Download to read offline
![Quantifying Non-Revenue Losses
Most utilities estimate that 10 to 30 percent of water pumped into distribution
systems is lost due to leaks before it even reaches customer meters. Utilities
conduct audits to determine how much water pumped into the distribution
system is actually metered. These audits are based on methods developed by
the American Water Works Association and International Water Association that
identify non-revenue water (NRW) loss from all sources, including consumption
that is metered, unmetered and unauthorized, and that often cost tens of
thousands of dollars.
AMI data can make these audits more accurate by helping utilities identify where
loss may be occurring. For example, AMI data can identify meters that are not
recording properly, either because they are broken or have been bypassed through
theft. Unmetered water usage, whether authorized or not, is a key source of NRW
loss.
In addition, a major NRW culprit is using the wrong-sized meter in an application,
such as when a high water use business (e.g., a laundromat) moves into a
commercial building originally developed for light industrial use. If the wrong
meter is used, it may not record all the water that is used, which results in lost
revenue.
Acoustic loggers integrated into a fixed-network system can identify small, underground leaks before they become big problems.
Analysing AMI data over time can also provide a good indication of which meters are about to fail or go out of warranty. Most meter shops schedule meter
replacement at regular intervals (usually every 10 to 20 years). If analysis identifies one meter that is performing significantly worse than similar ones, the utility
can target the poorly performing meter for replacement immediately instead of waiting for an arbitrary time period to pass.
In addition, AMI systems offer time-stamped readings that give a clear picture of the true health of a system by allowing the utility to view an entire system’s
consumption at specific points in time.
“Time-stamped reads are great for production, helping us come up with accurate water-loss numbers,” said Josh Wedding, water system operator for
Redmond, Ore., which deploys an Aclara STAR network for AMI. “We use that monthly to do [a] water-loss audit. Our water loss annually is about 3.5 percent.”
Time-stamped reads also help keep costs down, according to Wedding. “Every gallon of water pumped that we don’t sell, we have to write off,” he said.
“Time-stamped data helps us provide more cost-effective service to customers.”
Discovering Distribution Leaks
Underground leaks in the distribution system are a primary cause of NRW loss but can be difficult to locate. Acoustic loggers integrated into a fixed-network
system can cost-effectively identify small, underground leaks before they become big problems.
The loggers associated with Aclara’s STAR ZoneScan system, for example, send data to the utility over the fixed network, where web-based application software
automatically correlates the data and identifies and locates high-probability leaks. This approach simplifies acoustic leak detection, eliminating the need to
send crews into the field and providing the means to manage the process from the utility.
Once the units are installed, operators can monitor the system and analyse results at the utility office. No manual or drive-by data collection is required.
The system can be deployed stand-alone or added on to an existing STAR network AMI system, and operates with minimal operator involvement. Aclara has
deployed the technology in a number of East Coast communities such as Sylacauga, Ala., which uses the system to find underground leaks that occur on
hundreds of miles of galvanized service lines and cast-iron pipes.
“This type of pipe, some of which was installed as early as 1906, is more likely than others to leak because of corrosion,” said Mike McGinnis, superintendent
of water in Sylacauga. “In a half-mile radius, we might find six leaks. Every place we have installed the system, we have found leaks that we can repair.”
The STAR ZoneScan system was one of the tools that helped Sylacauga reduce its NRW losses from about 34% to 23%.
Final Thoughts
When considering automation of meter reading, utilities should weigh the benefits of a fixed AMI network for a truly smart infrastructure. Improvements in
customer service, conservation efforts, quantification of non-revenue losses, leak discovery, and operations improvements provide long-term, 21st century
benefits over both drive-by and walk-by systems.
As water utilities are asked to quantify their costs and results, fixed-network communications networks that facilitate smart infrastructure solutions become a
critical component of their technology toolbox.
About the Author
Todd Stocker is the Director of Product Management at Aclara, he has an extensive background working in product marketing and business development in extremely technical
companies. He has a unique capability of understanding the technical aspects of a company’s products, combined with the ability to have commercial, and business discussions.
Page 11](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/wipacmonthly52ndedition-january2016-160128233555/85/WIPAC-Monthly-January-2016-11-320.jpg)
Uploaded byWater Industry Process Automation & Control
WIPAC Monthly - January 2016
The WIPAC monthly update highlights various trends and innovations in the water industry for January 2016, including advancements in smart water networks and the impact of energy tariffs on operational costs. Articles discuss the benefits of advanced metering infrastructure, optimized wastewater treatment processes, and case studies of successful technology implementations. Additionally, the document features industry news, including competitions and workshops aimed at enhancing collaboration and innovation within the sector.
More Related Content
More from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
WIPAC Monthly - January 2016
- 1. Page 1 WIPAC MONTHLYTheMonthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control www.wipac.org.uk Issue 1/2016 - January
- 2. Page 2 In thisIssue Editorial.............................................................................................................................. 3 Industry News..................................................................................................................... 4 - 8 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. Forecasting the Top 5 Trends of 2016.................................................................................. 9 The beginning of each year always sees various authors in the industry pick their top trends for the year ahead. In this article from Jeff Upton on Watersmart we see some of what is predicted to be the highlights of the year ahead Smart Water Networks maximise the benefits of AMI......................................................... 10-11 In this article by Todd Stocker of Aclara we hear about the benefits of installing advanced meter infrastructure systems and the benefits that these systems bring to both the customer in the form of more accurate metering and information about water use to the benefits for the Water Company in using the data for discovering leaks. Lower Energy Consumption but Higher Energy Bills? The Impact of Energy Tariffs ............. 12-15 Our feature article this month, originally published in WEAO’s Influent Magazine is by Leiv Reiger of InCtrl Solution and other colleagues based in California and Spain. The article demonstrate the impact of equipment efficiencies and energy tariffs on the operating costs of Water Resource Recovery Facilities. Activated Sludge Optimisation using Ammonia & Nitrate Data.......................................... 16-17 The use of dissolved oxygen control in the wastewater industry is common place across the industry as is the use of ammonia control systems. the use of feedforward control for this purpose is less common. In the past Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) has been thought to be too unreliable for this purpose. In this article Dr Oliver Puckering of Xylem challenges these thoughts and presents ISE technology that is shown to be reliable. Hamilton City Council Meets Compliance Demands with Systems Upgrade...................... 18-19 In this month’s case study we hear about how Rockwell Automation helped Hamilton City Council in New Zealand meet it’s statutory requirements following an upgrade of their SCADA systems Big Data Dilemma............................................................................................................... 20 In the last article of the month we hear about the “Big Data Dilemma” showing that the cost of data and processing it can be prohibitively expensive. In this article we hear about alternatives to fill in the gaps using modelling and the benefits that this approach can bring Workshops, Conferences & Seminars............................................................................... 21-22 The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months 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. 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
- 3. Page 3 From theEditor If it’s not already too late to say it then a Happy New Year to all. Already in the start of this year we have seen a number of articles on what is going to be the next big thing in 2016. Most of what has been said has been boiling along in the background for at least a year or two now and maybe just maybe we will see some of these things come to the forefront. • The Internet of Things in the Water Industry • Industry 4.0 and the factory way of thinking • Smart Water Metering • Big Data (and Small Information • Smart Water Systems with special concentration on Smart Water Systems more concentrating on wastewater • Technology to provide an improved customer experience and provide added value to the customer All of these concepts have been around for at least a couple of years now and in other industries are starting to become embedded in, but there have only been limited uptake in the Water Industry. Smart Metering has probably had the highest uptake followed by intelligent ways of running the water distribution network. Why? It’s simple, there has been a need for it and it is on the clean water network and the loss of drinking water as it is a valuable resource has meant that proving the business case is a relatively simple thing. What we did see towards the end of last year is a backlash against smart water metering where it has seem to go wrong. Chicago (a news item in this issue) seems to be a good example of this. Of course where the fault lies will tend not to be with the meter itself but in the way that it is installed or setup as part of the commissioning process. The installation of instrumentation is something that I intend to re-visit this year as it is a particular bug-bear of mine and without the fundamental ba- sics being right then the Water Industry does not have a hope of moving forward, as a group member recently said (and I’ll para-phrase) it is like putting a particular tasty frosting on a cake made out of bath sponge. It will look nice but the essence of it will be just completely wrong. I am very lucky that in my day job I have a host of experts that help me and with great patience have trained me in the way things work and given me some great examples where things can go wrong if the instrumentation isn’t just so. For those of you who are interested in hearing their opinions then I am going to gather them altogether in a room in November at the Water, Wastewater & Environmental Monitoring Conference (WWEM) for a nice big discussion. It will be free so mark it in your calendars. Of course in the Water Industry we are heading towards a smart future, water companies are starting to look at making the networks smart. Well, on the potable side there has been success in this regard. Some great work by the various companies such as I20, TaKaDu and of course EPAL have seen the amount of non-revenue water at least get as low as the Economic Level of Leakage and in some regard has driven it even lower. Some Water Companies are being encouraged to go even further and for this, for that last few percent of loss reduction then the intelligent solution are almost certainly required. The techniques will develop and we will go through what I call “creeping innovation.” this is only to e expected as different systems from different companies develop. It is the way that business (not just the Water Industry) works. The next area we have is intelligence in the wastewater collection network and I am aware of the plans of at least half a dozen of the water companies. There are two points I have to make about all of this and their important: 1. Before you go all guns blazing into the development of intelligence in the wastewater network then consider the holistic picture. There is much more value in connecting the wastewater collection network to the treatment works in your intelligent system. They are physically connected and each of them has the potential to affect the other. Its a system after all, treat it as such 2. Don’t be tempted to take the project approach - it will blinker what you end up with and in the end you will deliver parts and in the end you will miss the whole. You will need a technocratic approach to the delivery of a Smart Water System and you will need the support of your peer customers. A Smart Water System is a high risk proposal that quite simply we don’t know enough about yet. It’s a big risk that needs to be shared for a share of the benefits. Of course what the Water Industry really needs is to make its mind up to what it actually wants. There are a number of people out there that can help to de- velop a Smarter and more efficient approach to the way that we do things and it is a direction that we will go in either this year or the next as other industries are already going there, making the mistakes and leaning from them, think the recent problems with Hive. What we will find on the Smart Water Journey that we will all take eventually is that mistakes will be made, vulnerabilities in security exposed but we will, as an industry overcome them. This is the future that we face either this year or if not, then the next or the one after that. It is a route that we simply have no choice but to take as the pres- sures of working this fantastic industry of ours get tougher and tougher. Have a good month Oliver
- 4. Page 4 Industry News WEX& WIPAC agree special rate for WIPAC Members Call for Paper - Modelling in the Water Industry For those members of the Water Industry Process Automation & Control Group who wish to visit to the Water & Energy Exchange Conference and Business Exchange a special deal has been negotiated with members receiving a 15% discount off the ticket price. In its 10th successful year, WEX Global has continued to build a great reputation as an important meeting place for top people in the leading organisations that are really making a difference in the world of water and energy. WEX GLOBAL is an action oriented summit which places business meetings at its heart. A programme of pre-selected mutually agreed one to one meetings are combined with an outstanding conference of internationally renowned expert speakers and numerous other networking opportunities such as themed lunches, a gala dinner and other receptions. It is a unique opportunity to form strong international business partnerships at a single exclusive location. Every delegate receives a personalised agenda which means that at WEX, you will shorten your sales cycle with a top down selling approach that initiates relationships directly with senior decision makers. As part of the Conference there is a Global Innovation Awards ceremony for which a Call for entries is still active. For those companies interested in entering then more details are available on the WEX Global Website The Sensors for Water Interest Group is launching a Call for Papers for their “Modelling in the Water Industry” Workshop that is due to take place in later September 2016. “Modelling” and models are using widely in both the water and the wastewater industry from the modelling of the distribution and collection networks, to Computation Fluid Dynamics in the construction of treatment works to the most up to date models which use Multi Variate Process Control to provide operational control of waste- water treatment works. However the Water industry is moving into a new era where we are seeing the industry moving from discrete processes to a much more holistic approach where the whole water and wastewater system needs to work together meaning that the models that we build will have to operate too. In this workshop we will review the existing modelling techniques and look towards what we need to do to allow the various models that the water industry builds to realise a holistic environmental approach where models can allow the industry to operate more efficiently using a modelling based approach. Potential presenters should send a short synopsis of their presentation to Oliver Grievson who will be hosting the workshop at olivergrievson@hotmail.com or to Rosa Richards who is the programme manager of the Sensors for Water Interest Group at rosa.richards@swig.org.uk Anglian Water launches innovation competition for restoration of supply The Water Innovation Network – a partnership between Anglian Water and Opportunity Peterborough – is launching a major new business innovation competition for the water industry. Launching the competition, Anglian said the two month long Big Water Challenge 2016 will see companies working out ground-breaking solutions to one of the industry’s thorniest problems. The theme for the inaugural challenge is ‘Keep the Water Flowing’ and will focus on ways Anglian Water can maintain supplies to customers’ homes and restore water after a burst pipe as quickly as possible. Participating companies will be invited to an event in Peterborough on May 6th for a background briefing on the issue where they will get to quiz experts, explore the difficulties of dealing with supply interruptions and get to grips with the challenge. They will then have six weeks to refine and submit their ideas which will in turn be whittled down to a final shortlist of firms who will get the chance to pitch to a panel of senior Anglian Water staff. The winning idea will get financial and technical support from company to make their idea a reality. Experts attending the event will include members of staff from Anglian Water teams dealing with restoration of water supply and supply interruptions. They will be joined by representatives from the Anglian’s AMP6 Tier 1 Integrated Maintenance and Repair Alliance companies, which includes Clancy Docwra, Claret Civil Engineering and Kier MG. Anglian Water and its alliance companies are committed to working collaboratively to tackle significant challenges over the coming years and ensure water networks in the region run optimally. David Ward, Anglian Water’s Head of Networks, said: “When a pipe bursts and our customers are off water we want to get them back on as soon as possible.” “We’ve made some really good advances in this area but we need to do much more. We want to explore the way our people, our network and our IT systems work to see how inno- vation can help make us faster and more efficient – and we’re asking for help.” Companies wishing to take part in the challenge can take advantage of an early bird rate now, which runs until 29th February. Prices range from £72 to £150, depending on the size of company and number of employees.
- 5. Trimble Water technologyimproves productivity and performance for smart water metering deployment The City of Sacramento is the 6th largest city in California, with a population of more than 485,000 inside a metropolitan area of over 2.4 million resi- dents. The city itself encompass- es roughly 100 square miles. Its Department of Utilities (DOU) operates more than 1,600 miles of water pipe with more than 135,000 service connections and two water treatment plants. Background In early 2015, about 58 percent of the city was on metered water service – but the DOU aimed for 100 percent metered service over the following few years. To that end, the DOU launched a multi-year Water Meter Reading Automation program to install the Badger Meter (Badger Meter, Inc., Milwaukee, WI) Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which includes smart meters, a fixed communication network, software and meter deployment handhelds. To compliment Badger’s meter deploy- ment handhelds (developed by Trimble) the city opted to use Trimble software on the handheld devices. By combining the Trimble software and Trimble handhelds, DOU leaders determined they could achieve significant savings on the AMI installa- tion project. Implementation DOU leaders selected the Trimble Unity software – a unified, GIS-centric collabora- tion platform for managing critical utility assets and field operations – to run on the Trimble Ranger 3 handheld computers equipped with the Badger ORION SE radios. In addition, the team chose the Trimble Unity Meter Change-out app, supporting the workflows of the meter deployment, installation and maintenance operations. With the technology solution in place, DOU staff members schedule jobs into Trimble Unity to dispatch field crews that use the Trimble Ranger 3 handheld computers. DOU crews wirelessly sync their jobs in the field, program the Badger meters, inspect and capture meter information – including GPS locations and photos - and transmit the data to the office. This approach allows DOU to transmit information electronically, eliminating the need for slower, manual paper processes, reducing extra trips to each worksite (installations and inspections are now completed in one trip, rather than two) and improving the quality and accuracy of the data collected in the field. Benefits Utilizing the Trimble technology for the Water Meter Reading Automation program delivered significant benefits and value to the City of Sacramento, enabling the DOU to realize its return on investment (ROI) in just three months. And over the course of the five-year deployment project, the DOU estimates they will receive $1.6M in total projected savings attributable to the Trimble Unity solution. Page 5 The City Of Sacramento Taps Trimble For ROI From Its Smart Metering Project Vega mobile training centre to tour UK in 2016 Vega, a leading supplier of level and pressure instrumentation for all industries have announced that their mobile demonstration & training centre will be touring the UK from 2nd February to 4th March 2016. The training centre will be starting in Aberdeen on 2nd February and finishing in Burgess Hill in West Sussex on 4th March. The full schedule of locations where anyone for all industries can visit is. Venue Location Date in 2016 Aberdeen 2nd & 3rd Feb Grangemouth 4th Feb Liverpool 16th Feb Hull 18th Feb Grimsby 19th Feb Derby 22nd Feb Coventry 23rd Feb Peterborough 24th Feb Burgess Hill 4th March Depending upon the location and the industry that the mobile training centre is visiting a range of training courses will be available for those visiting including the techniques surrounding radar level measurement, vibrating level switches and pressure measurement as well as nucleonic measurement devices. For further details of each of the events and to book your place on one of Vega’s open days then please contact Doug Anderson at doug.anderson@vega.com
- 6. Tools For ProtectingDrinking Water We place high demands on the quality of our drinking water. If pathogens or toxic substances found their way into the piping system, many people could become infected or injured very quickly. That’s why this risk must be kept low. To do this, experts have developed technologies for a comprehensive monitoring, early warning and emergency management system. Drinking water is indispensable for every human being. Public works and water utilities must not only protect the supply system from impurities, but also from possible manipulation. Every day, they collect probes and analyse drinking water quality in a lab, but such analysis takes time. Preventative methods and tools are needed for continuous monitoring in order to identify contaminations quickly and also catch unexpected toxic substances. Even a few drops could have devastating consequences – toxins that make their way into the water supply reach millions of users within hours. “In order to protect the population, we have to be able to detect the hazardous substances as quickly as possible and know how they will spread,” explains Dr. Thomas Bernard, a specialist for flow models at Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technology and Image Exploitation IOSB in Karlsruhe. In collaboration with partners from industry and research, the scientist and his team from the French-German project SMaRT-OnlineWDN (Online Security Management and Reliability Toolkit for Water Distribution Networks) have developed tools that enable water utilities to respond quickly and, in an emergency, to initiate countermeasures to protect the population. The project was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the French National Research Agency (ANR). Berlin’s water utility, BWB Berliner Wasserbetriebe, coordinated the project. Online simulation calculates water’s path A mathematical model for simulating the drinking water supply network hydraulics and the distribution of quality parameters in the piping systems carries out several tasks simultaneously. Based on numerous simulations, it can identify the optimum locations for sensors in order to ensure early detection of impurities. Furthermore, if an alarm does go off, the online simulation model can help pinpoint the source of the contamination. The scientists have developed an algorithm for this that localizes the contamination and calculates where the impurity will spread in the next few hours. But calculating and predicting the water’s path – and thus the path of the toxic substance – was no easy task, even for Bernard, because the flow of water in the supply network is not identical everywhere. “It changes depending on the pressure in the pipes, their diameter and geometry, and the number of users. And turbulence and chaotic flows occur in places where the pipe system branches.” Tests at the Water Technology Centre TZW in Dresden, where a complex pipe network has been built out of Plexiglas, have helped Bernard and his French partners establish an intelligent detection module. At the centre in Dresden, sensors register the water’s movement. Using the measurement values, the physicist was able to optimize his computer simulations. The aim is to calculate the flow of the water in the supply networks of entire cities – in real time. “Such simulations could assist utility companies in making the right decisions in emergencies, but only when they are precise and fast enough,” says the group leader. Alarm only in emergencies Intelligent software takes current measurement values into account, such as opacity, temperature, pressure, chlorine and oxygen content, pH value and the amount of bacterial contamination of the water. But when critical values are reached, the system doesn’t immediately sound the alarm – instead, it first looks for possible causes. Has a different water source just been tapped? Was a pump opened or closed? “More than 90 percent of all anomalies are caused by changes to operating conditions and are no cause for alarm,” explains Bernard. The new system has already been implemented in Strasbourg and monitors the network’s water quality in real time. Hydraulic and water quality sensors in the pipe network deliver information for the database; the collected data is then sent to a process control system. In case of emergency, countermeasures can be initiated, such as flushing contaminated water or blocking off parts of the supply network. Control through monitoring platform Future models will be able to do even more: In the German-French ResiWater project (see box), IOSB scientists are working on better IT security for drinking water systems and on an improved module for generating alarms. Along with Strasbourg, Paris’s drinking water system will be monitored in the future. Further- more, the project partners are focusing on a monitoring platform that takes the myriad of sensor data and clearly represents, visualizes, and stores it. It will also automatically generate reports so that, for instance, fluctuations in water quality can be regularly summarized. The ResiWater project partners are also driving sensor development. For example, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart is contributing its know-how. For many years, they have been working on AquaBioTox, a biosensor made from living cells that fluoresce. When bacteria come in contact with toxic substances, the intensity of the fluorescence decreases. The AquaBioTox prototype will be fully automated as part of the ResiWater project. Majority of SEW customers will have water meters by 2020 South East Water (SEW) expects to have installed 375,000 water meters in total by 2020 which will mean almost 90% of its customers will pay only for the water they use. Households in Herne and Seasalter will be next to have domestic water meters installed, with Yorkletts and Chestfield to follow later this year later. The programme began in Kent five years ago and has been progressing through the county on a street by street basis. Oluseyi Onifade, South East Water’s metering manager, said: “By moving to a water meter, customers will have control over their water use. Once we introduce the metered charge, like gas and electricity bills, customers only pay for what they use. It’s a fairer way to pay and if they use water wisely and don’t waste it, they could also see their water bills reduce.” Onifade continued: “Water meters help manage demand in water stressed areas as they help us detect leaks and encourage customers to think about their water use. Research has found customers with a water meter use 10% less water than those who are unmetered as it encourages people to think about how they use water.” Page 6
- 7. Getting involved inthe specification of 5G The following letter was received from Dr Nigel Jefferies, Chairman of the Wireless World Research Forum by the WITS Protocol: Getting involved in the specification of 5G – the next generation of mobile networks The next phase in the development of mobile networks is already under way with the 5G initiative. The established 5G requirements include greater capacity, energy efficiency and cost effectiveness with research currently being conducted into those areas, and also into very low latency, ultra-reliable and ultra-dense networks. Device-to-device and rural coverage are also important factors in the design of the new 5G networks. Initial rollout of 5G networks is not expected until around 2020, but as part of the development work, users’ requirements are now being collected for any parties with an interest in using the 5G mobile network. The WWRF (World Wireless Research Forum) plays a pivotal role in driving forward and supporting aspects of the 5G work. In particular, WWRF is setting up new Working Groups (WGs) for specific Vertical Industry Platforms (VIPs). As of early January 2016, work is underway to get a Connected Car VIP launched and work has commenced on a 5G Health Technologies and Wearables VIP. Over this year WWRF would like to set up other VIP WGs including one for the Water Industry. This would give Water companies and vendors from all over the world the chance to advance their requirements for the 5G network and to influence the technology which is being developed. Currently WWRF have planned a 5G Huddle in London late in April. This will be an opportunity for major players in the 5G development to meet and discuss the current position of the 5G standard. Prior to that we hope to have the Water VIP WG formed. This is your chance to influence the design of the next major mobile communications generation, something which will inevitably play into your organisations’ communications and telemetry strategy over the coming years. If you would like your voice to be heard in this process, please contact WWRF through me (either contact@wwrf.ch or chairman@wwrf.ch). WITS DNP3 Protocol Version 3 to be released in March 2016 Version 3.0 of the protocol is due to be released at the end of March 2016, merging all previous versions into a single one. In addition, Devices supporting WITS- DNP3 version 3.0 will be able to make use of the following enhancements: • Use the protocol in an optimised manner when devices first establish a communications session, significantly reducing the number of message exchanges between the Master Station and the Field Devices. • Support enhanced logging features, allowing additional point logging to occur when the Field Device detects that an “incident” has happened. The feature allows an incident to be defined, such as a change of state of a binary point or limit transgression, and then defines what logging is required and over what period of time. • Support extended definitions for detecting and reporting significant changes of value of analogue points. • Support the new nameplate details (device attributes) published by the DNP User Group. • Implement DNP3 secure authentication version 2 (SAv2), secure authentication version 5 (SAv5), or both – thus removing the separate WITS-DNP3 version streams that were present up until now. After Dysfunctional Meter Mess, Chicago Suburb Makes Proposal A Chicago suburb struggling with inaccurate smart meters is trying to move ahead and fix the problem. “Under the proposal, Tinley Park would borrow $6.5 million to replace 18,263 meters and cover related expenses. The project would cost about $396,000 a year on a low-interest loan for 20 years and would allow the village to ‘dramatically accelerate’ meter replacement. Counting interest, the deal would cost $7.9 million over two decades. It would take an estimated 18 to 24 months to replace all the meters, officials said. The Village Board would have to sign off on the plan before it becomes official,” the Chicago Tribune reported. “The village considered issuing a blanket refund to all customers totalling $1 million ‘in an attempt (to) restore confidence in our system,’ according to a memo by interim Public Works Director Bill Balling. But Balling concluded in his memo that such a refund would be too costly and said there’s ‘no evidence to support that the entire fleet of digital meters are malfunctioning,’” the report said. A Chicago Tribune investigation had revealed chronic overcharging by smart meters in Tinley Park. The probe found that the meters, which the village bought for $1.8 million, “regularly overstate how much water has gone through them, resulting in overcharges.” At that point, the village has failed to adequately address the problem, according to the investigation. “When the village found bad meters, it repeatedly did not fully refund residents. It has tried to explain away the problem in ways contradicted by its own records, including understating by at least half the number of overbilling meters it has documented. And those records lack details on how thousands more meters have failed — making it impossible to determine the true number of meters the village has discovered with the problem,” the report said. Here are a few additional findings from the Tribune investigation, per Patch, which noted that as of June, around $90,000 has been refunded to customers: • at least 355 meters were issuing faulty readings, more than twice the number the village told residents about • residents say they have a difficult time getting the village to acknowledge the overcharges, as long as 16 months in one case • when the village discovers faulty meters, it hasn’t issued accurate refunds • village records lack details on meter failures, which could number in the thousands Page 7
- 8. Wessex Water launchesmobile app game to educate and inform customers Wessex Water has launched a new mobile app game intended to entertain and educate customers on what it does as a company and to provide advice on saving money and protecting their home. The water company describes the app - known as WOWSER! - World Of Water, Sewage, Environment and Recreation-, as a fun, interactive app suitable for all ages which takes the user through a range of fast-paced challenges and tasks that demonstrate the various responsibilities of the company, some of which the customer doesn’t always see in real life. Introducing the app, Wessex Water said: “From LeakStoppers to wet wipes and pipe lagging to petri dishes, WOWSER! aims to give a realistic yet simple overview of some of the jobs and important messages in the water industry.” Wessex Water’s digital communications team have been working on the app since May 2015. Digital communications manager, Clive Tugwell, said: “The game is all about raising awareness of the diverse and varied workforce within the water industry and the types of activities we undertake to ensure we remain number one for customer service, protect the environment and ensure clean and safe drinking water is provided 24/7.” “We hope users will enjoy interacting with the app to learn more about the issues we face as a business and the challenges met by our great employees.” The game is now available to download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store for Android devices. Environment Agency awards £4m+ Floodline Warnings contract The (UK) Environment Agency has awarded a contract to replace the Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) service which came into operation in 2006 to Fujitsu Ser- vices Ltd - the contract is worth an estimated £4.61 million. The contract, which the Agency was also procuring on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, may be further sub-contracted out. The Future Flood Warnings System is used to provide flood warnings to the public, the media and professional partners, including the police and local authorities. Messages are issued across England and Wales by telephone, mobile, fax, text, email, pager and XML. The aim is to give at least 2 hours notice of flooding, giving the public, businesses and response organisations time to prepare and reduce the impact of any flooding. Services currently provided under the FWD service on a daily basis include: Management of customer data, message data (English and Welsh) and geographic based data (polygons outlining areas at risk of flooding). Registration of customers including, on-line user registrations, registrations by the Floodline call centre and Environment Agency staff. System configuration and administration of the system During a flood incident, the 24/7/365 service provides: Messages supplemented with current information • Warning(s) issued to selected geographic areas (predefined), to customers by their chosen channel(s) and customer type (e.g. media). • Issued messages, monitored for progress and success rates reported. • Internet feeds provided for the public to access live warnings on the Environment Agency website. • Warnings sent to partners, the media and other organisations. • Warning data provided for use by other third party applications. Service Levels and resilience covered the FWD include a service level of 99.999 % availability via a 24/7/365 service, with primary and secondary sites requiring fail over of less than 4 hours, together with a round the clock supplier help desk service availability, The contract covers 4,500 operational target areas - geospatial areas at risk of flooding and 2.3 million properties in England & Wales at risk of river and sea flooding. During 2012, more than 950,000 properties at the highest risk of river and sea flooding were warned via the FWD, with 46,000 message sets issued - the maximum recorded for a year. As part of reviewing the FWD and awarding the new contract, he Environment Agency was also considering the extension of the current service to other types of flooding, including surface water and reservoir inundation. Page 8
- 9. Opinion: Forecasting The Top5 Water Trends In 2016 As the dawn of 2016 emerges and we look forward to the year ahead, it’s instructive to engage in a little prognostication. While none of us claim the clairvoyance of Nostradamus, there are some clear trends that began to take hold in 2015 to inform our outlook on the coming year in water. With that inelegant preamble behind us, let’s begin the soothsaying! Here are things to watch for in 2016: Up, Up, Up What’s going up? Well, nearly everything. As the globe continues to recover from the economic chaos beginning in late 2007, interest rates are slowly rising, in- creasing borrowing costs for needed infrastructure investments. Labour markets are tightening, making it harder to find qualified workers at affordable rates in the face of a spate of utility retirements. Water costs are rising in many markets in the face of decaying infrastructure, strained supplies, and depleted ground- water sources. Electricity costs for pumping and chemical treatment costs are not immune from these trends, and all these factors put pressure on utilities to raise rates for the rest of us. Water rates increased 40 percent in America’s 30 largest cities between 2010 and 2015 and we can expect a similar, if not greater, rate of increase across the board in 2016. In short, expect water rates to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. Getting Smart The march to implement advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) will surely continue as utilities face ongoing non-revenue water challenges, customer frustration, and rising operational costs. The deployment of AMI allows utilities to reduce meter data collection costs and more easily identify apparent losses in their distribution systems. In addition, by offering end-users leak detection and real-time access to consumption data, customer engagement and satisfaction improves. (WaterSmart has a great set of tools to help utilities accomplish these goals.) This helps utilities gain the support they need for the rate restructuring needed to invest in infrastructure rehabilitation. While the water industry still trails electric utilities in smart meter adoption by an order of magnitude, expect the gap to narrow as the benefits of these solutions becomes clearer, and the market moves past early adopters into the early majority phase. Going Digital Utilities will continue to implement modern SCADA, meter data management, customer information, billing, and geographic information systems. With this growing set of data, sensible water utilities will be able to provide end-use customers access to consumption, billing, and other utility program information through digital channels including web, mobile, text, email, and integrated voice response. The utility of the future is rapidly emerging and looks very similar to the electric, mobile phone, and financial service providers we regularly interact with. Customers have come to expect real-time access to their information through the channel of their choice at the time of their own choosing, and the march toward digitization in the water industry will continue to follow these trends. Stormwater and Water Reuse The need for new supply sources has been apparent for some time, but ongoing urbanization and water stress due to climate variability is leading utilities to look for new, sustainable water sources. The implementation of programs and systems to collect and reuse stormwater as well as deployment of modern water recycling technologies will see further emergence in 2016. The taboos associated with ‘toilet-to-tap’ will begin to fade into the background as people learn more about the high quality product that modern recycling solutions offer, and utilities find few alternatives to address the need for additional sources. Desalination will remain on the table as an alternative water source, but the environmental challenges, time to implement, and cost profile of this approach will be eclipsed by water reuse in commercial and industrial applications as grey water systems are recognized as increasingly cost effective in the face of rising water costs. Proactive Customer Engagement Customer expectations for data transparency, and high-quality customer service are disrupting the legacy model of the silent service provider. With the parallel advent of AMI technologies, utilities now have the data tools and engagement channels that can help customers save water and money, protect their property, and better manage natural resources for long-term environmental sustainability. This gives utilities a reason to engage their customer in communications that aren’t about rate increases, boil notices, or system repair outages. The need to avoid customer interactions is now evolving into the opportunity to improve the customer relationship and build a partnership for broader community benefit. None of these predictions are likely a surprise to anyone who has been tracking the water industry for any period of time, and the pace of change related to these items is likely to be (as is generally the case for water utilities) rather slow. Yet there are clearly underlying and irreversible shifts occurring in the industry to move toward addressing some of the more historically intractable problems we face, and everyone should celebrate this evolution, regardless of the speed. There is clearly no going back, and the sooner that we all embrace these trends, the sooner we arrive at the more sustainable and resilient future that we are all working to realize. Jeff Lipton manages WaterSmart Software’s go-to-market strategy development and marketing campaign activities, along with sales operations support. Prior to WaterSmart, Jeff managed channel development and regional field marketing for EnerNOC, an international leader in energy intelligence software and demand response solutions. He joined EnerNOC from Coyle Industries, where he pioneered the development of renewable distributed generation solar power systems for military, developing world, and other off-grid electrical applications. Jeff previously spent a decade in the digital media industry where he held various product management, marketing, and executive sales positions. Page 9
- 10. Article: Smart Water NetworksMaximise the benefits of AMI Today, a significant number of water utilities are benefiting from advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems. The 2014 Scott Report: North American Deployments of Automated Metering Devices states that 14 percent of all water utility customers have AMI or fixed-network meters for their homes or businesses. The report also documents how fixed-network AMI meter shipments to water utilities climbed steadily from less than 500,000 per year in 2005 to almost 3 million per year in 2014. These AMI networks are used primarily to collect reads, eliminating estimated bills and allowing utilities to provide accurate billing on a more regular basis - often monthly rather than quarterly. Unlike drive-by and walk-by systems, AMI networks also provide customer service representatives access to daily information about how much water is used by specific customers, which helps them resolve complaints and issues faster. Yet, improved billing and customer service are only two ways that fixed-network AMI systems benefit utilities. The communications network that underpins AMI forms the basis of a smart infrastructure on which utilities can incorporate a range of sensing, communications and data analysis solutions that detect and pinpoint issues throughout the distribution network and at customers’ homes. This leads to a deep understanding of how water is used and where it is lost. When utilities use their AMI systems as the basis of a smart infrastructure solution, they’re in a position to make a quantum leap in customer service, conservation, quantification of non-revenue losses, leak discovery, and operations improvements. Improving Customer Service Utilities with fixed-network AMI go from receiving a few meter readings per year to at least 24 readings per day. This data can be analysed to identify continuous usage, which is a leading indicator of which customers may have leaks inside their homes. Some utilities that have fixed network AMI have implemented proactive customer service efforts to help customers find leaks. One such program is New York City’s Leak Notification program. Customers using the program sign up to receive an email when their water use increases significantly over a period of several days. These notices allow customers to find and fix leaks before they receive a high bill. Utilities are also making usage information available online, which allows customers to monitor their own water usage. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) provides usage data online from the city’s 180,000 meters, allowing customers to monitor their usage. The city’s AMI provider, Aclara, also generates a report that allows the utility to identify customers who may have leaks inside their homes. “The Aclara report tells us which accounts have exhibited continuous usage every hour over a three-day reporting period each week,” said Heather Pohl, automated water meter program manager for SFPUC. “We filter that report for single-family homes and analyse it to identify the minimum usage for each account. This process allows us to gauge the severity of the suspected leak.” The utility reaches out to those who show up on the report by sending weekly postcards notifying them of a possible leak. It monitors the reports and notes which accounts have come off the list, assuming that they have responded to the utility’s notice and fixed the leak. Future enhancements to the report may benefit commercial customers and those owning multi-family residences such as apartment buildings. Enhancing Conservation Efforts When smart systems are installed on water meters, utilities better understand where and how water is used. This is useful information to have - particularly when state or local governments impose water restrictions. For example, five years of punishing drought have left parts of California experiencing acute water shortages due to depletion of groundwater and surface water resources. According to a new study from the University of California-Davis, the drought will cost the state $2.7 billion this year. In response, Governor Jerry Brown earlier this year issued an executive order mandating residents and businesses statewide to cut water use by 25 percent, underscoring the significance of strategies and technologies that can work to cut water usage and conserve municipal supplies. California utilities with AMI systems are in a good position to identify both in-home leaks and those on the distribution systems by providing the data necessary to pinpoint problems. In addition, reviews of usage data can help customers reduce their consumption. Page 10
- 11. Quantifying Non-Revenue Losses Mostutilities estimate that 10 to 30 percent of water pumped into distribution systems is lost due to leaks before it even reaches customer meters. Utilities conduct audits to determine how much water pumped into the distribution system is actually metered. These audits are based on methods developed by the American Water Works Association and International Water Association that identify non-revenue water (NRW) loss from all sources, including consumption that is metered, unmetered and unauthorized, and that often cost tens of thousands of dollars. AMI data can make these audits more accurate by helping utilities identify where loss may be occurring. For example, AMI data can identify meters that are not recording properly, either because they are broken or have been bypassed through theft. Unmetered water usage, whether authorized or not, is a key source of NRW loss. In addition, a major NRW culprit is using the wrong-sized meter in an application, such as when a high water use business (e.g., a laundromat) moves into a commercial building originally developed for light industrial use. If the wrong meter is used, it may not record all the water that is used, which results in lost revenue. Acoustic loggers integrated into a fixed-network system can identify small, underground leaks before they become big problems. Analysing AMI data over time can also provide a good indication of which meters are about to fail or go out of warranty. Most meter shops schedule meter replacement at regular intervals (usually every 10 to 20 years). If analysis identifies one meter that is performing significantly worse than similar ones, the utility can target the poorly performing meter for replacement immediately instead of waiting for an arbitrary time period to pass. In addition, AMI systems offer time-stamped readings that give a clear picture of the true health of a system by allowing the utility to view an entire system’s consumption at specific points in time. “Time-stamped reads are great for production, helping us come up with accurate water-loss numbers,” said Josh Wedding, water system operator for Redmond, Ore., which deploys an Aclara STAR network for AMI. “We use that monthly to do [a] water-loss audit. Our water loss annually is about 3.5 percent.” Time-stamped reads also help keep costs down, according to Wedding. “Every gallon of water pumped that we don’t sell, we have to write off,” he said. “Time-stamped data helps us provide more cost-effective service to customers.” Discovering Distribution Leaks Underground leaks in the distribution system are a primary cause of NRW loss but can be difficult to locate. Acoustic loggers integrated into a fixed-network system can cost-effectively identify small, underground leaks before they become big problems. The loggers associated with Aclara’s STAR ZoneScan system, for example, send data to the utility over the fixed network, where web-based application software automatically correlates the data and identifies and locates high-probability leaks. This approach simplifies acoustic leak detection, eliminating the need to send crews into the field and providing the means to manage the process from the utility. Once the units are installed, operators can monitor the system and analyse results at the utility office. No manual or drive-by data collection is required. The system can be deployed stand-alone or added on to an existing STAR network AMI system, and operates with minimal operator involvement. Aclara has deployed the technology in a number of East Coast communities such as Sylacauga, Ala., which uses the system to find underground leaks that occur on hundreds of miles of galvanized service lines and cast-iron pipes. “This type of pipe, some of which was installed as early as 1906, is more likely than others to leak because of corrosion,” said Mike McGinnis, superintendent of water in Sylacauga. “In a half-mile radius, we might find six leaks. Every place we have installed the system, we have found leaks that we can repair.” The STAR ZoneScan system was one of the tools that helped Sylacauga reduce its NRW losses from about 34% to 23%. Final Thoughts When considering automation of meter reading, utilities should weigh the benefits of a fixed AMI network for a truly smart infrastructure. Improvements in customer service, conservation efforts, quantification of non-revenue losses, leak discovery, and operations improvements provide long-term, 21st century benefits over both drive-by and walk-by systems. As water utilities are asked to quantify their costs and results, fixed-network communications networks that facilitate smart infrastructure solutions become a critical component of their technology toolbox. About the Author Todd Stocker is the Director of Product Management at Aclara, he has an extensive background working in product marketing and business development in extremely technical companies. He has a unique capability of understanding the technical aspects of a company’s products, combined with the ability to have commercial, and business discussions. Page 11
- 12. Feature Article: Lower EnergyConsumption but higher energy bills? The Impact of Energy Tariffs on WRRF Operating Costs This article was first published in WEAO’s INFLUENTS Magazine, Winter 2015 Abstract The paper demonstrates the impact of equipment efficiencies and energy tariffs on the operating costs of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF). An example is given using a simulation benchmark environment and models for pumps and blowers with reduced efficiencies in the lower flow ranges. Two ammonia-based aeration controllers (on-off and proportional-integral-derivative ) are compared against a base case with a classic dissolved oxygen controller. An energy tariff from Southern California Edison is used to highlight the significant impact of time-of-use and peak power demand charges. The results show a reduction potential for energy of over 20% for both ammonia controllers with a slightly better performance of the on-off ammonia controller in terms of effluent total nitrogen and energy consumption. However, after applying the energy tariff, the cost savings are reduced to 3% for the on-off controller and 10% for the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. Introduction Electrical grids are sensitive to energy consumption spikes and therefore measures are needed to adapt production or to reduce demand peaks. One method of reducing demand is to implement an incentive system by introducing energy tariffs which a) take peak demand times into account and b) charge a penalty for short-term peak power demands. These demand response mechanisms are a global trend and should be included in the evaluation process when comparing technical solutions. Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF), are oftentimes a community’s single largest energy consumer with aeration being the biggest consumer within the facility. Electricity consumption accounts for between 25 and 40% of the total operating costs. Energy consumption for aeration alone represents between 50 and 70% of total electricity consumption, with the exclusion of site-specific pumping (WEF, 2009). Energy audits are typically based on average consumption and include benchmarking with similar plants or comparison against some standard key performance indicators. These studies can highlight the main consumers or help identify inefficient equipment. However, if the study includes varying efficiencies over the operating range, the predictions of energy consumption under various loading and temperature conditions are more realistic. In most energy studies, the energy consumption is multiplied by an average energy price. However, operating costs significantly depend on the energy tariff structure applied. Different time-of-use and/or peak penalty charges may change the cost efficiency of a control solution completely. Process control can help to operate a WRRF more efficiently by utilising unused plant capacities. Properly designed control solutions should take plant con- straints (e.g. equipment minimum/maximum capacity) into account and make sure that equipment is operated in high efficiency regions. Ammonia-based aeration control (ABAC) has been proven to be the most energy and water quality effective control solution (Rieger et al., 2012; Amand et al., 2013). If the energy tariff is not taken into account in the controller design, one potential consequence is that energy consumption is lowered but the energy bill is increased. In the presented case study we will demonstrate the impact of equipment efficiencies and energy tariff structures by using three different aeration controllers based on DO and total ammonia (NHx) measurements. The controllers were implemented in SIMBA#, evaluated and compared for effluent quality, energy consumption and costs. SIMBA# is a wastewater simulation software package. Material & Methods Example plant To demonstrate the impact of energy tariff structures on the energy costs, a simulation benchmark plant was set up based on the work of the International Water Association task group on Benchmarking of Control Strategies for Wastewater Treatment Plants (IWA BSM) (Gernaey et al., 2014) but with few adaptations. The example WRRF receives the load of 115,000 population equivalents (PE) at an average flow of 20,520 m3/d and is modelled in SIMBA# (ifak e.V., Germany) (Figure 2). • A tapered diffuser system was modelled with a resulting airflow split of 50% to AER1, 30% to AER2 and 20% to AER3. • Blower and pump models as available in SIMBA# were used. The models include variable efficiencies and capacity bounds. • As only the energy consumption for aeration and pumping (Return Activated Sludge (RAS), Internal Recycle (IR), Waste Activated Sludge (WAS)) was modelled, an additional constant energy consumption of 6,162 kWh/d was added to account for the extra 50% of energy (e.g. for influent pumping, heating, lighting) that a WRRF of that magnitude would consume (Figure 1). By Leiv Rieger, inCTRL Solutions Inc., Ignasi Aymerich, Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Reza Sobhani, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Diego Rosso, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Oliver Schraa inCTRL Solutions Inc., and Lluis Corominas, Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) Page 12
- 13. Description Value Unit AverageInfluent Flow rate 20,520 m3 /day Wastage Flow Rate QWAS Summer 400 m3 /day QWAS Winter 300 m3 /day RAS Flow Rate 18,446 m3 /day IR Flow Rate manipulated to achieve 0.2 mg NOx-N/L m3 /day Sludge Age 15.5 days Figure 1 Average Electricity Consumption of the modelled WRRF & Table 1 - Operating Conditions of the example plant Figure 2: Layout of the Case Study Plant as modelled in SIMBA# Energy tariff model The energy tariff model is based on the Southern California Edison price structure TOU-8 (2014). The implementation of the tariff has been done according to Aymerich et al. (2015). The modelled energy tariff consists of the following 4 general billing terms: i) Energy Usage Charges, ii) Peak Power Demand Charges, iii) Customer Charges, Iv) Reactive Energy Charges. Most public utilities in the US are exempt from taxes and therefore no taxes are applied. The energy pricing structure applied to the Energy Usage and Peak Power Demand Charges is based on a Time-Of-Use (TOU) tariff structure (Table 2, Figure 3, Figure 4). The Energy usage charges are applied on the actual energy used by the WRRF according to the TOU rates. The Peak power demand charges are applied to the maximum power drawn within 15 minutes for each TOU period during a billing period. The Customer Charges have a fixed fee structure to compensate the utility for administrative costs. The Reactive Energy Charges include the charges that have to be paid when there is an excess consumption of reactive energy or power. However, in this study no reactive energy model was implemented. Page 13
- 14. Figure 3 (Left)Summer Season Time of Use Energy Pricing (June to September) & Figure 4 (Right) Winter Season Time of Use Energy Pricing (October to May) Table 2: Rates Charged by Southern California Edison (TOU-8,2014) Customer Charge (US$/meter) 312.31 Delivery Service Generation Energy Charge (US$/kWh) Summer on-peak 0.024 0.124 Summer mid-peak 0.024 0.064 Summer off-peak 0.024 0.038 Winter mid-peak 0.024 0.064 Winter off-peak 0.024 0.038 Peak Power Demand Charge (USD/kW/Meter/Month) Facilities Related 14.32 Time Related Summer-On-peak 26.19 Summer-Mid-peak 7.22 Summer-Off-peak 0 Winter-Mid-peak 0 Winter-Off-peak 0 Results & Discussions Comparison of Control Strategies The two ABAC strategies show a significant potential to save energy and reduce total nitrogen discharge (Figure 8a). The ammonia on-off controller reduces energy consumption by 22.4 % compared to the Base Case (Figure 9). The ammonia PID controller consumes slightly more energy than the on-off controller and reduces energy consumption by 21.5 % (Figure 9). In terms of total nitrogen removal the on-off controller reduces the TN discharge by 43.5 % and the PID controller by 42.4 %. Although the difference is minor, a plant might decide to use the ammonia on-off controller due to its slightly better performance. Applying a cost model with a constant energy price, the relative cost savings potential would be the same as for the energy reduction. With the energy tariff, the results are substantially different. The energy costs for the ammonia on-off controller are now the highest, and only slightly less than in the Base Case (Figure 8b). This is due to the much higher Peak Power Demand Charges when the blowers are switched back on after an off period with a high power demand. As a result of using the cost model, the percent savings for the total cost drops to 10 % for the NHx – PID controller and to around 3 % for the NHx – on-off Modelled Controllers Base controller: DOPI control (Figure 5). A PI controller maintains the DO concentration in reactor AER2 at a set-point of 2 g DO/m3 (mg/L). Control Strategy 1: NHx,On-Off control (Figure 6). An NHx master controller in the last aerobic reactor activates/ inactivatestheDOPIcontroller.TheDOcontrollerisswitched On (DO set-point of 2.5 g DO/m3) when the ammonium concentration is above 3.5 g NHx-N/m3 and switched Off when it is lower than 2.5 g NHx-N/m3. Control strategy 2: NHx,PID control (Figure 7). The NHx concentration in the last aerobic reactor is controlled at 3 g NHx-N/m3 with a PID controller that adjusts the DO set-point for reactor AER2 between 0.1 and 2.5 g DO/m3. Figure 5 (Left): Base Controller - DO PI & Figure 6 (Right) Control Strategy 1 NHXON-OFF/DO PI Figure 7 Control Strategy 2 - NHX PID/DO PI Page 14
- 15. controller (Figure 9). Impactof Equipment Models Blowers have the highest impact on energy costs and therefore the equipment efficiency is only discussed for aeration. All equipment models used in this example have a lower efficiency at lower flow ranges. Figure 9 shows a relative comparison of the reduction potentials for air flow, energy consumption, and total costs for the two ABAC strategies versus the Base case. The difference between the reduction potentials for air flow and energy consumption is caused by the varying blower efficiency (Figure 9). In absolute numbers, the on-off controller requests about 86,500 Nm3/d and the PID controller 74,750 Nm3/d. This is caused by the on-off controller switching between a high air flow and no air flow whereas the PID controller smoothens out the air flow. However, the better performance in terms of air flow requirement is counter - balanced by the PID controller running more often in a lower air flow range with a reduced efficiency. This results in about the same energy consumption for both ammonia controllers. Conclusions The paper presents a case study demonstrating the importance of taking energy tariff structures and equipment efficiency into account when comparing control solutions. The presented example demonstrates that ignoring the above may lead to lower energy consumption but an increase in energy costs. The following conclusions can be drawn: • Energy tariffs have a significant impact on operational costs. Time-of-Use and peak power demand charges should be applied when comparing operation strategies and technologies. • The results for the example plant showed both an over- and underestimation of energy costs when compared with a fixed price depending on the season. Using fixed energy prices and neglecting energy tariff structures may lead to biased conclusions. • The presented example shows the importance of including detailed equipment models and energy tariffs in the evaluation of control strategies or other technologies. The equipment models as implemented in SIMBA# can be used to better design equipment and find the best working point for individual pumps and blowers. • The next step is to make use of the equipment and cost models and develop site - specific energy balance control strategies. The required models for plant internal energy generation using biogas from anaerobic digestion are available as well. References Amand, L., Olsson, G. and Carlsson, B. (2013). Aeration control - A review. Water Sci. Technol., 67(11), 2374–2398. Aymerich, I., Rieger, L., Sobhani, R., Rosso, D. and Corominas, Ll. (2015). The difference between energy consumption and energy cost - Modelling energy tariff structures. Water Res., 81, 113-123. Gernaey, K.V., Jeppson, U., Vanrolleghem, P.A. and Copp, J. (edts.) (2014). Benchmarking of control strategies for wastewater treatment plants. ISBN: 9781843391463, IWA Publishing, London, UK. Rieger, L., Takács, I. and Siegrist, H. (2012). Improving nutrient removal while reducing energy use at three Swiss WWTPs using advanced control. Water Environ Res., 84(2), 171-189. TOU-8 (2014). Southern California Edison, Schedule TOU-8, Time-of-use rates for large industrial customers. Water Environment Federation - WEF (2009). Energy Conservation in Water and Wastewater Facilities (MOP 32). WEF Publishing, Alexandria, VA, USA. Figure 8: Evaluation of the three aeration control strategies (a) TN effluent concentrations and total energy consumed and (b) energy cost model versus av- erage energy price Figure 9: Percent reduction of the Two ABAX Strategies compared to the base case Page 15
- 16. Starting a discussionon saving energy in activated sludge through dissolved oxygen control is unlikely to win prizes for originality or innovation. However, successfully achieving this through effective instrumentation and control algorithms can reap rapid rewards. The reason that proper control of aeration is so important is illustrated through the figure presented below (figure 1). This breakdown is nothing new, so targeting an activated sludge plant as a key optimization location is, as admitted above, hardly innovative. Before discussing the advances in instrumentation, let’s go briefly back to basics. The requirement for aeration in activated sludge is to enable the conversion of ammonia to nitrate and finally to nitrogen. The first of these stages requires oxygen, the second carbon. This is better illustrated in a diagrammatical form as below (figure 2) All plants benefit from increased levels of data, from the most basic with a single aeration lane right up to flagship sites incorporating multiple lanes with swing zones. Being confident in the validity and reliability of the data enables application options to be considered. In its most basic form and without any control logic, the Ammonia and Nitrate loading data could simply be used to monitor inlet characteristics and the performance of the nitrification - denitrification stages, alerting an operator when an action is required. While an enhancement over a static set-point, this is not going to win medals for efficiency or energy savings, and relies on operators being available when the action is required. Obviously, the next stage is then to automate this function. How complicated this is made depends on how the control scheme is developed. The level of Ammonia can simply be used to adjust the set-point of the blowers enabling targeted DO levels. Incorporating the MLSS measured at the inlet to the lane enables further refinement of these targeted levels as two variables are then used to calculate load. Adding Nitrate measurement allows for tracking of the performance of the nitrification- denitrification stages, further expanding the knowledge of the process and potentially identifying problematic regions. For sites incorporating swing zones, these Ammonia and Nitrate measurements are even more important as they can be used to trigger zone activation, change of zone process and monitor the concentrations of each parameter leaving the swing zones and entering the final aeration stages to ensure the plant is operating within the required margin of safety to maintain discharge consents. For those sites which do not have Ammonia consents but focus on carbon, the argument is still a valid one. The plot in figure 4 shows comparative degradation speeds of carbonaceous material and ammonia against dissolved oxygen concentrations in the liquor. Measurement of Ammonia at the inlet to the ASP and in the aeration basin would enable control of carbon through an ammonia degradation surrogate. Key Developments in the Technology While measurement of incoming load or load at a key point in the aeration basin is an obvious improvement over the basic DO set-point control, the suggestion that the load measurement may be performed through the use of Ion Selective Electrodes to provide live Ammonium and Nitrate measurements has been contentious to date. Article: Activated Sludge Optimisation Using Ammonia & Nitrate Data Figure 1. Breakdown of operational energy requirements as a percentage of entire plant demand. Data taken from: Energy Awareness in Wastewater Systems, DERF, June 4 2008 Figure 2. Microbial Pathways Schematic for Conventional Activated Sludge for Nitrogen removal Figure 3. Complete sensor set-up for ASP control comprising: MLSS on inlet, Ammonia or combined Ammonia/Nitrate and DO in each lane, Nitrate on outlet Page 16
- 17. Good control isimpossible without accurate and reliable data, something which ISEs have typically only managed briefly before beginning to drift. Alongside the issue of drift, the electrodes themselves have not been robust enough for wastewater applications resulting in a change-out frequency of around 3 months and a real risk of damage to the electrode surfaces during cleaning, rendering them useless. All of these issues have combined to give the humble ISE a, perhaps well-deserved, bad reputation amongst process scientists and operators. However, the ISE should not be written off as an option. A number of recent advances in electrode technology, both in terms of function and robust construction, mean that the ISE sensor deserves a second consideration. The first issue that has been addressed is the robustness of the electrodes themselves through incorporation of an integrated metal grid into the active surface, bringing an added benefit of straightforward electrode cleaning with nothing more advanced than a nail brush. This has been coupled with improvements to the internal functionality of the electrodes enabling a dramatic increase in the potential in-process operational lifetime. Electrodes are now being supplied with a 12 month warranty and an expected accurate functional life of 2 years with a recommended replacement cycle of 18 months: a massive improvement over the previous 3 month replacement cycle. This increase in stability would be of little benefit without a comparative development in accuracy, repeatability and response time. Trials of the ISE technology against wet chemistry analysers showed that when applied in activated sludge processes the performance of the two technologies are comparative, with the ISEs providing the benefit of continuous live measurements. Real World Application Following extensive trials, ISE technology has been applied to 30 sites across a major utility, where measurements of Ammonia and Nitrate are being used to enable a dynamic DO control scheme: a method which has generated energy savings in the aeration lanes on each site of between 15 and 20%. “When compared to the lifecycle cost of the ISE system payback times for this technology are under one year. With all of these improvements brought to fruition, perhaps it is finally time for the ISE to take its’ place amongst the instruments which efficient sites really can’t be without?” Figure 4. Degradation rates of Carbon and Ammonia against DO concentrations Figure 5: Cleaning the sensor head with a nail brush. Figure 6. Plot of Relative Slope against Weeks Operational illustrating very little drift in sensor readings over extended period of use Figure 7. Comparison of Ammonium and Nitrate measurements from ISE sensors and Analysers. Please note that the analysers are on 30 minute measurement cycle Dr Oliver Puckering is an ambitious, dedicated, and self-motivated Chartered chemical engineer with over 5 years post-grad- uation experience in product and process development, operations and sales. With a broad experience of technologies and applications, he has the ability to add value to concept, technology, product and service offerings. Xylem Analytics UK manufactures environmental monitoring instruments and systems. Formerly known as YSI, the group is a market leader with a reputation for high levels of accuracy and reliability. The company’s water quality measuring instruments are designed for both laboratory and field use. In addition to bench top and hand-held instruments, Xylem Analytics also builds monitoring systems and wireless networks that are able to operate in remote locations and challenging environments. Page 17
- 18. Case Study: Hamilton CityCouncil Meets Compliance Demands with System Upgrade The Waikato River — the longest river in New Zealand — supplies all of Hamilton city’s water supply. Water is treated, distributed, and managed by the Hamilton City Council to ensure that when water reaches consumers, it is free from harmful organisms and meets water supply standards. Hamilton’s reticulated water supply system consists of one water treatment plant that provides potable water to eight different reservoirs located around the city through over 1000km of piping. The reticulated (piped) network delivers the water straight to the taps of consumers. Every second of each day, Hamilton City Council produces an average of 2,385 glasses of high quality drinking water to over 51,000 homes and industrial premises. The council is also responsible for the operation of the Pukete Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) — Hamilton’s only wastewater treatment facility. This plant services a region that has grown rapidly in recent decades to have a population in excess of 150,000. Like the city, the Pukete WWTP is continually developing, in its case to improve operational performance and maintain compliance with a changing government regulatory environment. Leveraging the FactoryTalk® Integrated Production and Performance Suite from Rockwell Automation, Hamilton City Council implemented an upgrade to their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system at the plant, enhancing the ability of key stakeholders to make informed decisions, improve performance efficiency and meet regulatory compliance. Meeting Compliance and Productivity Requirements Safe drinking water, available to everyone, is a fundamental requirement for public health. In 2008, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued revised drinking water standards. To comply with these regulations, it is the responsibility of water treatment facilities to track, save and provide monthly reports on water production, intake and discharge levels. Crucially, the standards require that Water Treatment Plants retain operating data for 10 years. More than a decade ago Rockwell Automation provided the council with the software suite for its previous supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. However, the RSView® 32 system had become out- dated over time and inefficient for compliance with modern-day regulatory requirements set out by the New Zealand Government. With its previous SCADA system the council had often recorded data manually before transferring this information into Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets for reporting. A faster, more accurate and automated reporting system was needed, and one that could rapidly generate pre-determined reports automatically Page 18
- 19. for sharing withauthorised groups. “Our previous system was outdated and we required an upgrade to help simplify the process of complying with current water regulations in New Zealand. Not only that, but we identified the potential for improving operational efficiencies at the plant by implementing an integrated system that aims to increase productivity and reduce down-time,” said Gary Pitcaithly, automation and electrical manager at Hamilton City Council. A key aim of the upgrade was to deliver a system with the ability to retain 10 years of data in a stable and reliable manner. At the same time, the system would need to provide operational efficiencies compared with the previous operating system, while also maintaining a secure environment only accessible by authorised stakeholders. To improve on this process, Hamilton City Council engaged Rockwell Automation to provide the latest versions of the FactoryTalk software suite as the integral element of an upgrade to its system. According to Prasad Nory, industry manager – South Pacific at Rockwell Automation, “FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk Vantage Point are increasingly becoming standards in the water/wastewater industry – especially with the need for compliance to changing drinking water standards. Also, FactoryTalk Historian ME has been used by some councils in their pump stations to store data locally to take care of communication failures and meet compliance.” “By upgrading to the FactoryTalk suite the key benefits identified by council included: superior reporting for compliance to government regulations, improved system reliability and stability, and reduced risk when contractors are onsite to undertake modifications or further expansions.” The FactoryTalk software suite delivers a real-time exchange of information throughout organisations, a critical element that allows for more informed business decisions, improved responsiveness, increased productivity, reduced costs and ease of compliance with regulations. Implemented in-house by Pitcaithly, Hamilton City Council upgraded the WWTP’s system over six months to include the Factory View (SE), FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, FactoryTalk AssetCentre and FactoryTalk ViewPoint applications. The Rockwell Automation Customer Support and Maintenance team provided support to the council during the upgrade, particularly for the migration from Historian Classic to FactoryTalk Historian. The long-term storage and reporting capabilities required to comply with water standards are provided by FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk VantagePoint. Data is stored in the Historian server for the required 10 year retention period and is easily accessed for analysis and reporting purposes. FactoryTalk Vantage- Point is used by the plant to schedule and produce automatically generated reports providing information on periodical water consumption, discharge, intake, water quality and storage levels. FactoryTalk AssetCentre provides improved contractor control, change management and storage capabilities. Most importantly, the plant is now positioned to efficiently comply with water regulations in New Zealand, including the storage of data and records for 10 years. Delivering Fresh Water and a Clean Environment The benefits of the new Integrated Architecture® solution will help the plant supply fresh drinking water and a clean environment to residents of Hamilton for many years to come. According to Pitcaithly, historical and reporting data is now available more quickly and accurately following implementation of the FactoryTalk suite, as the council had envisioned prior to the upgrade. “The upgrade has delivered greater ease of use of our system throughout the WWTP. The new Historian is superior in how it stores data and makes generating information for vital reports a much more efficient task to undertake,” explains Pitcaithly. “The Vantage Point software allows us to develop reports at will, whether it is for compliance to water standards or for other needs. These reports can then be published as web-based reports that are available for anyone authorised to view them.” Another key result of the upgrade has been the flexibility it has added for personnel operating the system at the WWTP. “The FactoryTalk software suite has enabled our team to be more flexible with their time, as we are now able to edit or update reports as we go. We now simply store our data directly into Historian and the data spreads directly from the PAC (programmable automation controller) to a human interface. This data is incorporated into spreadsheets for us to interrogate, whether it is on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, to tell us if we’ve had a breach in turbidity or if chlorine levels aren’t what they should be,” said Pitcaithly. The flexibility extends to the ability of system users to remotely access the software from tablet computers or smart phones. “The team has tablets and smart phones that can basically access FactoryTalk View anywhere in the world – if they are out of the office or on-call the system can be easily accessed and key changes made,” concludes Pitcaithly. With the FactoryTalk software suite delivering new found operational potential for the plant, the council is planning to continue to update and improve its system further in the coming years utilising these capabilities. Page 19
- 20. Article: Big Data Dilemma Increasinglyutility companies are being steered towards Big Data, and the benefits that can be derived from mining and analysing the vast quantity of customer and operational data they hold. Water companies have large physical asset bases, distributed in varying concentrations, over regions of mixed topography, geology and land use. As a result GIS have a potentially significant role to play in planning and executing capital and operational programmes. Large silos of structured and unstructured data are already a common feature for utilities such as water companies. Beyond the more familiar IT ground of customer data, modelling of assets, pipeline flow data, operational data from treatment plants and other waypoints has stretched the limits of systems, both in terms of hardware and storage, since the 1980s (and earlier in a few cases). Now that utilities are using diverse data sources, including weather (e.g. radar rainfall), 3D mapping, instrumentation and third party sources, even the storage of data can require substantial IT infrastructure. However, many ‘Big Data’ calls miss a fundamental issue, in that asset ‘data’ is expensive to obtain and consistently maintain. Where AMR (Automated Meter Reading) water metering is installed, customer usage data is readily available. However, most utilities’ physical assets are geographically widely spread, sometimes in locations difficult to access, and the cost of gathering and maintaining data can thus be restrictively high. For example, a manhole survey can cost an average of £70 or more; with over 550,000km of sewers in the UK, and assuming 40m between manholes, a 1% validation survey would cost circa £10 million. Surveys can also have complex health and safety risks that need to be managed, such as working in confined spaces, at height, or in the middle of busy roadways with cars and lorries passing at speed just feet away. This is just one element of data, and surveys in complex situations can be extremely expensive, with elements such as underground, undersea and otherwise covered pipeline surveys sometimes costing in the region of £I million. For these reasons, asset data is often limited and of dubious quality. Sensors and instrumentation are improving data collection and data flow. Sensors are cheaper to install, run and maintain, and are more robust. Nonetheless, they are still relatively expensive items in terms of the up-front cost when making the water network more da- ta-generative. With asset data often being limited, suspect, and costly to improve, and sensors and instrumentation expensive to deploy, smarter utilities such as water companies are looking to make better use of the information they already hold in order to understand the network, supply and demand, customer expectations and future preventative maintenance. By using a combination of engineering knowledge coupled with effective analytics, trends can be mapped and normal asset behaviour determined. Where data is readily available such analysis is relatively simple, however where asset data is limited, engineering knowledge and understanding can be used to define relationships between the seemingly unrelated data sets. The key is in understanding how data sources can be meaningfully linked. There are already a number of good examples where such solutions have been successfully deployed. For example, an Australian water utility needed to improve water management and availability. It invested in a real-time demand and response system comprising of a hydrodynamic model to predict water production, demand and planning against targeted and actual usage. This incorporated weather data to predict water demand and usage to zone level. It also created ‘what if’ scenarios based on predictive modelling. In a country known for extreme hot temperatures and limited rainfall that can hamper water supply, this use of limited, but targeted, data has ensured that water resources have been available through testing climatic conditions. The result is more predictability of supply and cost for both the water utility and the end customer. Another utility required a complete solution to optimise its inspection and maintenance plans, and provide condition monitoring of the supply delivery network to predict failures and reduce cost. It deployed a web-based real-time dashboard to remotely monitor 100+ key points on the network, along with managing field service personnel, using a hand-held mobile solution for field service personnel to enter and upload data while on route inspections. This has been based on limited datasets (e.g. load, weather etc.), and amongst other benefits saved an estimated £20m in infrastructure costs. Similar techniques can be used for work management, as where a UK water utility used an automated data management and operational predictive analytics tool for improved workload and resource planning. This was based on the creation of a near real-time Operational Data Store (ODS) collating operational and business data sets for use in reporting and forecasting. This solution delivered a 20% increase in planned work completion leading to improvement in customer satisfaction and Service Incentive Mechanism (SIM) SIM, backlog reduced by up to 95%, a 10% productivity improvement, and increased accuracy and predictability. Similar techniques have been used to look at infrastructure interdependencies. The UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (www.itrc.org.uk) has developed a new generation of infrastructure system simulation models and tools to inform the analysis, planning and design of national infrastructure. The National Infrastructure Model (NISMOD) simulations provide new methods for analysing performance, risks and interdependencies, and should prove very helpful for cross-infrastructure planning (the official launch of the models took place at the IRTC conference in October 2015). It is interesting to note however that, even for these higher level models, the developers needed to work closely with the various organisations involved to build suitable datasets, as there was not sufficient data available in the public domain at the outset. As can be seen from above, large business information systems may be of limited value to utilities in terms of managing their assets. Of more value is the effective and consistent linking of dispersed data sources, coupled with an easily configurable analytics engine. Such tools have already been used to answer many asset related questions, such as the viability of rainwater harvesting in differing regions and climates. It is indeed possible to answer a high percentage of the work and asset management related questions posed by utilities, even with the limited asset data many hold. A few examples include: • Reducing pollution events through effective use of data from the level sensors • Production planning across areas and regions, based on telemetry and climate data • Reducing blockage and related Other Cause flooding • Tracking leakage • Reducing energy use • Improving compliance monitoring at small Treatment Works Each question is however individual to the specific situation, so only those who are able to understand both the engineering and system elements will be able to successfully deliver beneficial results. Page 20
- 21. February 2016 Smart PotableWater Networks Workshop 25th February 2016 Saffron Hill, London Hosted by CIWEM WEX Global 2016 29th February - 2nd March Lisbon, Portugal Hosted by Water & Energy Exchange March 2016 Optimising Control of fouling with Smart Sensors 9th March 2016 Northern Design Centre, Gateshead, UK Hosted by Sensors for Water Interest Group WWT Smart Water Networks 17th March 2016 Holiday Inn, Birmingham, UK Hosted by WWT May 2016 Robotics & Autonomous Systems 4th May 2016 National Space Centre, Leicester Hosted by Sensors for Water Interest Group Flow Measurement Workshop 25th May 2016 HR Wallingford, Oxfordshire Hosted by Sensors for Water Interest Group June 2016 IWA Leading Edge Technology Conference 13th - 16th June 2016 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain Hosted by the International Water Association ACE 2016 19th - 22nd June 2016 Chicago, Illinois, USA Hosted by the American Water Works Association Page 21 Conferences, Events, Seminars & Studies Conferences, Seminars & Events Optimising Control of fouling with Smart Sensors Where: Northern Design Centre, Gateshead When: 9th March 2015 Description Fouling is a common problem which can effect sensors in any location includ- ing sewers, waste water treatment works, the environment, water treatment works and cooling water circuits. There are many different types of fouling depending on the location and liquid, e.g. fats, mineral deposits or biolog- ical growth, and each can create different maintenance requirements. This workshop will look at the effect of fouling on water sensors and the various strategies to control it which can be used to extend sensor life and maintain accurate measurements. This event will be hosted by Andrew Chappel of the Environment Agency Smart Water Networks Where: Saffron Hill, London, UK When: 25th February 2016 In it’s 2nd year the CIWEM Smart Water Networks workshop will discuss the developments of intelligence within the potable water network and using the development of “Smart” to it’s best use. The “Smart” Water Network has been around for many years in various forms. This event will highlight some of the current technologies within the water industry, including the benefits of having the right instrumentation in place within the network; identification of pressure transients; and, the efficient use of data in order to make informed decisions. This event will… • Discuss the industry’s view of the “Smart” Water Network • Demonstrate that “Smart” starts with the basics and a firm foundation; and with the application of the right technology, can lead to efficiencies • Highlight the technologies that are available to water companies
- 22.