
system via an integrated and holistic view
• Improve efficiency and increase the
optimization of operations
• Lead to better participation from water
utilities into smart cities
Data-driven informed decision making
Fundamentally, digital is about using data to make informed and optimized decisions. From design to the asset lifecycle, the DT is useful in many different ways,
starting from optimizing the design phase to integrating with the build phase. After that, the DT then takes on a new role to help maximize asset lifecycle while
optimizing process efficiencies.
On the other hand, the DT is a fundamental element in the daily network operation and maintenance, since it provides extensive and in-depth knowledge of the
network behaviour. It can be further used for training operators, assisting as a decision-support system under emergency conditions, facilitating the planning of
the network, optimizing the network operation, improving the detection of anomalies, and providing a means to become more proactive than reactive.
For example, today most ongoing maintenance work and repairs at utilities are based on a limited and mostly historical set of data. However, it is widely accepted
that both maintenance and unforeseen events can be resolved more efficiently if all asset tools, business tools, and work order systems could be accessed
through an integrated enterprise-level command-and- control system. This is essentially the role of a DT, which is capable of providing useful insights for
formulating decisions based on the complex set of parameters (diverse data sets) and models reflecting the behaviour of the systems.
Improving customer experience
One of the utilities’ top priorities is their customers. Improving overall
customer experience involves both transparent engagement and the delivery of
cost-efficient, reliable services. Many of the core components of DTs provide
significant customer experience improvements in and of themselves. The Town
of Cary, NC, is an excellent example of this.
They were an early adopter of automatic metering infrastructure (AMI),
installing nearly 60,000 of the smart meters for a town-wide implementation
in 2011. A corresponding customer portal allows citizens to see their usage on
an hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly basis, which is a significant improvement
from the monthly billing frequency. Citizens can set their desired threshold at
which they would receive a text message or email alert. While this provides
significant value to those individuals, the town pursued a more proactive
approach by developing an algorithm to identify individual meters whose usage
was continuous for a 20-hour period on the prior day and comparing it to the
average for prior days and months.
This allows the town to prioritize whom to contact when workload permits. The resulting high-usage list is reviewed daily by customer service representatives,
who can quickly review the data to detect anomalies and reach out to the citizen directly. Daily, this process results in a few dozen phone calls and a handful of
work orders initiated to investigate further or, in certain circumstances, shut off the water. By managing high usage within 12 hours of its occurrence, the total
value of adjustments made to monthly bills decreased over $1 million in the first year of implementing this process. The town also provides in-home water audits
upon request, wherein a staff member will bring the citizen’s AMI history to discuss with the citizen and investigate potential causes for the high usage. Providing
more information and data transparency with customers has resulted in improved customer experience and helped to develop greater trust.
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Organizational reform
DT requires cross-functional teams with different perspectives to
come together and collaborate toward solutions. Indeed, taking a
holistic view of utility management and operation involves a great
deal more than just technology. Leveraging the most benefit from
technological solutions means understanding the role of people,
process, and policy within an organization, which some term as
digital transformation. Successful digital transformation of water
utilities has often involved a digital strategy that includes a three-
pronged approach as can be seen in the following graphic. The
first prong is the development of a well-thought-out road map
(continually evolving as technology changes) of the utility’s digital
infrastructure. The second prong involves a utility-wide effort by
all staff members to revisit each process, both front and back
office processes, and look for ways to become more efficient.
The third and most important prong is the development of an
innovative culture. The creation of an innovative culture is the
most significant indicator of a successful digital transformation.
An innovative culture involves strong leadership with a commitment to innovation that is customer-centric, as well as the participation of every single staff
member. Ideas come from all stakeholders, and priorities are set to determine which ones to follow through with and which ideas are placed on the back burner.
This helps the organization migrate from a risk-averse to an agile and adaptable organization. An innovative culture is also one that creates an environment for
cross-pollination, interdepartmental collaboration, strong customer focus and mission, and finally, rewarding risks. This type of collaboration works best when
there is data transparency and applications are integrated across the utility. Utilities that have had success in establishing an innovative culture often stated
that they provided utility-wide culture training. This type of training will be very beneficial to the water sector as a whole.
Regardless of utility type (government, authority, private industry), silos naturally exist and must be intentionally broken down for this type of technology to
be developed and have value. The technical development of a DT itself at the very least requires a mutual understanding of what the data represents and what
insights we want to extract. Close coordination among the operations, business, and technical teams is fundamental to understanding the data.
Regardless of the extent of implementation, the conversation by necessity shifts from just data to one of considering values, risk, and costs associated with
each level of response. To have such a discussion requires various stakeholder views, including finance, customer perspective, asset management, operations,
maintenance, engineering, and of course, technology. Using only a single department’s perspective can result in a variety of inefficiencies ranging from a
tool that is data-heavy and implementation-light to a process that is implementation-heavy but with minimal return on investment. Inter-departmental
coordination forces a balance that maximizes efficiency and ultimately prioritizes the ratepayer’s currency of trust. These types of conversations and consensus
won’t occur without breaking the silo barriers. While making the jump to an innovative culture can seem like a far reach, it comes hand in hand with the
innovative technology needed to address the issues of aging workforce and infrastructure. Technology is necessary for systematically capturing institutional
knowledge as well as identifying and prioritizing asset management needs. Exploring open-source technologies outside of DTs, such as Microsoft Power BI,
cloud-based CMMS systems, and open-data portals is a great way to foster a culture of transparency and help attract millennials. An open culture cannot be
cultivated without open technology, but pursuing both simultaneously can be challenging.
Big-picture architecture
Water utilities are already using an array of disruptive technologies like sensors,
cloud, and analytics to run their operations and engage with their customers. In the
past few years, we have seen a significant uptake of digital technologies in the water
sector. We detail below the key technologies that make DT possible:
infrastructure, data, algorithms, and visualization.
Technological infrastructure
Cloud and edge computing
Although there are still many applications running on premise-based servers, cloud-
based applications are being adopted at a much faster pace in recent years.
Cloud computing provides computing resources and data storage on-demand,
allowing utilities to consume the resource they need, when needed, and pay for what
they use. Utilities have been hesitating to move their data and critical applications
to the cloud for security and privacy concerns. However, the trust in the cloud
providers has increased and the benefit of the approach has overcome the barriers.
Edge computing is an extension of the cloud computing paradigm. The principle here is to compute the data closer to the data source. This saves bandwidth
as well as enables lower cost and lower latencies. For some customers, this is also an increase in safety and privacy.
Wireless communications and 5G
Wireless communications leverage various radio technologies, which differ according to the frequency, the modulation scheme used, and the distance they
can cover (range). LPWANs with low-power, long-range, and low-cost communication, such as Sigfox, LoRaWAN, or NB-IoT networks, are suitable for IoT
applications that only need to transmit tiny amounts of data in the long range. 5G is the fifth-generation cellular network technology. The first essential
deployments (more than 30,000 base stations) of this technology started in April 2019. In 5G, millimeter waves, with shorter range than microwaves, will
Page 16

be used for very short distances (centimetres). Massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) will be used to allow multiple bitstreams of data that can be
transmitted simultaneously in parallel, allowing a high data rate.
5G can support a million devices per square kilometre, which is 10 times more than 4G. 5G combined with IoT and artificial intelligence is foreseen as a means
to accelerate the technological development of DTs.
Middleware and APIs
Water utilities are now dealing with large volumes of data that comprise both structured (easily searchable types) and unstructured (video, satellite images,
social media, etc.) data coming from disparate sources. Accessing data from legacy systems is still a challenge. Middleware essentially translates the data from
the source format into one that can be consumed easily by an analytical platform. This requires data normalization, which includes ascribing a common name
and metadata associated with each data string as well as protocols for cleaning of inaccurate or corrupt records. An application programming interface (API) can
then consume the normalized and prepared data. APIs provide a programmatic way for retrieving data.
By utilizing a middleware solution, the data can be consumed by various applications while keeping only one point of maintenance. As an example, the Town
of Cary uses a few types of middleware packages, including a Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) for spatialized data. The tool also provides a way for the data
viewed in an open data portal or ArcGIS Online. The town also utilizes an integration platform, Dell Boomi, for leveraging data from SCADA as well as customer
meter data. This data is then available for consumption by the town’s CMMS for use in work order development. As a result of having this fundamental tool, the
town is well-positioned to pursue integrated technologies such as DTs.
Another example used by Global Omnium is GoAigua’s Nexus platform, which is designed to normalize how sensor data is acquired, stored, managed, and
shared across the organization in real time. The platform integrates information coming from different vendors and equipment, including on-field components,
IoT devices, proprietary, and third-party data. Global Omnium uses GoAigua’s solutions to integrate the organization’s data to provide a holistic view of the
integral water cycle.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity aims at protecting internet-connected hardware equipment, software, and data from cyberattacks, data breaches, and identity theft. Cybersecurity
is used to complement physical security to protect enterprises against attacks and other unauthorized access. Cyberattacks can take several forms, including
ransomware (locking a system by encryption and demanding a payment to decrypt and unlock), malware (files or programs that harm a computer, such as a virus
or spyware), social engineering (tricking users to gain sensitive information), and phishing (fraudulent emails to steal sensitive data).
Security has to be coordinated across the whole communication information system and throughout the organization. All business and operational applications
require cybersecurity, including operations, network-connected devices, end-user interactions, and disaster recovery. Global Omnium is all too aware of this
situation and has developed specific protocols to prevent incidents as well as response plans. Also, security countermeasures have been introduced to mitigate
the associated risks that follow the international standards and guidance.
Global Omnium uses the technology provided by GoAigua, which includes key measures and tools to protect both data and analytical processes from attacks,
thefts, or other malicious activities that could seriously damage systems.
Data
Understanding the goal and application of the DT will inform the developer which data is necessary and how frequent the data will have to be retrieved.
The complexity and value return can vary significantly from simplistic systems with just a few data streams to ones that incorporate machine learning and
sophisticated algorithms utilizing multiple variables. This section outlines the typical data sets needed for a mature DT.
It is imperative that the data utilized is reliable; this sometimes is difficult since most of the infrastructure is buried, and sometimes it is challenging to obtain
critical pieces of information. In any case, it is necessary to have a culture of quality information registration. Also, having automatic error detection and
correction tools (inconsistent properties, failures on the topology of the network or connection) will facilitate the feeding of the DT.
GIS (Geographical Information Systems)
Most utilities today use a geographical information system (GIS), where all the information on assets is georeferenced. Asset information usually includes pipe
network and properties, characteristics, and location of water treatment plants, water storage, regulating elements, sensors, and sometimes the user’s location.
The geospatial data along with physical properties of the utility’s assets provide the foundation for the DT model.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)
The DT must reproduce the behaviour of the real system at every time stamp, so it is necessary to know its operation status. Most utilities have a SCADA
(supervisory control and data acquisition) system in place. With their many sensors, they provide real-time data including pressure, flow, water quality, and tank
level, as well as regulating elements such as valves, pumps, etc. — all of which are critical for data-pairing of the DT.
AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) – Meter Data
Utilities have increased their deployment of smart AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) meters in recent years. The reason for this is that utilities have gained
a great deal of value from the hourly consumption data. Water distribution utilities have leveraged AMI data in many ways, such as using analytics to help reduce
non-revenue water (NRW), improving the customer experience by sharing usage data and insights, and performing an analysis to determine loss of revenue due
to data leaks. AMI data also helps in the calibration of the DT.
CMMS
Most utilities utilize a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to manage workflow related to an asset. Since the goal of the DT is to inform
and prioritize the optimization of the system, it is vital to exchange information with the CMMS.
For example, in Global Omnium, the main assets such as pumps, regulating valves, and tanks are continually sending their status from the connected sensors,
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along with the information exchanges via the CMMS. However, some elements — pipes and manual valves, for example — are not monitored. Status
information on those elements is exchanged mainly from the CMMS via maintenance people and work orders.
IoT sensor data
The Internet of Things (IoT) interconnects computer resources with devices such as sensors via a communications network. In recent years, sensor technology
has made significant improvements, resulting in novel sensing capabilities, reduction in the cost of manufacturing, and an increase in the battery life, which
is critical to water utilities. These changes make it easier for water utilities to deploy more sensors throughout the utility. However, the main cost to utilities
lies in the maintenance rather than the initial purchase of the sensors.
Sensordatareliability iscritical.Assuch,thedataretrievedmustbereliable.Otherwise,erroneousdatacantranslatetofaultyinsightsthatcanhavedetrimental
implications. Although some novel sensors now include automatic cleaning devices (e.g., using pressurized air or mechanical brushes or wipers), additional
development is required to increase the reliability of sensors and reduce maintenance efforts. Near-real-time sensor data can be used as input parameters to
the DT or as data points to help the validity and calibration.
LIMS
Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) can provide water quality data to a DT for updating and calibration of the chemical process model.
Since most LIMS are manually updated after analyzing samples collected from the field, there will always be a lag between the DT and the LIMS. This lag
could be minimized to less than a day if there is direct integration of LIMS and the DT. Another possibility is to integrate online water quality sensor data
along with laboratory measured data directly into the LIMS. In this case, appropriate time stamps need to be provided for each data point so that they can be
appropriately used in the calibration of the DT.
Weather Data
Climate and weather data will play an important role in the evolution of a DT. For example, climatic data such as temperature and soil moisture may be
correlated to pipe breakages and leaks. This information can be infused in real time to improve pipe condition assessment of a DT of a water network.
Similarly, climate influences water demand, giving the ability to forecast both short-term and long-term water demands that can be used readily in a DT in the
absence of automatic metering data. Knowing when storms are forecasted will help in preparation and the avoidance of failures.
Access to accurate, normalized data
Critical to DT is the requirement for useful data sets to be secure and agile to access, normalized, and reliable. Data is often collected in various isolated
systems, thus making it difficult to obtain and maintain for coherence and quality. The units, acquisition, and storage periods are generally different, which
makes it difficult to normalize. Data normalization is one of the biggest challenges holding utilities back from developing a DT. In most cases, it means
some manual intervention initially to set up the rules and algorithms for normalizing data across the utility. After this initial step, it becomes more automated.
The quality of the input data to the DT is critical to assure proper behaviour.
Algorithms and analytics
Models: hydraulic and chemical
Water utilities around the world have been using hydraulic models for engineering and expansion since the 1950s. A hydraulic model is a physics-based
mathematical model of a fluid flow system for water. Typically, the hydraulic model simulation is run in batch mode with input parameters based on historical
data. The output of the simulation provides the engineering teams with optimal design choices for determining pipe sizes, developing master plans, and
evaluating system expansions. Over the past decades, the models have become more sophisticated by integrating data from the utility’s GIS system, SCADA,
and sometimes IoT devices.
In some cases, utilities are starting to use the model simulations for operational uses. What is different with the DT, as discussed earlier, is running the model
in continuous mode rather than batch mode and with real-time data pairing from the physical twin. It is necessary to augment the hydraulic model with
other models such as a chemical process model, as well as machine learning algorithms for a more accurate holistic model of the water system behaviour. For
example, the DT of a water distribution system should model the fate and transport of disinfectants and their by-products as well as potential contaminants
through the water pipelines. Recent work by North Carolina State University (NCSU) has shown that a DT of a water network based on hydraulic and chemical
process modelling can replace extensive sampling of free chlorine (Ricca et al. 2019) by modelling its movement.
Leak Detection Solutions
Historically, finding and fixing leaks has been challenging, as even a substantial leak can potentially show no manifest signs (Ponce et al. 2014). Large leaks
may intuitively seem to be the most significant contributors to water loss, but these leaks often manifest in visible above-ground ways, often with a large
enough impact that they are found and fixed quickly. Small leaks can have a profound impact over time on water loss because they often remain unobservable
from the surface. Also, these small background leaks can lead to catastrophic pipe bursts over time. Traditional leak detection methods, such as acoustic
surveys, require significant resources and specialized training. The success of an acoustic survey is influenced heavily by the pipe material and the magnitude
of the leak. Other methods include ground-penetrating radar, infrared imaging, thermal imaging, and gas injection, among many others (Hamilton and
Charalambous 2013).
With the increasing availability of routinely measured operational data such as pressure, flow, and quality, DT-driven methods that work with an entire
network and seek to minimize the difference between simulated and observed data have recently gained attention. In a DT, leak detection can be envisioned
as part of the real-time calibration of the water network since leaks are essentially a manifestation of the physical condition of the pipe network. This
calibration can be performed using optimization or machine-learning approaches that are embedded in the analytics driving the DT. For real-time applicability,
these methods should be fast and computationally tractable. For this reason, heuristic optimization methods such as genetic algorithms and particle swarm
methods that have often been used in numerous published studies will have limited applicability. Alternatively, optimization methods based on successive
linear approximation developed at NCSU (Berglund et al. 2017, Mahinthakumar et al. 2018) have shown that online pressure measurements can be used
with a real-time hydraulic model to detect background leaks accurately and in real time. Such methods should be explored toward leakage detection in a DT.
Page 18

Visualization
The enormous potential of the DT is based on the capacity to present a large amount of
information collected in it in an organized and understandable way, adapted to diverse
users and requirements. The DT permits the development of very different display
environments for a diverse set of users, operational staff field staff , and business staff
to name a few.
Reports and charts
The tables and graphs join all the required data together and transform it in a way that
can be easily read and interpreted. In short, the visualization of the data should be a
powerful and flexible query tool, adaptable to the required use.
Simulations
The DT is an interactive environment where users can perform simulations from a
historical time perspective, in near-real time, and in future time, such as “what if”
scenarios. These capabilities help staff members better understand what is happening
across the utility at any time frame. Utilizing a DT for test scenarios can help illuminate the impact of specific actions before one takes them. The geographical
representation of the DT simulation is especially powerful with its ability to continually show the state of the whole system.
Web-based SCADA
An example of data visualization is the Town of Cary’s SCADA Ignition portal, which makes
SCADA historian data web-available in a user-friendly form for various sectors. Traditionally,
each treatment plant has SCADA visualization on-site, but this is not accessible to field staff
or engineers working off -site. This lightweight interface provides quick and helpful access to
various data, including collection and distribution data. Below is a view of the Town of Cary’s
SCADA Ignition portal for wastewater pump station data.
Actionable steps with case studies
Develop a vision
Because DT affects so many departments, a unified vision for the desired outcomes is
necessary to build consensus and evaluate success. Prioritizing the drivers, which can range
from leak management to operational efficiency, to improve water quality will help develop the business case. This vision needs to be cross-departmental and
aimed at fostering an innovative culture. Only once there is a shared consensus on the big-picture vision for adaptive management can a digital strategy be
developed.
Assess where you are today — Components, process & goals
For utilities that are just beginning to consider DTs, it’s important to understand the core components and start working toward those first. Fortunately, each of
these core components, identified below, has its benefits.
• The Base: GIS & Hydraulic Model – Is your GIS reliable? Is your model calibrated? The level of accuracy needed for master planning is
less than what would be required to make operational decisions. A well-calibrated model, even if it’s skeletal with only major trunk
lines, is critical to the success of a DT.
• The Data: SCADA & Meter Data – Most utilities are utilizing SCADA, but the level of customer meter data can vary. Technically, a DT can
be leveraged even without customer data and using pressure or flow meter data for smaller district metered areas (DMAs). AMI data
provides a level of granularity on distribution consumption that, when paired with specific machine-learning algorithms, can provide
critical insights for greater efficiency and early failure detection. Such insights include the discovery of anomalies, distribution leaks,
customer leaks, as well as data leaks (faulty meters, wrong-size meters, missing meters, missing bills, etc.). Either way, consider how the
data can be accessed and the frequency of its availability (this determines how “live” your system will be, but may need to be balanced
with battery life).
• The Platform: Middleware & API – Some type of middleware will be needed to access SCADA and meter data. Custom portals such as
SCADA Ignition are a good start for building the appetite for more complex DTs, but pulling multiple sources into one API will require
more coordination. While data exports can be leveraged to an extent, manually incorporating data will quickly prove insufficient with
the amount of sensor and meter data involved in a mature model. Also, the premise of DTs is an active integration, so custom portals
per data stream will only get you so far.
AfterreviewingtheKeyOpportunitiesandassessingthecorecomponents,youcanthenrefineyourgoalanddataprofilerequiredtoachieveit.Cross-departmental
conversations are needed even at this step to understand the feasibility of the goal and the level of effort needed to get there.
For example, we have a goal to improve the speed of response to reported leaks. Today, most leaks are reported by a customer calling in faster than the required
data is collected and analysed. In order to have data analysis happen sooner than a customer could detect the leak, the frequency of data collection must be
faster than what is being done today. The key takeaway is that understanding the data requirements to achieving your goals is critical during the planning stages
and cost vs. return analysis. Additionally, cumulative value must be weighed against the maintenance involved for both physical aspects (sensors, IT network) as
well as support needed to program and manage these technologies(model updates, network patches) and more.
Develop an innovation culture
Open technology requires an open culture to both develop and sustain. The cross-departmental questions of “How could we use a DT?”, “How do we create a
DT?”, and “What are the long-term costs and benefits?” need to be brainstormed together.
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The Town of Cary hired a new town manager, Sean Stegall, in 2016 to help the town transition from a phase of building to one of maintaining. The premise was to
fundamentally shift from a traditional siloed approach to become more like a startup, with agility and innovation fostered between departments. To realize this
vision, a deliberate and ongoing discussion began about the value of adaptive leadership. Simultaneous to this culture shift, several open technologies were
brought online and rolled out internally and somewhat organically. The technologies range from out-of-the box software (like Office 365) to more complex data
management (like ESRI) and even an open source and open design database tool (Salesforce), which the town is configuring, using it as both a CMMS and work
order system as well as a project management tool. This vision for both open culture and open data has been a great breeding ground for fostering young talent
and lays the groundwork for innovative technologies like DT.
Build and calibrate a simulation model
ThehydraulicmodelisthebasisfortheDTdecisionmakingbecauseitallowsoperators
to simulate the system response under any request. In this way, the hydraulic model
must be reliable and alive, able to accurately reproduce the network behaviour at
any time and under any circumstance. Also, the simulations must be carried out
quickly, so the development of the hydraulic model is the first challenge to overcome
to develop the DT of the system.
Nowadays, all the necessary information to develop a hydraulic model is available
in different systems (GIS, SCADA, AMI, CMMS, etc.). So to migrate from a batch
hydraulic model to a more continuous model, we have to connect the hydraulic
model with all the information sources to always have an updated model. The
information collected by SCADA is the most variable, so the first step, once we have
a base hydraulic model, is to connect it with the SCADA system (Bou et al, 2006).
Furthermore, the DT must be live and reliable; therefore, the hydraulic model has to be calibrated. There is much research about hydraulic model calibration
techniques, emphasizing the adjustment variables to choose, the optimal location of the measurement points, and the objective function to minimize in each
case with the restrictions to be imposed, as well as in the numerical techniques to minimize the error (Savic et al. 2009, Martínez et al. 2017). When building a
hydraulic model, the information provided by SCADA is used for establishing the network operation and for model calibration, so one set of data is used to
establish the real system operation (control rules) while the other set of data is used for calibration or validation of the model.
However, if the goal is to obtain a real DT, the hydraulic model must always be updated with the key information sources discussed above. GoAigua and
Global Omnium have made a big effort in recent years to have a hydraulic model that is constantly data-paired with the right data sources, making it a live DT.
Additionally, it is important to establish boundary conditions that may affect the operation or behaviour of the system (user demand, climatology, raw water
quality, availability of resources, etc.). While the data streams will become the source of this information, it is helpful to have anticipated ranges to improve
model calibration.
Bringing It all together – An example of a live Digital Twin
Global Omnium’s digital transformation started 12 years ago and focused on
both its processes and infrastructures. Global Omnium made a bold investment
in equipping the entire network with sensors at nearly every asset. There was
a great deal of emphasis on modifying the internal processes as well. This
technological transformation allowed the utility to obtain a great amount of
information and key data, represented in real-time environments. These early
changes saved the company €7 million (US$7.7 million) annually. The money
saved was then reinvested back into technology and integration. First up was
installing smart meters across the City of Valencia, 700,000 meters within a
fixed network.
Five years later, in 2014, the company decided to develop a scientific data
unit, incorporating disruptive technologies such as machine learning, artificial
intelligence, Big Data, and advanced algorithms. This experience allowed Global Omnium to develop ad-hoc solutions that stitch together the separate systems
(silos) and adapt to the different stages of the integral water cycle. Examples of this include field validation, leakage detection, work order management, virtual
office, customer service, and DT, among others. These solutions are now also products of the newly formed spin-off from Global Omnium called GoAigua.
Today, the GoAigua platform integrates information coming from different vendors and equipment, including on-field components, IoT devices, and proprietary
and third-party data. As an example, the DT of Valencia and its metropolitan area is very accurately calibrated, with an uncertainty less than 2% in pressure and
4% in flow, which also precisely reproduces all the tank levels.
Conclusion
When done correctly, the DT can be an effective and powerful holistic tool for utilities. It has the power to bring together diverse perspectives, data sets, and
solutions under one umbrella application. This, in turn, can lay the groundwork for increasing interdepartmental transparency and collaboration on broader
business and operational goals. It is evident that for utilities to be successful in implementing DT, they must simultaneously undergo digital transformation,
which begins and ends with people, and that change management is vital. The reason for this is that a process of this kind must overcome the inertias rooted in
the organization’s structures and identify the key players to ensure that new technologies are not only implemented, but they are operationalized and executed
successfully.
It is clear that the global water sector has embraced this technology; however, it is understood that it will not be an easy journey for most utilities, regardless of
size and structure. There exist many challenges ahead for utilities, both technological and cultural, when implementing DT technology. For this reason, the
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WIPAC Monthly June 2020

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