WIPAC Monthly - August 2022.pdf

WIPAC MONTHLY
The Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 8/2022- August 2022

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.
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
Hydraulic modelling versus machine learning - using the right tool for the job..............
There are some ocassions were the most appropriate tool to do the job is traditional hydraulic modelling and
more recently this has been replaced by elements of maching learning. However both "tools" have their place. In
this article the most appropriate method is discussed and where to use one and not the other.
12
When it comes to our water infrastructure data is power..............................................
An article this month about the use of the integration of data and its conversion to useful information in a modern
utillity where Digital Transformation is creating increasing amounts of data so as to enable proactive management
of water utillities.
13 - 15
Smart Water Networks from Micro to Macro...............................................................
If we don't know what we have to manage then how do we actually manage it. This is as important at the system
level as it is at the element level. In this article we look at how, through better data management, we can improve
the performance of our assets
16 - 18
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months. 19 - 20

From the Editor

Firstly, apologies as this month's edition is a week later than expected but the very good reason is that I finally decided to
take a holiday where I actually kept the amount of work that I did down to absolute minimum and that included delaying
the August edition by a week.
What this has enabled me to do is pick up some of the interesting things that have been happening over the past week.
For instance the final agenda for next month's WWEM competition has been created and some of you may well have seen
most of it already. In the past week since I came back from holiday's I got the fantastic news that I have been elected a
Fellow of the International Water Association....and all of that is personal and minutiae that may or may not concern you.
To get onto the big news of the month, something that has been somewhat more dramatic than episode of EastEnders
is the ongoing saga in wastewater pollution in England & Wales. This month DEFRA snuck out the Storm Overflows Re-
duction Plan that they were due to publish before the 1st September. The conspiracy theorists can debate the timing,
just before a bank holiday and the news in the papers that it wasn't going to be released at all. However, released it was
although one could argue that it wasn't quite complete. There was a passing reference to monitoring under Sections 81
and 82 of the 2021 which requires monitoring of storm overflows event duration (section 81) and upstream and down-
stream of overflows (section 82) with a promise that it would come later. Slightly disappointing.
There were some good elements to the plan with the acceptance that rainwater should be used as a resource, a slightly off-the-wall reference to storm water
separation presumably. The plan was really to tackle the issue using network solutions which is all very well and good but it ignores the fact that the problem
isn't just in the wastewater network but in the treatment works too. This is an aspect of the industry that seems to be new to the regulators as referenced in
Johnson Cox's evidence to the "House of Lords" that the wastewater treatment issues with overflows were somewhat of a surprise when they became known
in October 2021. This is despite industry reports with the issues being listed produced by UKWIR in 2016....
Others will point to the time-scales being far too long (and they are) but in reality it is very easy to be negative about it and fail to come up with a solution.
Well, my ideal solution I wrote about a few years ago in the chapter I wrote for Springer in the book entitled ICT for Smart Water Systems: Measurement and
Data Science. In it I spoke about a smart wastewater network approach. Of course the networks in the UK aren't really setup to facilitate this approach with
the majority of storm storage being at the treatment works rather than in the network which is where the majority of smart solutions have been implement-
ed. This is one approach and in reality, although a missed trick, will probably not be implemented in the main. This leaves other approaches like Smart Water
Butts and rainfall harvesting all of which can be automated to a certain extent. Lastly, and probably the most relevant solution is Sustainable Urban Drainage
Systems which should be used to re-wild our environments and make the world just that more pleasurable to be in as we see the return to wildlife in some of
our areas at least....although event this....according to the paper that I have just read marking the WEF LIFT challenge can have some Digital Water elements
layered within it
I hope to see some of you at the IWA World Water Congress next week and at least at the Digital Water plenary session. There will be a rather large, very tired
person on stage who hopes, with a bit of help from some friends, to make it at least a bit of a fun and interesting discussion. Come and say hello at the end of
it I would love to see some of you all.
Have a good month
Oliver

International Water Association to release new book on Digital Water
at World Water Congress
The International Water Association will launch their new book, as prepared and
edited by the Digital Water programme at the World Water Congress and Exhibition
in Copenhagen on Tuesday 12th September 2022. The book is a collection of the
White Papers that has been produced by the IWA Digital Water programme under the
auspices of Professor Dragan Savic whilst he was leading the programme. The book has
been edited together by the current Chair of the Programme, Oliver Grievson. as well
as by Bruce Johnson of Jacobs and Timothy Holloway of the University of Portsmouth.
The white papers cover all aspects of Digital Water from instrumentation in digital
transformation, metadata and uncertainty all the way to artificial intelligence, Digital
Twins and Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The book when released will be free
and open source and downloadable from the International Water Association.
The book includes the most recent white paper released by the Digital Water
Programme tackling the subject of "Dynamic Resilience in wastewater treatment"
which was led by Timothy Holloway and is downloadable by clicking here.
The IWA will also be releasing their latest Global Trends report that combines the
expert opinions of a large range of global industry experts in a whole range of water
industry focused subjects revealing what the global trends are for the water industry
and what is likely to be the issues and solutions that are going to be on trend within
the next few years.
Southern Water launches 2nd
real-time water quality testing buoy off
Hayling Island
Southern Water has launched a real-time water quality testing buoy off Hayling Island. This is the second water quality buoy the water company has launched this
summer, with the other one off Tankerton shore. Southern Water has been working closely with the Environment Agency, local authorities, Proteus Instruments,
and the University of Portsmouth, to test, calibrate and launch the buoy.
Havant Borough Council and Southern Water are partnering to deliver the sophisticated 12-month pilot. If successful, lessons from this project may be used to
inform future schemes.
The monitoring device is fixed to a buoy around 400 metres offshore of Hayling Island. It automatically measures the water quality every few minutes, which
Southern Water and its partners will openly share with the public later this year, once calibration and further testing is complete.
Professor Alex Ford, University of Portsmouth, commented:
"We are delighted to be supporting this exciting project helping to calibrate the water quality buoy in the Solent. These devices, which have the capacity to monitor
water quality in real-time on coasts and rivers enable scientists to better understand the impacts of sewage discharges and the risks posed to recreational water
users.
“We fully expect these kinds of devices to be the future of water quality monitoring by the water industry and regulatory authorities with nationwide arrays
providing substantial data which will benefit scientists investigating water quality, coastal development as well as climate change."
Water quality is an important public issue, with stakeholders calling for Southern Water to take a leading role to ensure the public are informed about water quality
in the Solent.
Dr Nick Mills Head of Southern Water’s Storm Overflow Task Force said:
“This is exciting progress to test innovative technology to deliver real-time water quality data to the public. Project partners have worked hard to get this buoy
launched and are pioneering the way in the water quality testing space. Southern Water is taking the lead on innovation and data transparency and proving that
partnership working is essential to deliver for the public.”
Cllr Elizabeth Lloyd, Havant Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Water Quality added:
“The ability to deliver real-time water quality information to residents and visitors, who wish to enter the sea off Hayling Island, is a positive step. It will also enable
Southern Water to analyse water quality as and when concerns are raised, rather than relying on intermittent testing giving an overall rating of the quality of the
bathing water, each season. I am pleased to see all the hard work of the partnership coming into use.”
Page 4
Industry News

Leading water sector event WWEM 2022 to be LIVE again in Telford
Following last year’s hugely successful virtual event, the WWEM organisers are delighted to announce that WWEM 2022 will take place live at the Telford
International Centre on 12th and 13th October. Covering regulations, standards, process control, pollution prevention, test methods and monitoring, WWEM
will focus on water, wastewater and environmental monitoring in both process water and natural water resources.
Organiser Marcus Pattison commented:
“We are absolutely delighted to be able to return to live events again,”
“Last year’s virtual event enabled a broader group of people to access the presentations, but the pandemic prevented all of us from exploiting the advantages
of face-to-face meetings. As a focused event, WWEM therefore offers everyone the opportunity to meet a lot of key people in a short space of time, whilst
accessing an enormous amount of the latest information.”
The WWEM presentation programme is supported by a comprehensive range of seminars, and two major international exhibitions featuring most of the
world’s leading suppliers of environmental monitoring equipment, analytical testing instrumentation and support services. Registration for both WWEM and
the co-located AQE Air Quality & Emissions show, is free and available from www.ilmexhibitions.com.
Oliver Grievson, the founder of WIPAC (Water Industry Process Automation & Control) LinkedIn Group, which currently has over 11,000 members. who helped
to organise the programme, said the overall objective for 2022 will be to focus on learning and development.
“There will be over 100 hours of free content available. We have involved several key professional organisations such as CIWEM, the IES and the InstMC to
ensure that the content is relevant and appropriate for professional development. WWEM 2022 therefore represents a great opportunity for everyone from
the newest apprentices to the most experienced industry experts.”
Key features at WWEM 2022 include:
APollutionForumwillfocusonarecentinvestigationfromtheEnvironmentAuditCommittee(EAC)intoriverwaterqualityandthenewmonitoringrequirements
outlined in Section 82 of the Environment Act 2021.
Effluent and river water quality will also be addressed by speakers from the Environment Agency, CIWEM, United Utilities and the Southern Water Storm
Overflow Taskforce. In the afternoon, the Rivers Trust will host a major session focusing on citizen science; looking at the ways in which any interested
individuals can help improve the spatial and temporal monitoring of the UK’s rivers.
A Flow Forum will run on the first day of WWEM, featuring speakers from the Environment Agency, Thames Water, Morrison Water Services and the Coal
Authority, with presentations covering the latest requirements and practical insights for installers and operators of flow monitoring equipment.
Within a Digital Zone, BIM4Water will run a series of presentations and workshops designed to share knowledge and enhance skills in the digital transformation
of the water sector through better information management. BIM4Water is a cross industry not-for-profit group which is open to all organisations involved
in the management and delivery of water and wastewater assets and services. A series of SWAN (Smart Water Networks Forum) workshops will also bring
together key players to collaborate and accelerate the use of data-driven solutions in water and wastewater networks. The second day of the Digital Zone will
see presentations by technology experts from within the supply chain.
A Communications Zone will focus on digital transformation. Developments in communications technology are the enablers of the advantages that are now
being realised, and speakers will describe the latest advances in a range of communications technologies. Vodafone will explain how narrowband IoT (NB-IoT),
a wireless communications standard, is ideal for devices that handle relatively small amounts of data with a low bandwidth and a low power requirement.
Ground Control will describe the application of satellite communications, Siemens will explain the role of EDGE in IoT, and advances in radio communications
will be described by Radio Data Networks.
The hugely successful Instrumentation Apprentice Competition will again operate throughout WWEM. The competition is free to enter, with teams generally
comingfromutilitiesandserviceproviders.AllcompetitorsareinvitedtotheGalaDinner(12thOct)andreceivefreemembershipoftheInstituteofMeasurement
& Control.
WWEM has partnered with the Future Water Association to run a ‘Water Dragons’ heat on 12th October during the conference/exhibition. Water Dragons
provides a unique opportunity for companies to pitch product, service or process innovations to a panel of senior water company executives and industry
specialists.
Page 5

Criminals target South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water in cyber-
attack
South Staffordshire PLC, the parent company of South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, has been the target of a criminal cyber-attack. In a statement, the
company said it is experiencing disruption to the corporate IT network and teams are working to resolve this as quickly as possible.
The company stressed that its customer service teams are operating as usual, commenting:
“As you’d expect our number one priority is to continue to maintain safe public water supplies. This incident has not affected our ability to supply safe water and
we can confirm we are still supplying safe water to all of our Cambridge Water and South Staffs Water customers.”
“ This is thanks to the robust systems and controls over water supply and quality we have in place at all times as well as the quick work of our teams to respond
to this incident and implement the additional measures we have put in place on a precautionary basis.”
South Staffordshire PLC is working closely with the relevant government and regulatory authorities and will keep them, as well as customers, updated as its
investigations into the cyber-attack continue.
According to a news report by Sky News this month, the statement was released after a ransomware group known as Cl0p claimed to have hacked a different
water company's networks.
The Sky News report quotes a government spokesperson as saying:
"We are aware that South Staffordshire Plc has been the target of a cyber incident. Defra and NCSC are liaising closely with the company.
"Following extensive engagement with South Staffordshire Plc and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, we are reassured there are no impacts to the continued safe
supply of drinking water, and the company is taking all necessary steps to investigate this incident."
Aquatic Informatics In Partnernship With Hach Launches Rio
Aquatic Informatics announces the launch of Rio, the next generation in cloud-based compliance and operations data management solutions for water and
wastewater utilities. Rio’s central and secure database integrates lab, process, field, and other data sources to improve cross-organizational visibility and decision-
making.
Eric Dorgelo, Chief Technology Officer for Aquatic Informatics said, “Rio expands the capabilities of our customers by enabling them to be proactive in their
compliance and more efficient in managing daily operations by providing visibility into water quality processes. The dashboard makes it easy to use and reporting
and graphing tools allow for insights and trends in a fraction of the time.”
Confidence in a Secure Cloud Environment
Using secure cloud infrastructure, Rio provides operators with visibility and access to action Lab, SCADA, field, and other data sources from any device. By
centralizing operations and compliance within an online environment water operators can track critical metrics, visualize trends, and use customizable alerts to
proactively address problems. Rio produces regulatory reports for both drinking and waste water utilities including Net Discharge Monitoring, Monthly Operating,
Surface Water Treatment Rule, Disinfection Byproducts, and Distribution Bacteriological Reports. All reports and data are retained and encrypted, creating a
defensible, easily accessible repository.
Increase Field Efficiency with Mobile Data Collection & Insights
Rio also has a mobile app that water operators can use independently or with the WIMS (Water Information Management System) solution for remote data
collection, data validation and access to information for more efficient field operations. Manual data collection of pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids,
temperature, etc. from instruments becomes easy, efficient, and defensible by eliminating bench sheets and spreadsheets to reduce errors.
New customer, The Village of Penn Yan, Yvonne E. Tucker, Chief Operator for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, said, “We found the charts and graphs really easy
to use and made it possible to communicate important data quickly to management, resulting in better understanding of our operations and improved decision-
making.”
For more information join the Rio product launch webinar on September 22 to see the software’s capabilities first-hand: https://aquaticinformatics.com/resources/
webinar/rio-centralized-compliance-operations/
Rio was developed in partnership with Hach to maximize the value of data from Hach instruments and serve as a central place to integrate any data source. Hach,
Rio and Aquatic Informatics are brands within the Danaher Water Quality Platform.
Page 6

Machine Learning Using Climatic Pattern Data May Help Predict
Harmful Algal Blooms Earlier
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are phytoplankton colonies that may harm aquatic ecosystem and human health. The fish die-offs, shellfish closures and reluctance
among consumers to eat seafood often caused by these blooms costs the U.S. an average of $4.6B annually.
A new study involving Florida Tech shows that a novel machine-learning approach using global climatic patterns can improve seasonal prediction of HABs. This
improvement could mean more time for policymakers to consider and adopt proper planning and mitigation strategies, such as restrictions in harvesting, and
help in monitoring toxins in shellfish to keep contaminated products off the market, the researchers report.
“Improved seasonal prediction of harmful algal blooms using large-scale climate indices,” published today in the Nature journal Communications Earth and
Environment, found that inputting global climatic patterns into a machine learning-based framework improved seasonal prediction of HABs over Lake Erie. The
researchers also found that the use of climatic pattern data allowed the improved seasonal prediction to be completed earlier than usual.
“Any progress in the understanding and prediction of HABs can make a significant impact in the U.S. and around the world,” said Pallav Ray, a meteorologist and
associate professor in ocean engineering and marine sciences at Florida Tech and a co-author of the study.
Conventionally, HAB prediction is conducted using information about chemicals from industries and agricultural land that are transported into bodies of water
through runoff. However, HAB predictions that use this chemical data as the main driver have been found to be less accurate during extreme bloom years. The
new research found that when a set of climatic patterns was used in a novel machine learning approach along with that chemical data, HAB prediction accuracy
over Lake Erie improved dramatically.
A growing number of water bodies, including the Indian River Lagoon, are severely affected by excessive nutrient loading. Lake Erie is impacted at its watershed
due to the presence of large manufacturing facilities and extensive agricultural lands. This has led to increasingly large and deep blooms over the past decades.
The study also found that the large-scale ocean-atmosphere structures are distinctly different during mild HAB years compared to severe HAB years, suggesting
the influence of large-scale circulation on the seasonal evolution of HABs over Lake Erie.
“These results are expected to help extend the lead time and improve the seasonal prediction of HABs not only in Lake Erie but also in other water bodies around
the world where chemical data may not be available,” Ray said.
Lead author Mukul Tewari, an atmospheric scientist at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Centre in Yorktown Heights, New York, said the research also
highlights the importance and value of having a varied research team. “Any significant progress in HABs prediction requires interdisciplinary collaboration among
experts in HABs, climate science, machine learning, and computational and data sciences,” he said.
SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions expands suite of advanced
analytics solutions
SUEZ - Water Technologies & Solutions has unveiled the latest additions to its robust suite of advanced analytics: IVAP* and CompRISE*. These data-driven
analytics enable customers to optimize the operation of critical assets and drive a positive impact on both their bottom line and the environment.
IVAP’s patent-pending technology brings together raw data from SUEZ WTS’ InSight* Asset Performance Management (APM) platform with machine learning to
provide predictive analysis of ethanol evaporator performance and maintenance cleaning needs. This arms operators with the knowledge to optimize evaporator
maintenance cleanings by replacing traditional time-based scheduled clean-in-place (CIP) programs with performance-based cleaning programs. When used
in conjunction with a customized chemical program, IVAP can reduce CIP frequency by 70%, resulting in reduced energy costs, decreased chemical usage, and
increased production run-length.
CompRISE offers ethylene producers a fully integrated value-add program for process gas compressors (PGCs) that is unique to the design, operation and
performance reliability needs of their PGCs. By integrating InSight APM data from various pieces of equipment and measurement devices, the analytic functions
as a coordinated asset protection, monitoring and reporting system to keep the PGC operating at maximum performance. Global producers managing multiple
compressor assets around the world now have a single site to help manage the performance of the global fleet.
“The advanced capabilities offered by IVAP and CompRISE will be transformative for our customers in ethanol and ethylene production, and we are excited to
extend these Industry 5.0 capabilities to other industrial sectors,” says Bernie Anger, Chief Digital Officer for SUEZ WTS. “Our customers continue to need digital
solutions that bring enhanced scalability, reliability, and visibility into their complex operations, and only SUEZ WTS can deliver that through our growing suite
of advanced analytics.”
SUEZ WTS adds these new analytics alongside its award-winning application, Empower, a digital solution developed for the power industry. By leveraging its
unique expertise in water and chemical process treatment, SUEZ WTS continues augment its digital offering capabilities across its industrial portfolio, enabling
customers to optimize performance, achieve financial benefits, and reach sustainability goals.
SUEZ WTS’ suite of advanced analytics combines real-time data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence with customer-specific site data, creating a working
virtual model of a plant’s critical assets. Operators utilize the critical information provided by SUEZ WTS analytics to proactively identify issues, optimize
operational and maintenance programs, and better manage water, energy, and fuel consumption to achieve their sustainability targets.
Page 7

OPC Foundation And FieldComm Group Cooperate To Develop An
Instrumentation Device Profile For OPC UA Field eXchange
The OPC Foundation (OPCF) and the FieldComm Group (FCG) are pleased to announce a collaboration to drive multi-vendor interoperability of instrumentation
devices based on OPC UA and the extensions for the field level, named OPC UA FX (Field eXchange). This development will incorporate preliminary work by
both organizations. This will ensure that the market will have only one single standard. The aim is to provide an interoperable interface between PLC / DCS and
instrumentation devices, such as transmitters, instruments, and actuators. The solution shall support different industries such as oil & gas, pharmaceuticals,
chemicals, energy, water & wastewater, and pulp & paper.
To begin this work, a new OPC UA Instrumentation Working Group is being hosted by the OPC Foundation, under the leadership of the Field Level Communications
(FLC) Initiative. Participation in the working group is open to members of the OPC Foundation, as well as corporate entity members of the FieldComm Group.
Many well-known manufacturers in the process and factory automation industries are represented within this working group to ensure a uniform, worldwide,
and coordinated standard for OPC UA-based instrumentation devices. In order to achieve inter-vendor interoperability of instrumentation devices, the working
group will add to the UAFX base specifications the definition of interfaces and behaviors which are typical for instrumentation devices, including:
• commonly used interfaces and data types for the industries mentioned above including functional safety,
• diagnostic information specific to instrumentation devices,
• operation modes of instrumentation devices,
• state machines and timing models for instrumentation-specific functionality, where appropriate.
The new instrumentation device profile specification will use PubSub and can be combined with different underlying communication protocols (e.g. UDP/IP) and
physical layers (e.g. Ethernet-APL) to support all relevant use cases in discrete and process manufacturing, including safety instrumentation based on OPC UA
Safety and deterministic data exchange based on Ethernet Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), where appropriate.
The Instrumentation Facet shall be complementary to the jointly-owned OPC 30081 / FCG TS10098 “OPC UA for Process Automation Devices (PA-DIM)” and
other Companion Specifications. The working group will also strive to manage overlap with other information models already released or under development.
Examples include, the models for “Calibration” (a Harmonization sub-group) and “Laboratory and Analytical Devices” (LADS working group). Thoralf Schulz
(ABB), Chairperson FCG says: “OPC Foundation and FieldComm Group joining forces in the Instrumentation Working Group is a significant milestone. This
collaboration unifies separate volunteer initiatives previously underway in each organization, and creates the basis for a broadly accepted single standard. It will
harmonize device integration while supporting the transition of existing device technologies and their installations into the future. Combined with FDI-based
device management and the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) for the lower-layer connectivity, this is a major milestone towards a harmonized data exchange
infrastructure, which will benefit both users of process automation as well as vendors of process automation products and solutions.”
Thomas Hahn (Siemens), Vice President OPCF says: “Digitization needs interoperability. Interoperability needs standards. Extending the OPC UA framework to
include an information model for instrumentation devices is important to ensure cross-vendor interoperability and common semantics. No single organization
can achieve this alone! Therefore, cross-organizational collaboration is essential - from process automation to discrete manufacturing, from customer to provider,
from machine tool builder to solution partners, and so on. Through this collaboration, an important step towards meeting the needs of our customers and the
industry is achieved. Extending the OPC UA Framework with an information model for instrumentation devices is important to ensure – in combination with
OPC UA Safety, Deterministic Communication, Motion and Ethernet-APL/SPE – cross-vendor interoperability and common semantics, not only for the Controller-
to-Controller and Controller-to-Device use cases in Factory and Process Automation, but also supporting OPC UA as a fully scalable technology from the sensor
across all levels to MES / ERP and also to the cloud,” stated Peter Lutz, Director FLC Initiative at OPC Foundation.
Rapid water network information is a necessity
When managing water networks, rapid information is not a luxury, it is now a necessity that translates into crises averted and money saved, says Kevin Brook,
director, Orbis Intelligent Systems. Data-driven real-time monitoring is enabling the water sector’s smart transformation, by giving companies the tools to
proactively manage their assets. Advanced smart devices capture data and transmit critical alerts to a utility within seconds and by linking devices with a cloud-
based portal, utilities can monitor their assets with precision 24-hours-day – something has only become possible with the latest innovations.
By being informed in real time of flow, volume, and consumption, as well as consumer water usage, network efficiency and pipeline condition, control rooms
can mitigate challenges before they impact customers. Smart systems are also helping utilities track down companies that illegally take water from the network,
protecting the supply against those who use water without being billed for supply. Taking such measures can be critical - water theft from the network can cause
problems at any time but during hot dry spells, such as those seen this summer when demand was up by 70% in some regions, it can have a serious impact on
customer supply.
Orbis technology has found over 550 illegal abstractions in the UK in the last 12 months, through use of digital remote data. Digital information has helped
increase the amount of water accounted from hydrants by 15% in the last six months, simply by replacing analogue with digital information. Water utilities have
invested hundreds of millions in systems, devices and services that deliver many categories of actionable data. They are now investing in the systems, services
and devices that measure the ‘gap within the gap’ – those numbers that were reported as assumptions because historically, they were too small to matter. That
has changed – now they do matter.
Moving away from a reactive to proactive model also means companies can better target maintenance programmes, reducing the risk of bursts, leakage,
discolouration and service failures in a way that is reliable and cost effective. Crucially, by supporting these priority areas, data-driven technology can help water
companies achieve objectives in their outcome delivery incentives (ODIs) and meet their regulatory targets. Leakage is just one area in which water companies
are already seeing the benefits – 13 water companies in England and Wales achieved their 2020-2021 performance targets.
Ofwat is expecting companies to take a smart approach to PR24 planning. In May 2022, chief executive David Black said: “Smart networks and systems offer huge
scope to get more from existing assets and prevent problems before they adversely impact on customers and the environment.”
The regulator also says in PR24 guidance that companies should consider “a wide range of technological developments” when writing their strategies, which
“may include AI/data interrogation”. As the technology becomes more advanced, widely available and lower in price, the sector’s smart transformation will only
accelerate, bringing greater resilience and efficiency and providing a service that customers and regulators expect.
Page 8

CU Boulder researchers develop highly accurate sensor for E. coli risk
detection
Researchers at CU Boulder have developed and validated a new sensor for E.
coli risk detection that features an impressive 83% accuracy rate when detecting
contamination in surface waters. The findings were recently published in Water
Research and could improve detection of a variety of contaminants quickly and
effectively in water systems around the globe and in America.
Emily Bedell (PhDEnvEngr’22) is the lead author on the paper from the Mortenson
Centre in Global Engineering. She said about two billion people worldwide use a
drinking water source that has some level of fecal matter in it and can cause health
issues ranging from diarrhea to stunted growth – especially in young children.
“About 60% of all diarrhoeal deaths are related to water quality, globally,” she said.
“This is a real problem, but current methods for finding poop in drinking water are
expensive, have high barriers to entry like extensive training requirements or can
take about 24 hours to provide results. We have invented a sensor combined with
a machine learning model that uses fluorescence to show faecal contamination
spikes in real-time.”
Both the sensor and machine learning model combination have been approved for a patent by the U.S. Patent Office.
Bedell said fluorescence works by shining a UV LED light source on a water sample and measuring the amount of light that is absorbed and re-emitted at a
higher wavelength. That information can quickly show potential contamination, but it is sensitive to many environmental and physical factors such as sample
temperature, which cause noise in the data and make it difficult to interpret.
“We use machine learning techniques to cut through that noise to better detect anomalies,” Bedell said.
Fast and accurate assessment of water quality is a growing need – not only in low-income countries, but in situations like the Flint, Michigan water crisis where
citizens were exposed to dangerous levels of lead from poor government policies. Professor Evan Thomas, director of the Mortenson Centre, is a co-author on
the paper. He said climate change is also a factor in this discussion as more frequent power outages may impact treatment facility operations and severe weather
could contaminate critical water sources.
“We are going to need more data on water quality, and we need it to be widely available,” he said. “Taking measurements once a day will not be enough to
ensure we are receiving water that doesn’t have either biological or chemical contaminants that can harm us in both the short and long term.”
Bedell is now employed as an engineer for Virridy in Boulder and is working on advancing the technology further. Ideally it will function in partnership with a
larger home treatment system for those utilizing a private well – where water quality is not regulated by the EPA – for their drinking water.
“That sensor will be a miniaturized version of the design built in this paper and will be installed on a house’s main water line coming from the well,” she said.
“The sensor’s data will be sent through the user’s WiFi to an online database where the machine learning model will be applied to predict risk level and send the
information to a mobile app that will alert the user if contamination is detected.”
Bedell said she has always been interested in the intersections of engineering, the environment and social equity and this research project really brought those
aspects together during her time with the Mortenson Centre.
“Water quality research hits on all those points in so many ways. With more data we can explicitly point out how and when communities are being harmed
through environmental injustices so that the policies and practices put in place that caused the harm can be addressed,” she said.
Page 9

Digital Twins: a pathway to achieving the world’s sustainability
goals?
The transformative potential of Digital Twins could have a profound influence on how society addresses global sustainability challenges, but more inclusive,
reliable and responsive computer simulations are needed to support these efforts, say researchers in a study recently published in 'Nature Sustainability' journal.
A review of the potential of Digital Twins to support society in mitigating and adapting to environmental changes, found that the technology (defined here as real-
time, virtual replicas of physical and biological entities) has many benefits, especially in helping to realise ambitions set out in the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). These SDGs sit at the heart of a shared blueprint adopted in 2015 by all United Nations Member States and are an urgent call for action by all
developed and developing countries as part of a global partnership. However, where digital divides exist, particularly in lower-income countries, the possibility
of these countries missing out on Digital Twin technology – and its benefits – is increased, thus conflicting with the SDG aim to ‘leave no one behind’, while also
undermining targets set out in four of the SDGs.
The study, authored by Dr Asaf Tzachor and Dr Catherine Richards, from the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge, in
collaboration with researchers from the University of Melbourne, identifies four benefits that Digital Twins can contribute to the SDGs. These are:
• The ability to monitor significant amounts of real-time data with the use of smart sensors, and model actions and events with great precision,
enables efficiency in resource allocation, including natural resources. Examples include validating water leak detection sensors in digital replicas and
integrating them into real-world water distribution networks to increase performance and enable predictive maintenance.
• Providing a virtual space for safe innovation in green technologies – this allows for testing at speed and at scale. Once validated using Digital Twin
models, new clean technologies can then be rolled out at pace across all facets of society.
• Creating comprehensive computer simulations of whole environments, including farms, factories and electrical grids, that can be accessed via cloud
computing – this allows inclusive partnerships for sustainable development to be built between multiple stakeholders, regardless of geographical
distances. With this comes the potential for inclusive decision-making and the sharing of data for collaborative planning. Examples include the
Fishermans Bend Digital Twin for the Australian state government of Victoria, developed by the University of Melbourne, with the aim being to
improve public services, including road infrastructures and safety (in support of Australia’s largest urban-renewal project). The data generated by this
Digital Twin has been shared by more than 20 government agencies and municipalities, including transport and water utilities, to design evidence- and
simulation-based decision-support tools.
• The ability to monitor and report on the progress of the SDGs, regardless of geographical distance. The University of Melbourne, for example, was able
to measure SDG indicators by programming a workflow in their Fishermans Bend Digital Twin and comparing the performance of the SDG indicators’
with several of Australia’s large cities.
“With their increasing degrees of precision, sensor coverage,
computational processing capacity and real-time dynamic data of
physical assets, Digital Twins have the potential to be used for the
aim of achieving ambitious sustainable development targets, such
as the goals laid out in the United Nations SDGs,” said Dr Richards,
who completed her PhD at the Department of Engineering.
“Using predictive models that draw on real-time data can enable
the creation of scenario-based ‘what-if’ simulations to inform
planning and operation decisions. However, challenges do exist
and close attention must be paid to addressing socioeconomic
and technological barriers, with a focus on inclusive design,
accessibility and diversity.”
According to their review, three road blocks stand in the way of
a successful application of Digital Twins for the SDGs. These are
defined as:
• Digital divides which exist in research, infrastructure and in the use of technologies that are fundamental to Digital Twins. In lower-income countries,
these divides are more visible, due to a lack of scientific investments, technical qualifications and governance structures. This issue also extends to
global North-South and rich-poor digital divides.
• A lack of real-time and/or poor quality data makes simulating complex systems difficult, making it impossible for the Digital Twin to provide a ‘live’
virtual replica. This could, for example, obstruct the use of Digital Twins for ecological conservation and restoration purposes, where accurate,
simultaneous monitoring of natural ecosystems does not exist.
• Possible inappropriate optimisation – namely, when it comes to generating simulations of future scenarios, such as construction, for whom, and by
whom, is this done? Who prioritises certain parameters and outcomes when proposing development pathways? Could algorithms be optimised for
the wrong metrics?
“Addressing these limitations requires investment in digital infrastructures in developing countries, including in computer science training for those involved
in sustainable development,” said Dr Tzachor. “This means making it a priority to build digital literacy, so that planners in low- and medium-income countries
are sufficiently skilled to handle and make sense of the Digital Twin technology. Without this knowledge, developing countries may miss out. Likewise, when
developing Digital Twins for sustainable development, decision-support models should be inclusive and responsive to various societal issues – including
addressing the potential for bias and misrepresentation at the design stage.”
An example screenshot from the University of Melbourne’s Digital Twin, showing transport mode ratios in
Greater Melbourne to measure and report progress on SDG 11.2. Credit: Tzachor, A., Sabri, S., Richards, C.E.
et al. Potential and limitations of digital twins to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Nat Sustain
(2022).
Page 10

Xylem's analytics solution in Malaysia detects leaks, bursts and
pressure surges in real time
Air Selangor is a large water distribution company owned by
the Malaysian state of Selangor. The public utility serves a
population of 8.4 million residents and manages over 3,800
miles (6,200 kilometers) of trunk mains, ranging from 300
mm up to 2200 mm, with much of the pipelines located in
remote areas of the state.
Asanationalwatercompanymakingeffortstocost-effectively
manage its network, Air Selangor wanted to reduce its high
rate of non-revenue water loss (NRW), or water lost due to
leaking pipes, broken meters or unauthorized use – which in
2017 stood at 33.3%.
Air Selangor had concerns about its aging infrastructure and
took a proactive approach to reduce leaks and bursts.
The company wanted to identify the causes of pressure
surges, also known as transients, to mitigate the damage
they can cause, leading to a reduced lifespan of its pipes. By
identifying leaks before they become more serious bursts,
repairs can be made without requiring line shutdown or
without disrupting water supply to the local community.
Delayed leak discovery and unknown causes of surges
In the past, Air Selangor used a variety of techniques to identify leaks and bursts. However, there was still a need for a quicker response to minimize the runtime
of leaks and bursts and the disruption caused. Historically, the utility faced a long runtime of leaks before discovery, often due to the remote geographical
location of its trunk main network. Furthermore, pressure transients were known to be an issue within the network, but without information on their sources
or causes.
Air Selangor also noticed that leaks often recurred on the same pipelines, causing concern and harming the utility’s reputation. Air Selangor actively sought
innovative ideas for continuous monitoring to identify leaks and pressure surges earlier, reduce NRW and improve customer relations.
Real-time monitoring for leak, burst and surge detection
Air Selangor partnered with Xylem to develop a long-term, state-wide monitoring program to improve asset reliability and resiliency. Xylem Water Loss
Management provides real-time digital monitoring and a sensing platform that brings together leak, burst and surge detection to help Air Selangor prevent
premature asset failure across the system.
The solution combines and analyzes analytics from two major leak detection methodologies – pressure transients and hydrophones, units for underwater
sound recording – to help utilities localize pipe bursts within minutes and detect slowly growing leaks.
This automated monitoring process, which analysts supervise 24/7, simplifies the analysis, visualization and interpretation of massive quantities of data and
helps repair crews prioritize their response.
The Xylem Water Loss Management solution for surge detection is a non-invasive and cost-effective way to monitor water networks for the presence of
damaging pressure surges. Through its inline detection of pressure transients, the solution helps determine the source of these events and identifies pipes
under stress with high likelihood of leakage. This early warning helps manage damaging pressure variations and mitigate the risks associated with premature
pipe failure, prolonging the effective life of infrastructure assets.
Identifying two leaks per week
The monitoring program started in 2018, with 500 sensors successfully deployed in the first year, and 65 major leaks and bursts identified and repaired through
close collaboration with Air Selangor. The program continues today, with ongoing installation of new sensors brought into operation daily (as of January 2021,
Air Selangor had deployed 1,600 sensors).
The Air Selangor–Xylem analytics team is identifying two leaks per week, with 295 found as of January 2021. The continuous monitoring for leaks helps Air
Selangor achieve its NRW targets. Using traditional methods, these pipelines may not have been inspected for months or years.
Data from high resolution pressure and acoustic sensors have enabled important insights into the operation of Air Selangor’s network and the nature and
distribution of leaks on the trunk mains. In addition, the transient pressure monitoring has identified operational issues related to pump changeovers, allowing
Air Selangor to implement interventions to prevent premature failure of assets across their system.
Page 11

Article:
Hydraulic Modelling - V- Machine
Learning:
Using The Right Tool For The Job
If you receive any water-oriented professional magazines or go through the innumerable marketing material that fills your inbox every day, you’ll see that
Artificial Intelligence and its subset machine learning (ML) are going to solve all of our problems. Just import a bunch of data, hit GO and your computer does
the thinking for you while you sit back with your feet up on the desk.
I wanted to increase my understanding this machine learning thing. While I’ve been following the topic from as far back as the 1970s, it has only been in recent
years that ML has been making a big splash in water. I needed more than my superficial knowledge of ML, so I signed up for an 11-week online class in machine
learning. It was pretty rigorous. (If you didn’t have a background in calculus, statistics, numerical analysis and linear algebra, it would be hard to keep up.) I’m
not claiming I’m an expert. I’m pretty close to the bottom of a typical Dunning-Kruger curve. But I have a much better understanding of ML and can drop terms
like decision boundaries, over-fitting and logistic regression in casual conversations.
The relationship between machine learning and hydraulic modelling
The way ML works is by using some clever algorithms and a huge amount of data to train the algorithm for the problem at hand, ML can come up with good
answers in many cases. What it means for hydraulics is that if you want to determine the flow in some pipe, we’ll call it P-10, you measure the flow in P-10 many
times while also recording as many parameters as you can such as time of day, day of week, season, water level in nearby tank/wet well, and which pumps
are running. The goal is to find the right coefficients and equations in your ML model, so that given the values of the input parameters, the ML solution will
accurately estimate the flow in P-10. This is called “training” your machine learning.
If the machine learning was set up correctly, and the inputs were within the range of the training data, flow in pipe P-10 can be determined by ML. If that’s the
case, why bother with a physics-based hydraulic model like OpenFlow WaterGEMS or SewerGEMS? For one reason, what if you want to know the flow in P-9 or
P-11? If the ML model wasn’t trained with data from those pipes and it’s unlikely that you would have enough data (even with “big data”) to know the flow in
those pipes or at more than a handful of pipes in your system. Meanwhile, the hydraulic model of your system could calculate the flow in every pipe.
But that is not the only issue. Suppose you added a new pump that delivers flow through P-10. The ML model wasn’t trained with that pump in the training
data set. So, it doesn’t know how to deal with the pump, which is not one of its inputs. It’s back to the training data and collecting several days or months of
data with the new pump and retrain the ML model because it needs to learn about how the new pump affects flow in P-10. During that time of course, your ML
model won’t be very accurate. Of course, by the time the ML model is trained for the new pump, something else may have changed in the system (e.g., a new
pressure-reducing valve setting that requires more training).
Now suppose there is a fire downstream of P-10. If the training data did not contain a day with a fire, the ML model could not give a reliable answer to the flow
through P-10 during the fire. With a hydraulic model, it would be easy to add the fire flow and see how the P-10 responds. With ML, you would need to wait for
the second fire to be able determine the flow.
Responding to anomalies
But the place where hydraulic models like WaterGEMS, SewerGEMS or WaterSight really shine in operations, engineering, and design is forecasting. Engineers
and operators who understand modeling can simulate events that haven’t yet occurred or facilities that have not yet been constructed to evaluate their
performance. Build on the backs of our hydraulic giants like Bernoulli, Manning, Darcy, Weisbach, Colebrook and White among others, this has long been the
strong point of hydraulic models and has not been superseded.
With modern “big data”, it is not terribly difficult to come up with the millions of data points needed to train an ML model. However, most days are normal
and uninteresting, so the vast majority of the data are essentially duplicates of other typical days. What you really want to know when you turn to a model, is,
“What is happening at those anomalous times?” There are very few training data points available for these times because, by definition, they are anomalous.
Meanwhile, hydraulic models don’t care if the scenario being calculated is typical or anomalous. While the ML model is struggling to respond to changes, the
hydraulic model already knows what to do.
ML models are best for situations where a rational, physics-based model isn’t available. For example, with a data set containing information on a pipe’s material,
age, soil corrosiveness, pressure, likelihood of transients, and break history of similar pipes, an ML model can make reasonable forecasts of future pipe breaks.
The forecasts won’t be perfect, but they can inform a pipe replacement program.
Complimentary technologies
Are there places where hydraulic models and machine learning can play well together? One example could be using the hydraulic model as the training data
for the ML model. Offline, the well-calibrated hydraulic model can be run thousands or even millions of times to generate the training data for the ML solution.
This data set can contain fires, pipe breaks, seasonality, special events and, in general, a more consistent set of training data without the inaccuracies, broken
sensors/transmitters and other problems that plague SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and IoT (Internet of Things) data.
While an ML model can generally run faster than a physics bases model, computers these days are sufficiently powerful that run times are fast enough that the
extra work in developing an ML hydraulic model generally isn’t justifiable. The exception might be a case where someone wants to run an optimization model
requiring many thousands of model runs. The work in setting up an ML model may be justified.
So, while ML is powerful and much of the hype around it is valid, ML is not a cure-all. In many cases, you just can’t beat solutions that go back to the first principles
of physics and the laws of nature. Models based on first principles from physics such as Q = AV or F = ma can be more effective in describing what’s happening.
Page 12

Article:
When it comes to modernising our
water infrastructure, data is power
The modernization of water operations is gaining pace as utilities across the world lean into the potential of digital technologies. While the benefits of smart
solutions are well understood – from automating processes and workflows to remote monitoring and control of critical assets – it’s not just about having the
right technology; it’s about mining the data generated to unlock insights that sustainably enhance utility operations.
Digitally-enabled utilities have access to growing volumes of operational and performance data, but distilling that data into useful information, and knowing
how to apply it, can be a barrier to success. A growing number of utilities are breaking down this barrier by combining digital solutions and expertise like
hydroinformatics to make sense of their data. By having the right tools and resources in place, utilities have the power to turn insights into action and deliver
transformative outcomes for the communities they serve.
Breaking down the barriers with data integration
Traditionally, utility business models have tended to reinforce siloed ways of working. This is largely down to how the utility has evolved over time – particularly
in response to situational factors like the geographic dispersal of assets and personnel, as well as changeable environmental factors like extreme weather events.
Too many systems, provided by multiple service providers mean that the solutions, and those that manage them, often work disconnected from each other.
The beauty of data and analytics, however, is that they are not constrained by physical boundaries. Digital solutions have the power to create synergies between
data sets and utility functions, breaking down the barriers to connect systems together. Smart equipment, like SCADA systems and other third party data sources
connected to a controlled open analytics platform, puts a holistic value on the data generated by a utility’s entire system, helping them gain greater network
visibility.
Working with a trusted partner to cleanse and structure this data appropriately, utilities can extract the insights needed to bridge the gap between data and
decision-making. Not only does this holistic approach deliver unrealised benefits for the utility, but it also opens up possibilities for further digital development
by fostering innovation and interdepartmental collaboration.
Harnessing data to turn insight into action
In Europe, utilities at various stages of data maturity have been riding the digital transformation wave with great success, with the differentiating factor being
their capacity to filter and interpret the information available to them. Underpinned by collaborative partnerships, these utilities are embracing a new era of
water management – one that relies on digital solutions and data analytics to drive operational efficiencies, reduce risk and build resilience.
Take the City of Trier, for example, located in southwest Germany. The City’s main wastewater treatment plant, operated by Stadtwerke Trier, was a large
consumer of energy – drawing hundreds and thousands of kilowatts (kWh) from the public grid just to maintain operations. By investing in energy-efficient
technology, the utility was able to significantly reduce its energy consumption. Inspired by this progress, they wanted to implement an innovative control
solution that would increase efficiencies and allow them to close the energy cycle within the plant.
Working with Xylem, Stadtwerke Trier deployed a Wastewater Network Optimization (WWNO) solution based on artificial neural networks which are used to
create data-driven models for the degradation of carbon and nitrogen compounds. The system receives all the parameters and data required for this in real-time
from the plant’s existing SCADA system, and the resulting digital twin simulates hundreds of scenarios within seconds so that the required aeration intensity for
the biological degradation of the compounds can be identified.
Leveraging the advanced WWNO solution, a forecasting model was created to predict both the energy consumption and production at the plant. When
comparing the optimised results with the utility’s historical data, the utility was able to identify an important parameter for success; the specific energy required
to eliminate one kilogram of load. This is not usually calculated or controlled, though it can ultimately cause unnecessary plant fluctuations and impact overall
operational efficiencies.
Since the implementation of the solution, Stadtwerke Trier has been able to eliminate avoidable fluctuations and reduce energy consumption related to aeration
processes by up to 20%, representing a saving of 200,000 kWh per year – enough to power 50 private households.
From reactive to proactive system management
Outside of driving operational efficiencies, harnessing the right data can also help utilities address challenges like asset redundancy or over-dimensioning.
Utilities with limited resources are often confronted with a great deal of uncertainty, particularly in the face of climate change and changeable weather patterns.
For utilities early on in the digital journey, they’ll often implement a security margin – installing three pumps instead of one – in a bid to cover the risk of system
failure.
However, digital solutions capable of producing predictive outcomes can allow those utilities to move from a reactive to a proactive approach when it comes to
failure management. When operating under a reactive model, utilities lack the flexibility needed to tackle system issues quickly and efficiently, which puts a huge
premium on getting the decision-making right. Predictive solutions that use machine learning and advanced analytics empower utilities to plan for tomorrow
while freeing up much-needed finance to reinvest in other areas of their operation.
Such data-driven risk models are already being deployed globally, particularly in the US where, amidst the climate spiral, utilities are managing 2.2 million miles
of underground pipes with finite resources. For example, the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department maintains a drinking water distribution system that dates
back to 1887, and they needed to prioritise capital works using analysis to determine pipeline risk.
Page 13

Kubota and Accenture join forces for a more sustainable society
Kubota Corporation and Accenture have formed a new joint venture company, Kubota Data Ground, Inc., to accelerate the digital transformation (DX) of the
Kubota group’s business model and operating infrastructure. The new company will begin operations on September 1, 2022. Kubota Data Ground will be a
subsidiary with strategic capabilities in DX that it will use to further contribute to solutions for food, water, and environmental sustainability. In addition, the
company will develop digital human resources and a cloud-based digital platform that will strengthen and upgrade existing businesses by connecting internal
and external services and data.
The Kubota subsidiary will focus on promoting four key initiatives:
Creating Sustainability Solutions
The company will collect and analyze data related to food, water, and the environment, using it to develop more efficient business processes and create
sustainable solutions.The company will apply IoT, AI, and cloud technologies to data on crops and farmland to improve overall productivity in agriculture. In
addition, the company will aim to solve food-related challenges and create new added value for the entire chain, starting with farmers through to distributors
and consumers. The company will create solutions that improve efficiency and extend use-life for pipes, treatment plants, and other urban infrastructure. It will
also look to improve disaster resilience with monitoring and management platforms capable of responding to conditions throughout the water supply ecosystem.
It will also create resource recovery solutions that collect and sort waste materials and recycle them into electricity, fertilizer, and valuable metals.
Promoting Business Transformation
The company will use digital technology to enhance Kubota’s existing services, improve quality, and promote the efficiency and sophistication of its operations,
including the development of an even safer working environment. As part of this initiative, the company will promote the establishment of smart factories that
optimize efficiency and help prevent accidents by utilizing data collected from RFID tags and sensors on factory equipment, vehicles and from mobile applications
distributed to workers. In addition, the company will build a digital twin, which is a virtual representation of product design, development, and manufacturing. At
the global level, this will speed up data-based decision-making, standardize processes, promote automation, and save labor, realizing more intelligent operations.
Creating Digital Human Resources
To promote DX, Kubota Data Ground aims to train approximately 1,000 DX specialists by the end of December 2024. This will include both highly specialized
technical experts and those focused on business operations. In addition, the company will hold digital workshops for senior management and educational
programs for all Kubota employees to raise digital literacy across the group. Workshops covering business operations will focus on internal and external DX case
studies, providing a practical curriculum that will lead to real-world solutions.
Building a Cloud-Based Digital Transformation Platform
To realize the data-driven and flexible management needed for further global expansion, Kubota Data Ground will build a cloud-based DX platform to accumulate
and share internal and external data, including up-to-the-minute information on weather, crop growth, and yields. The platform will be built on Microsoft Azure.
In addition, Kubota will strengthen IT governance at its 66 global sites, improve its global security risk detection system, and provide training for overseas security
personnel to achieve a higher level of security globally. Yuichi Kitao, president and representative director of Kubota Corporation, said, “Since its foundation,
Kubota has been working to solve social issues related to the essential needs of food, water, and the environment. In recent years, food and water shortages,
climate change, and other global issues have been presenting increasingly complex and diverse challenges.
These challenges require holistic solutions that leverage digital technology. As part of its commitment to being a platform provider that supports life, the well-
being of society, and a sustainable environment, Kubota will take on the challenge of contributing to these solutions while still achieving business growth. With
this joint venture with Accenture at the lead, we will accelerate the development of new solutions, strengthen our business foundation, and continually create
corporate value.” Atsushi Egawa, who leads Accenture’s business in Japan, said, “Our goal is to create 360° value for all our stakeholders — our clients, people,
shareholders, partners, and communities. Kubota is a leader in addressing global issues in the areas of food, water, and the environment, so this joint venture
embodies the combined ambition and philosophy of our two companies. Together we will continue to strive towards a sustainable society by fully leveraging our
strengths, including the utilization of data, cloud, and AI, as well as the development of people who specialize in digital transformation.”
Working with the utility we were able to conduct a probability of failure analysis using historical data in their GIS, and utilise Xylem’s Asset Performance
Optimization (APO) solution to identify clusters of high risk individual pipes – optimising their selection for maximum risk reduction. Identifying high risk clusters
allowed the City to prioritise pipe replacement projects, reduce mobilisation expenses, minimise disruptions and reduce capital planning time by 75%.
The APO solution also guided the implementation of a pilot program for remote pressure sensors across the utility’s network. Due to the high cost, blanket
coverage of the City’s system was infeasible, but the identified high risk clusters allowed the utility to determine where to place the sensors to best target
problematic regions.
The downstream impact is transformative. Not only did the solution enable the utility to detect pipe breaks earlier, but it also supported continuous monitoring
of the region after repair – moving the utility from reactive to proactive system management.
Fast tracking digital transformation
As utilities across Europe and beyond continue to implement these innovative and highly digitized solutions, more and more data is unlocked, and new ground is
broken. Technologies that harness the power of data and analytics are enabling water managers to make smarter capital and operational decisions, transforming
water management for not just the benefit of the utility, but the communities they serve.
By sharing best practices and insights from across the industry, utilities can better understand how to maximize these technologies and master the art of the
possible – fast-tracking the digital transformation of water.
Page 14

Article:
Smart Wastewater Networks from
Micro to Macro
What does it mean for a wastewater network to be “Smart?” What is the Wastewater Industry hoping to achieve by going on a “Smart” Journey? It is a
subject that has rattled around the water and wastewater industries for many years and yet most of the focus has been on the potable water network side of
the business where the obvious gain is reducing non-revenue water. However in the past few years the value of acting more “intelligently” in the wastewater
network…nay the wastewater system has come more to the forefront as the value of taking a similar journey to our potable water colleagues comes to bear.
The question is though, where do we start? The wastewater network is a complex system as it has multiple inlets and multiple outputs (if you take storm
overflows) in to context. The answer from some of the Water & Sewerage Companies (WASCs) and consultants working with them has been to take a number
of different approaches as we have recently heard at a number of conferences and workshops in the area of Smart Wastewater Networks.
Starting small and from the ground up
The major problem is understanding what exactly the problem is and from where it comes
from and in doing so devising a strategy for its resolution. Is the problem related to
• Flooding of both internal & external properties
• Pollution incident detection and management
• Alarm handling and response
• Blockages & sewer misuse
• Asset reliability & the cost of running the network
• Sewer capacity and storm overflows
• All of the above
In truth, it is a combination of all of the above and there are various teams in all of the
WASCs handling different aspects of what has to be done to protect the customer and the
environment.
One of the major issues is that of sewer misuse be it from fats, oils & greases to the
wonderful aspects of what people throw down the supposed “wet bin,” any network
technician in the industry will talk about FOG and unflushables as a major problem that has
been attributed to 50% of all pollution incidents and 66% of all flooding incidents for one of
the UKs WASCs. The solution is of course education and working with customers to understand the consequences of putting the wrong thing down the drain.
Despite this there are technological solutions to the problem as well. A recent SWIG workshop heard from one engineer his vision of building the technological
solution up from the bottom by using a combination of pump reversal modules that reverse the pump to clear blockages on an automatic basis, to restarting
pumps to providing flow meters to detect whether a pump is actually working or not. The effect is to increase the technician visibility of what is going on in the
network and enable them to be more effective in their diagnosis of issues protecting the customer in a more efficient manner but also protecting their Health
& Safety by ensuring they are not called out to a false incident in remote areas in the middle of the night.
And getting bigger….
Working on the small scale has its value but of course it won’t resolve all situations and there is a place for increased monitoring in the wastewater network
with the major benefit being the protection of the Environment. This is where the Event Duration Monitoring programme comes in that is one of the focuses of
the Water & Sewerage Companies this Asset Management Period (AMP). It stems from a Ministerial Direction that promised the monitoring of the “majority”
of storm overflows by 2020. The knowledge about these assets and their performance has been questioned and the subsequent impact on the environment
a big question that the Minister and the Environment Agency want answered to find out the inherent problems that lie in the wastewater collection network.
Over the next few years teams of people will install thousands of monitors prioritised so that the highest impact areas are completed first to monitor when,
where and for how long spills from the wastewater network are happening.
The first monitors have been installed and a year’s worth of
data collected and approximately 12% of combined storm
overflows warrant further investigation based upon their
current performance and depending upon the results drive
further investment within the network infrastructure. The
thing for the future is to see what impact any schemes have
on the holistic environment to see what improvements can
be made and what impact this has on the holistic water
environment and the quality of future discharges from our
wastewater treatment works.
Figure 1: Some of the problems in the Network from blockages to pump
wear to seals stopping working. Cost range into millions of pounds (From
Lorenzo Pompa - The benefits of using automation in the network)
Figure 2: The % of CSO spilling from the first year of EDM Data (From Phil Hulme - Application of storm overflow
Event Duration Monitoring Data)
Page 16

…..and bigger
Taking a step on from the monitoring of the network the next question that has to be asked is what we can do to provide a more strategic management of
the wastewater network. It is an approach that has been taken in Europe for many years. The multiple reports by UKWIR & Mouchel on Active System Control
describe in detail what work needs to be done and what has been done in other countries. A great example of this is the work in Denmark that has been done
to provide an overall management of the wastewater network using high speed modelling techniques that allows the wastewater network to be managed more
effectively.
An example of this is the work that was done in the Southern Water
region of the UK in the Eastney project that has used a combination of
modelling techniques and rainfall radar as part of the solution to mitigate
the risk of flooding within the area. This was part of a much wider
solution that included green infrastructure but the Smart
Wastewater Network gives the company advanced warning of what is
going to happen moving forward and allows the company to make
decisions on methods of operation of the pumping station which is a
critical part of the overall wastewater treatment system.
The individual parts of this project form building blocks to what the Smart
Wastewater Network is made up of including (in a simplified way):
• Weather radar and modern rain gauges
• Sewer Level Monitors
• Centralised sewer network model capable of fast simulation
• Communication and telemetry systems to tie it all together
The weaknesses if anything is the quality of the weather radar systems
but this data as a service is a solution that others within the Water
Industry are looking at – a couple of years ago high quality XRF weather
radars were investigated by the University of Delft and weather data and
prediction has become a data service within the Water Industry. It is the
impact of the weather radar and using the data from the rain gauges that
will allow for predicative models to look at the impact onto the “Smart
Network” to help the industry to manage the flows that we receive.
The future of Smart Wastewater Networks – a holistic approach
The ultimate aim of a “Smart Wastewater Network” is to help the water industry to make a better, informed decision about how to operate the wastewater
system by facilitating the flow of wastewater through the entire system all the way from the customer’s toilet, through collection, into treatment and out to
reuse or recycle in such a way that we optimise not just the cost of the whole process by the impact that it has on both people and the environment.
Operationally, this is by limiting the incidents and events such as pollutions and flooding to either zero,
the brave aim of the future, or to as near to zero as we can possibly get. This can be achieved and we
are seeing water companies take this approach now with a number of different technologies. All the
way from a simple “Customer Flood Alarm” that warns of rising levels in areas of known problems so
that issues can be dealt with priority to systems that stop pump blockages and warn of problems such
as using pump reversing, monitoring of pump currents and using flow meters to give a true picture of
what is happening.
The strategic direction is looking at the much wider more encompassing systems and the advantage
here is to limit the capital build of detention tanks in the network and storm tanks within the treatment
works. The best case of this was in Barcelona where a Smart Wastewater Network was constructed for
the Olympics in 1992. The alternative was a vast detention tank under the centre of the city and the
Smart Wastewater Network approach was the considerably cheaper option.
From a holistic point of view the treatment works must be brought into the equation too and it is at this
point, bringing together two aspects of the industry – network and treatment, where the real savings can be made by controlling the flow of water through the
whole system and limiting the environmental impact of the wastewater systems that we can truly get more for less.
So, what does this wastewater system of the future look like?
In normal day to day conditions the smart wastewater network of the future controls flows flattening out the flows that are received at the wastewater
treatment works, monitoring how much time sewage spends in the network but also aiming for a completely flat flow profile at the treatment works, with
regular automated flushing cycles to ensure that the sewer keeps as debris free as possible controlled by sewer level monitors to pick up unusual levels that
might highlight blockages starting to develop. Various tools are used to keep the problems at bay such as pump-reversing and flow monitoring to ensure that
the flows keep moving and pumps don’t block. Where problems are starting to appear and hot spots start to develop this drives an alert to look into potential
sewer misuse. Combined Storm Overflows from the system are dry.
Figure 4: - A customer “sewage alarm” (From Rachel
Cunningham - Smart Initiatives to prevent flooding)
Figure 3: The building blocks of Smart Catchment Management from real time data to modelling to
operational forecasts will play and element in the future (From Jody Cockcroft - Portsmouth Flood
Alleviation Scheme
Page 17

Flows pass forward to the treatment system where the relatively uniform flows enable an efficiency in the treatment and the virtual elimination of the need for
treating peak flows. This enables a uniform production through the process which further improves the treatment efficiency.
The system predicts a rainfall event and this is where the intelligence of the system kick in. The prediction is that the sewer in its current state can’t manage all
of the flows within a 6 hour period and the system re-calculates and ramps up flows minimised so that the required capacity of the sewer is available with an
appropriate safety margin. The flows are managed and held within the sewers. The CSOs are still dry. The rain-storm continues longer than predicted and this
causes a potential problem at a customer’s premises. This causes an alert in the control centre and allocates a team to resolve the issue for the customer so
that an incident doesn’t happen.
Now this is a fictional, potential, system of the future but what we have heard at the various workshops and conferences is that this is a future that in
reality isn’t that far away. The technology exists from the sewer alarms, pump-reversing systems and the potential for network flow monitoring as well as event
duration monitoring on the network as well as the customer flood protection alarms. Taking a step up in complexity the weather radar systems, network model
and active system controls systems also exist and finally the analytics and visualisation systems also exist to so that the vast amount of data that is inevitably
produced is shown in a way that can be understood and actioned upon.
It’s a system that is starting to be developed by some of the Water Companies and more recently we have seen the development of the factory approach that
was famously mentioned in the STOWA report of the wastewater treatment works of 2030. Arguably things have gone in a slightly different direction and the
energy, water & nutrient factories have their “production efficiency monitoring system,” which any other industry would consider its absence, at best, unwise.
The approach is of course working fantastically well and the extension of this approach to the wastewater network is just another step to a “Smart Industry”
future.
Samotics data-driven systems provide Northern Ireland Water with
real-time insights
Northern Ireland Water, providing water and sewerage services, expands its
asset monitoring programme with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology from
Dutch company Samotics. Their AI-driven SAM4 system will be deployed across
Northern Ireland Water’s submerged assets to support the delivery of a more
cost efficient and sustainable service.
SAM4 detected a developing fault in this submerged wastewater pump. (photo:
Samotics)
Northern Ireland Water is a Government Owned Company (GoCo), set up in
April 2007 to provide the water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. They
supply 560 million litres of clean water a day for almost 1.8 million people as
well as treating 320 million litres of wastewater a day.
Samotics was initially selected by Northern Ireland Water to provide continuous
insight into the health, performance and energy efficiency of its sewage pumps
as part of a pilot. After seeing early successes in the programme, Northern
Ireland Water plans to roll out the SAM4 system to additional sites to further
explore all its capabilities across a variety of pump types and processes.
Paul Foley, M&E field manager at Northern Ireland Water said: “Northern
Ireland Water has been adopting predictive maintenance at the problem sites.
We selected Samotics and its SAM4 technology as it’s easy to install the hardware in our existing MCC panels, and because the SAM4 dashboard provides us with a
lot of useful information."
Foley mentioned one example where SAM4 identified an issue with one of the submersible pumps located in a busy office carpark. "This insight helped me to
plan crews, issue notifications and permits, as well as organise a 25-ton crane, which allowed us to lift and inspect the pump at the most optimal time, minimizing
downtime and maintaining pump resilience.”
Zero carbon strategy
In addition to monitoring the health of critical assets, Samotics is also enabling Northern Ireland Water to track pump performance and efficiency in support of its
ambitious zero carbon strategy. Using SAM4’s real-time pump performance curve and energy monitor, Northern Ireland Water can identify targeted interventions
that improve energy efficiency with a demonstrable return on investment.
Jasper Hoogeweegen, chief executive officer at Samotics said: “We are delighted to be supporting Northern Ireland Water in its pursuit of securing long-term water
infrastructure resilience. With SAM4, the team can now focus on utilizing real-time, data-driven insights to anticipate faults, improve performance and reduce carbon
emissions of submerged pumps, enabling long-term reliability and efficiency of its critical infrastructure.”
Page 18

Water, Wastewater & Environmental Monitoring
Telford, UK
12th - 13th October 2022
The WWEM Conference & Exhibition is returning as a physical conference & exhibition in 2022 and is bigger and better than before
with the return of the Flow Forum, a new Pollution Forum, a Learning & Development Zone and this year a Digital Zone. All available
to everyone for absolutely free.
Sensor for Water Interest Group Workshops
The Sensors for Water Interest Group has moved their workshops for the foreseeable future to an online webinar format. The next
workshops are
28th September - Instrumentation & Asset Management - London
30th November - Sensor Driver AI for the Water Industry - Sandy Park, Exeter
IWA Digital Water Summit
Bilbao, Spain
29th November - 2nd December 2022
The long awaited Digital Summit the premium event of the IWA Digital Water Programme is due to take place in Bilbao at the end
of November 2022. Four days of discussion about the Digital Transformation of the Water Industry....what is not to love.
IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition
Copenhagen, Denmark
11th -15th September 2022
The World Water Congress & Exhibition is one of the biggest conferences and exhibitions in the water industry and contains a
wealth of knowledge and events for visitors to take part in. There will of course be a heavy presence this year of all things Digital
with a highlight of a Digital Plenary session which is not to be missed.
Future Water Association - Network November 2022
Bringing together the latest thinking, new ideas, a mix of presenters and a view from those new to the sector – Networks November
offers a month of webinars, face-to-face sessions, water dragons and how to classes!
Its year two of the initiative that sets out to challenge thinking on all things pipes & sewers! Exploring the latest policies, the latest
research, the latest technology and latest ideas, the month will be holding up a mirror to what happens now.
Page 19
Conferences, Events,
Seminars & Studies
Conferences, Seminars & Events
2022 Conference Calendar

WHAT IS WWEM? WHAT ARE THE TOPICS? WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
WWEM The Water, Wastewater and Environmental
Monitoring event is an in person event that
focuses on Instrumentation and services for water
and wastewater process monitoring. WWEM
offers a technical program aimed at keeping you
up to date with the latest trends, regulations,
methods, techniques and technologies.
Furthermore, you can also network with all industry
stakeholders including suppliers, regulators and
end-users from industry that need to test, monitor
and analyse water and wastewater.
Process Monitoring, Laboratory analysis, Current
and Future regulation, MCerts, Gas detection,
Field testing, Portable instruments, Operator
Monitoring, Data acquisition, Odour monitoring
and treatment, Big Data, Online monitoring,
Flow/Level Measurement, Leak Detection,
Pumping solutions, Control and Instrumentation.
• Industry, Process operators, Environmental
Managers, Control and Instrument users and
Planners from across all industries who test,
analyse, monitor or treat water and wastewater
now or in the future.
• Policy makers and regulators from local
authorities and Environment agencies
• Scientists and academics
• Solution providers and consultants
www.wwem.uk.com
E: info@wwem.uk.com
Supporting Trade Organisations
WWEM WATER, WASTEWATER &
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
REGISTRATION
NOW OPEN
12TH & 13TH
OCTOBER
2022
LIVE
EVENT
TELFORD, UNITED KINGDOM
FREE entry, FREE parking, FREE lunches
Over 100 hours of FREE technical presentations and training sessions
Plus great networking opportunities with over 150 exhibitors
FREE
Page 20

WIPAC Monthly - August 2022.pdf

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WIPAC Monthly - August 2022.pdf