WIPAC Monthly November 2019

WIPAC MONTHLYThe Monthly Update from Water Industry Process Automation & Control
www.wipac.org.uk Issue 11/2019- November 2019

In this Issue
WIPAC Monthly is a publication of the Water Industry Process Automation & Control Group. It is produced by the group
manager and WIPAC Monthly Editor, Oliver Grievson. This is a free publication for the benefit of the Water Industry and please
feel free to distribute to any who you may feel benefit. However due to the ongoing costs of WIPAC Monthly a donation website
has been set up to allow readers to contribute to the running of WIPAC & WIPAC Monthly, For those wishing to donate then
please visit https://www.patreon.com/Wipac all donations will be used solely for the benefit and development of WIPAC.
All enquires about WIPAC Monthly, including those who want to publish news or articles within these pages, should be directed
to the publications editor, Oliver Grievson at olivergrievson@hotmail.com
From the editor............................................................................................................. 3
Industry news..............................................................................................................
Highlights of the news of the month from the global water industry centred around the successes of a few
of the companies in the global market.
4 - 11
The drive towards Digital Transformation......................................................................
The digital transformation to a “Smart Water” Industry is something that is already in progress and some small
gains are already being achieved. This article examines what the drivers are behind this move and highlights how
Digital Transformation can help the industry as a whole.
12-13
Classifying data in the Water Industry...........................................................................
Data is one of the keys to the Smart Water Industry and yet most of it isn’t structured or classified in the right
way, Modern techniques would have us Metatag all data to identify what it is and where its from and how it can
fit in. This article looks at the need to classify data both in terms of the process and in terms of security. What it
highlights is the need to classify data.
14-15
Managing wastewater flow: The past, the present and the future................................
In this article we look at the management of wastewater flow in the UK Water Industry with particular reference to
the historical situation and how it has impacted on the current drivers that the water industry is moving towards.
16-17
Smart Water Networks and the choices ahead................................................................
This article looks at the place of Smart Water Networks in the wider concept of the Smart City and lays out some
of the choices that the global industry has surrounding smart meters and communication methods. The article
proposes that the utilities should look to sharing communication methods instead of everyone having their own
communication networks.
18-19
Workshops, conferences & seminars............................................................................
The highlights of the conferences and workshops in the coming months. 20-21

From the Editor
Since going out to China last month the thing that has been on the lips of everyone who attended is the fact that the
International Water Association are hosting a Digital Water Summit in Bilbao next April. Its a discussion that has
been ongoing unbeknownst to most of us for a few months between the IWA, AEAS (the IWA governing member in
Spain) and Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia (the local water utility in Bilbao). It is an opportunity to get a major weight
behind the whole Digital Transformation movement so that the basic concepts can be woven into the very fabric of how
the industry operates. This may sound scary insofar as any change can be a cause for concern but from the learning of
2019 the journey has already started and water operators are starting to discover not just the technologies that are out
there but the applications that Digital Transformation needs to resolve. It is the discussions that the global industry, as a
whole, needs to have without ego, without fear and with open mind in a way that it never particularly has done before.
The question has to be why? In the UK at least there is a driver towards competition in an industry that doesn’t need
to compete and nor should it in certain areas. It is in these areas that we have to collaborate together on be it water
operator, supply chain or regulator. In someways the industry needs to outpace the regulator in certain areas and the
regulator needs to allow it to happen. In the UK it sounds virtually impossible but in other areas of the world it is in fact
part of “Business as Usual”
The question for Digital Transformation is where are the gaps? Most, who are used to my opinion by now, will know that I am a big advocate of the first step in
the whole Digital Transformation piece being the identification of informational needs. A basic stakeholder engagement process that takes things to the people
element of Digital Transformation by putting a stakeholder engagement process in place to identify the information which feeds the data needs which in turn
feeds the instrumentation and sensor needs. This identifies what we have and what gaps exist and also what is surplus to requirements, this is in fact the first
stage of the instrumentation life-cycle which is the first step in Level 2 or the first step of the “Smart (Waste) Water Industry. Rather than increasing sensors
that operators maintain it could (but probably not) reduce the number of sensors to what the industry actually needs. This is all about data classification which
is an article later on in this issue. Once we have classified the data, organised in a way that it is easy to manage, manipulate and understand we start to make
steps forward in Digital Transformation. The idea for the article came whilst I was at the +Add Strategy Cyber Security workshop this month where we talked
about data security and how not all data needs “Fort Knox-like” Cyber Protection, this concept fits neatly into another conversation that I had this month about
Open Data and how in reality there are some aspects of data that is collected that would have a benefit if it was “Open Data,” and in some ways sensors that
feed apps like the “Surfers Against Sewage” app share water company data openly.....so some data we already are sharing. It is covered more in the article but
the classification of data and where it can help bring insight is probably step 2 in the journey.
Moving to a more strategic level and looking at the people element of the technology triangle is something else that was mentioned at the Cyber Security
workshop and that is the skills gap and the need for Digital Skills training. It actually an element that is being picked up quite heavily by some parties within
the water industry including WIPAC (at the WWEM Exhibition), the Future Water Association and British Water amongst other organisations within the wider
industry. It is something that is being worked upon and has to be worked upon as the industry “Digitally Transforms” and the regulations like NIS in Cyber-
Security and the business pressures as outlayed in Final Business Plans takes the industry in a direction where there is a challenge to the way that the industry
works
In the meantime there are numerous ways to engage and to learn and to change, the Digital Water Summit is certainly one option for the industry to identify
both the opportunity and pain points through investigating the way things can work but there are others. WIPAC will be at the leading edge of this and for
those who haven’t noticed already the WIPAC Webinar series starts with the first WIPAC Webinar on 10th December and will be in a roughly monthly basis
depending where in the world I am (I had a thought about doing webinars from conferences) along with a programme of workshops that will be starting in the
early part of next year culminating with the 6th
workshop that will be at WWEM. The fact that the industry will Digitally Transform into a Smart Water Industry
is a foregone conclusion how we quite do it is still up for discussion and delivery.
Have a good month,
Oliver

First WIPAC Webinar has been announced
Severn Trent has launched Juno, an integrated ChatBot service which is now available for its eight million customers. In an industry first, the company has launched
a Chatbot service, and says the online virtual assistant will help customers get answers to simple queries more quickly than ever before, and not necessarily with
the need to speak to anyone. Bill Wilson, Digital Channel Lead at Severn Trent, commented:
“Sometimes when our customers need to get in touch with us, all they need is a simple, quick question answering – and Juno is the perfect tool to do just that.
We’re the first water company to launch this type of service, and we know this will make a huge difference, as our customers can essentially get what they need
quickly and efficiently. We know there’s times when we can get a bit busier than usual, so if our customers can use Juno and get what they need when they need
it, it’s great for them. It also means that our call agents will have more time to answer the more difficult, tricky queries we get where customers absolutely have
to chat to someone.”
Juno will at first be used to answer common billing enquiries, before being rolled out to support customers with queries covering all of the company’s services,
such as water quality or waste issues. Alongside Juno, Severn Trent also has webchat and a social media team available 24/7, as well the video calling service
where customers can FaceTime with an engineer when reporting a leak. Bill Wilson continued:
“We’re always looking for ways to make our customers experience with us as effortless as possible. That’s why we’re always thinking of new, innovative ways to
support our customers, as we know that there’s not a one size fits all approach. Some customers like to contact us only through digital channels, some prefer to
call us – so it’s important we’re able to cater for everyone. To use Juno, all customers need to do is click on the pink chat button on the homepage of the website
– if Juno is unable to answer the query, they will be put straight through to one of the customer care team on webchat.
“The more our customers interact with Juno, the more knowledge it will build and become a really useful tool in helping our customers with all sorts of enquires,”
Bill Wilson added. “We’re really excited about watching it develop, and we’re confident it will being massive benefits to our customers and make their experience
with us quick, and effortless.”
Severn Trent launches online virtual assistant Chatbot for
customers
The fact that the Water Industry Process Automation & Control Group was going to do webinars and workshops
was never in doubt but it has taken awhile to get things organised but the first of the WIPAC Webinars has been
organised for 10th
December 2019 at 12:00 PM (GMT). The first webinar is entitled “The dawn of new level sensors
for the water industry” and Doug Anderson of Vega Control Systems will be talking about the developments in
radar technologies for the water industry.
Join VEGA Control Systems as they unveil their latest range of non-contact radar level sensors focused on the water,
waste water and environmental sectors. They propose that radars - with higher performance, compact design
and lower priced than ever before - look set to replace ultrasonic level technology. Learn about the fundamental
differences between ultrasonic and the new upstart in 80 GHz frequency radar - designed with the needs of this
industry in mind – that could deliver reduced maintenance inputs, increased data reliability/accuracy and safety,
by using a combination of radar technology and state of the art development.
This event will take attendees through the basics of radar level measurement technology and look at the applications and advantages that the technology gives
for the Water Industry. The webinar will be beneficial to engineers, technologists, innovators and in truth anyone involved in the operational end of the water
industry. There are a total of 95 free places available so please book now to avoid disappointment. The event will be recorded and any recording distributed out
to attendees and people who have registered and found no space available.
People who would like to join WIPAC at the first WIPAC Webinar should register at http://bit.ly/WIPACWebNo1
Page 4
Industry News

IWA announce “The Digital Water Summit” to be hosted in Spain
Co-organized by the International Water Association, Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia water utility and AEAS, the IWA Governing Member in Spain, the first IWA
Digital Water Summit will be held in Bilbao, Spain, 27th
-30th
April 2020.
“Digital water is already here” is the clear message after interviewing utility executives and leading experts from around the globe. From big data solutions
to advanced management of the distribution network to digital customer engagement programs, nearly all utilities we talked to are using these tools within
their digital transformation journey. While the transformation is not always easy, with ageing infrastructure, inadequate investment, changing climate and
demographics, digitalization of the water sector is now seen not as an ‘option’ but as an ‘imperative.’
The IWA Digital Water Summit is designed to be the reference in digitalisation for the global water sector. Targeting all stakeholders involved in the water sector
digitalisation, the Summit has a focus on business and industry. Water technology providers and water utilities are the main participants that will discuss and
shape the agenda of this first edition. “To assess and value the different solutions for their challenges, water utilities have to talk to different vendors, solutions
providers, and it takes a while before to choose among them. In Bilbao, we are trying to bring them all together at once, in a single space, in the way that things
that will take months will happen within a week” says Enrique Cabrera, IWA Vice President and Professor at Valencia University.
There is the necessity of water utilities to embrace digital solutions (smart and resilient water systems across the water value chain. This extends from ‘upstream’
supply (basins, aquifers, potable reuse, desalination, or moisture capture) to ‘downstream’ utility operations and customers. For example, proactive remote
monitoring within a watershed across multiple parameters (temperature, flow, pH, nitrates, etc.) at multiple depth levels; to optimising process during treatment
through quality sensors combined with which can reduce capital & operational costs; to transforming the customer interaction
model across web, mobile, social, connected home, and in-person.
‘Digital technology is transforming the water businesses in new and exciting ways. Up until recently most utilities have been investigating options to embrace the
technology across their organisations. A few are now commencing implementation of large scale implementation of IoT devices. This conference is about learning
about the opportunities, pitfalls and help optimise outcomes for customers.’ – said Greg Ryan, Director Business Excellence at the Water Services Association of
Australia
Dragan Savic, CEO of KWR is leading the Digital Water Summit programme committee of renowned experts developing a leading edge programme with plenary
sessions, interactive discussions, side events, exhibition, technical visits, and social events. While the summit has a strong focus on the water sector, the
engagement and commitment of incumbents, start-ups and entrants from other sectors is needed for the success of digital water technology adoption. Water
professionals often lack information technology skill sets and the perspective to appreciate what is possible, while technology entrepreneurs may not understand
the nuances of complex water systems affected by multiple factors. Dragan emphasized the importance of engaging beyond the water sector to maximize the
potential of digital tools. “Collaboration between sectors will mean more effective application of new technologies for better management within and beyond
our cities, which is the ultimate goal.
Kala Vairavamoorthy, IWA Executive Director reflected that “IWA has an opportunity to leverage our worldwide member expertise, to guide a new generation of
water and wastewater utilities during their uptake of digital technologies and integration into water services.” This Summit is part of a wider initiative to provide
a platform that helps utilities recognize emerging digital technologies and solutions, how they can be integrated across the utility value chain, help them learn
from it, and help them adapt and embrace change to create value.
“Thanks to digital technologies and a growing global consciousness about sustainability, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to solve the world’s water challenges.
The IWA Digital Water Summit – the inaugural IWA conference to focus solely on the topic – will be a big step forward in further embedding digital at the core of
the water profession.” – says Randolf Webb, Director, Global Branding and Partnerships.
About the IWA Digital Water Programme
The IWA Digital Water Programme aims to act as a catalyst for innovation, knowledge and best practices around digitalisation for the water sector, provide a
platform to share experiences and promote leadership in transitioning to digital water solutions, and consolidate lessons to guide the natural evolution from the
‘business as usual’ to achieving a digital water utility. For more information, please visit http://iwa-network.org/projects/digital-water-programme/
More information is available on the Digital Water Summit at the event website at https://digitalwatersummit.org/
Page 5

Energy savings achieved at Europe’s largest sewage works
Europe’s largest sewage works has saved £500,000 a year on energy costs by making changes to how it treats the waste of millions of Londoners.
The Thames Water site at Beckton - which serves more than four million people in the capital - generates more than half the power it needs through its wind
turbine and other renewables, but still buys in £9 million of electricity from the National Grid each year.
As a result, the team at Thames Water’s north-east London wastewater operations looked at all the 300-acre site’s machinery to identify potential energy savings.
Surprisingly they discovered that the newer aeration lanes in activated sludge plant (ASP) 4 had the greatest potential for energy savings. In these lanes, air is
pumped in through dome diffusers at the bottom of the tank to help bacteria break down organic waste - but the process is incredibly energy intensive.
Savings were achieved by doubling the number of dissolved oxygen (DO) monitors to ASP4 and improving the efficiency of the blower that pumps air into the
tanks. Continuously measuring DO ensures the right conditions for maximum efficiency and, when coupled with efficient blower control, big cost savings were
achieved through reduced air consumption.
This real-time control equipment constantly monitors and adjusts the process to ensure it runs under optimal conditions using only the minimum amount of
energy.
The air control valves on the lanes also seized, causing both over and under-aeration, resulting in process compliance issues. Over aeration wastes energy and
brings more foam to the surface where it can get trapped and proliferate. The valves were changed for eccentric plug control valves which are better suited to
the environment and last longer.
The team at Beckton also saved money by maximising electricity generation through its thermal hydrolysis process and its sludge-powered generator and are
set to replace all 15,000 dome diffusers in ASP3.
David Fenech, Thames Water’s operations manager for north-east London, said: “We are continuously looking for more ways to make the site efficient and make
sustainable savings. As our electricity costs are significant, a small percentage savings represents a high value.
“ASP4 was commissioned in 2015 and therefore has already good built-in efficiency however the team soon realised during their initial investigations this is
where surprisingly the greatest potential was to be found. We are monitoring the savings and forecasting a more stable process.
“We continue to monitor and keep looking for further savings across all our activated sludge processing plants: other initiatives that we have already made good
progress on are dissolved oxygen monitoring maintenance and settled sewage improvements, as well as upgrading and re-doming activities on lanes within
ASP3.
“It’s all been part of our Team Beckton ethos. There have been so many people involved, all of who have worked tirelessly to achieve these great savings.”
Bristol Water introduces new intelligent pumping and storage
optimisation system
Bristol Water has introduced a new intelligent pumping and storage optimisation system that chooses the times the company pumps water, which pumps to use,
and the route the water takes through the system.
It calculates the best and most efficient way to move around 100 million tonnes of water a year round the water company’s network. In addition, if any of its
production sites are out of service the system automatically re-routes water from a different site, making the network more resilient.
The system will help make savings to Bristol Water’s running costs - moving that amount of water around is costly both in terms of money and energy. It will also
reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 300 tonnes.
David Smith, Asset Management and Production Director, Bristol Water commented:
“As we go about our daily lives, it’s fair to say most of us wouldn’t give a thought about the massive operation going on under our feet. It is systems such as this
that help us make people’s lives better, by making us more efficient so we can reduce bills and provide a more reliable service. But not only that, it helps us do
our bit for the planet, by reducing our carbon emissions helping to tackle the climate crisis”
To introduce the system Bristol Water has worked with Suez Advanced Solutions over the last 3 years to make the transition possible. The first few sites started
using the system in September 2019 with a full takeover expected by the end of November.
Page 6

Large Utility Relies On Trimble For Integrated Approach To Smart
Meter Deployment
Several years ago, a southwestern city with more than 1 million residents was preparing to take a critical step toward modernizing its municipal water assets.
The utility — which oversees five water treatment plants with a total capacity nearing 500 MGD and has more than 3,000 miles of pipes in its distribution system
— planned to install smart meters as part of a larger advanced metering infrastructure effort.
Smart meters enable water managers to more closely measure and manage usage, streamline billing processes, and support regional conservation goals.
Before the meters could be deployed citywide, however, officials determined it would be necessary to precisely map the location and inspect the condition of
the utility’s existing 240,000 water meter network assets. This would provide the foundation for scoping the project as well as the opportunity to be proactive
by identifying and mapping any lead service lines.
To be as accurate and efficient as possible, the decision was made to search for an alternative to manual mapping that would also enable lead service inspections
as part of the process. Following a thorough evaluation, the city turned to Trimble Water for an automated solution.
Water department leaders and city officials selected Trimble Unity™ software, a cloud and mobile platform for managing utility assets and field operations, and
Trimble R2, an external high-accuracy GPS. The combination is paired by Bluetooth with Android tablets. In March 2016, the utility began using the solution to
collect data and perform inspections for lead service lines.
Field crews, who were trained on the Trimble system in about a day, evaluate about 400 to 500 meters per day.
In addition to capturing GPS location data, field crews are also collecting asset inventory data to update the utility’s customer billing system. Field data collected
includes service sequence, meter location, make, size, style, read sequence, and street number, as well as other information. With a reconciled billing system,
the city can recoup lost revenue from incorrectly recorded or malfunctioning meters.
“Our field team can accurately map the meter location and at the same time visually inspect and record the condition of each meter box as well as verify the
material of the service connection on the customer side and the city side of the meter,” said the field operations superintendent for the city’s water department.
“We can validate indicators for lead at the service location of the meter box and create a record of broken meter boxes, which is critical information to have prior
to the smart meter deployment.”
Data collected with the Trimble technology is sent to the central server and then to the billing system, so no post-processing is required. The information is
expected to accelerate the smart meter deployment because water department managers and city leaders will have an accurate picture of what assets are in
place so they can budget accordingly. That also allows the utility to be more transparent with its customers and provide assurances that any lead lines will be
identified and replaced.
The project is well underway, with field crews having captured location and attribute data for a significant number of water meters throughout the city. Should
any lead service lines be detected, water department managers have the ability to rapidly identify and resolve the problem. Trimble’s solution is allowing the
city to achieve significant efficiencies in preparing for its citywide smart water meter deployment while at the same time proactively inspecting for lead service
lines throughout the distribution system.
Kemira and ABB collaborate to digitalize water treatment
processes
Two global leaders, chemicals company Kemira and ABB, a technology company driving the digital transformation of industries, have signed a partnership
agreement. The aim of the collaboration is to help customers in water treatment take the next steps in modernizing their processes and improving the efficiency
and performance of operations.
The agreement combines Kemira’s strong chemistry and smart process optimization expertise in municipal and industrial water treatment with ABB’s integrated
automation solutions, critical field and plant components, as well as extensive site service capabilities.
“We are actively developing our portfolio of smart chemistry, with the ultimate goal of saving resources and improving quality for our customers. Increasing
visibility over the water treatment process and enabling predictive and proactive process management based on real-time data help in achieving this goal. Both
ABB and Kemira have worked in the water sector for decades and are firm believers in continuous performance improvement and embracing the opportunities
that new digital innovations and business models offer. When it comes to cost-performance, we can deliver winning solutions together,” says Application
Development Manager Jussi Ruotsalainen from Kemira.
“Our collaboration generates value and enables new business models for the customers, combining ABB’s digital experience and platform with the deep chemical
expertise of Kemira. The ABB Ability™ platform is open and scalable and enables new performance and optimization services that can be applied to a larger
number of end-users than before. Digitalization in this context is about smart connected devices and can be applied independently of the automation system
used on-site. This collaboration contributes to a sustainable water cycle through improved quality and cost-control,” says Tatu Mattila Sales Director at ABB.
Page 7

Irish Water uses US and Australian technologies to progress
innovative sewerage scheme
IrishWater,workinginpartnershipwithDonegalCountyCouncil,isusingacombinationofUSandAustralian
technologies to deliver an innovative new sewerage system for homes and businesses in Gweedore.
Experts from the water company’s suppliers from the USA and Australia recently joined the Irish Water
team who are delivering the sewerage scheme. The delivery partners from America and Australia were in
Ireland as part of an intensive three-day series of engagements. The experts were on hand to explain to
the people who are being connected to the Demonstration Project, the business community and elected
representatives in Gweedore how the system will be installed, how it works and to answer any queries
that arose.
When complete, the new sewerage scheme will improve the water quality in Gweedore Bay and local rivers
and streams; provide better treatment of wastewater to protect the environment and ensure Gweedore
is in compliance with Irish and European regulations. Improved wastewater facilities can also contribute
to future growth in the area.
Irish Water is progressing a Demonstration Project serving over 40 properties as the first phase of the
Gweedore Sewerage scheme. The project team is currently constructing the main pressure sewer network
associated with the Demonstration Project. Following completion of the works, installation of the pods
and associated works will take place at individual properties. The collected wastewater will be treated at
the existing Údaras na Gaeltachta wastewater treatment plant.
Irish Water’s Mark O’Callaghan commented:
“Once the Demonstration Project has been completed and is operational, Irish Water will then roll out
the scheme to the wider Gweedore area. We are also progressing our plans to upgrade the Údaras na
Gaeltachta wastewater treatment plant which will be used to treat wastewater from the wider Gweedore
area. This will ensure that both existing and future premises within the boundary of the wider scheme can
be connected to the public system, pretty much regardless of location”.
The innovative system will ultimately lead to a reduction on the reliance of septic tanks in the area, without the level of disruption or costs that is normally
associated with traditional collection systems.”
Explaining how the system will work, Mark O’Callaghan added:
“Wastewater from the house or business will flow by gravity into the pump pod. When the amount of wastewater reaches a certain level, the wastewater will
be liquidised and then pumped through a small pipe away to the main network and on to the wastewater treatment plant. The innovative control system will
manage the network to ensure that both the individual pods and the overall system functions properly.”
Nevada Utility Selects Sensus Technology For Smart Water
Deployment
Known as “Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno, Nevada is famous for its casinos. However, the city’s water utility isn’t gambling on outdated systems to deliver
around-the-clock service to residents. As a community-owned water provider with more than 400,000 customers across Reno and the greater Washoe County
region, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) decided to double down on smart water technology and enhance functionality with automated meter data
collection.
As TMWA’s coverage area expanded in recent years, their manual process for obtaining meter data became cumbersome. The water authority decided to
upgrade their infrastructure and initiate a meter replacement program to improve efficiency and advance customer service. Through an in-depth ‘request for
proposal’ process, they chose to deploy a smart utility network from Sensus, a Xylem brand, to implement real-time remote monitoring and management.
“AftertestingdifferentnetworkarchitecturesandspeakingwithcurrentSensuscustomers,itwasclearthatthiswasthebestsolution,”saidDirectorofDistribution
Maintenance & Generation Pat Nielson. “The system will allow us to achieve outstanding read rates across our water meters with less infrastructure, meaning
fewer base stations and access points needed than with other systems.”
TMWA will deploy the FlexNet® communication network with smart meters across approximately 110,000 endpoints to enable automated meter monitoring
and advanced leak detection. With access to real-time data, they can reduce truck rolls for meter reads and use staff time more efficiently. The system will also
enhance TMWA’s water conservation program, allowing the team to proactively identify leaks and educate customers about their usage.
“Thanks to the flexibility of our smart utility network, we can roll things out in a much more methodical way,” added Nielson. “We’ll be able to use our system
to advance in a way that makes a lasting impact for our customers and strengthens our role as responsible stewards of our region’s water resources.”
TMWA will conduct meter change-outs on a schedule that fits the needs of the utility and their water customers. The project should be completed within the
next three to five years.
Page 8

In line with Malaysia’s transformation into a digital economy, global pump manufacturer Grundfos yesterday announced the launch of its new cloud-based
service app in Malaysia to reduce downtime for key infrastructure in the country.
Malaysian government agencies and enterprises are embracing digitalisation to tackle issues across sectors from the rollout of National Fiberisation and
Connectivity Plan and establishment of the Digital Free Trade Zone, to the recent Industry4WRD policy. Complementing these efforts, Grundfos’ newly launched
mobile app, SmArt Serv, leverages digitalisation to enable the smooth operation of Malaysia’s key infrastructure, ranging from industries to water utilities that
use Grundfos products.
Grundfos pumps are used for various applications in Malaysia, from water distribution for consumers to water temperature regulation in air-conditioning in
commercial buildings to wastewater management and flood control for Malaysian utilities. They are also widely used in industries such as marine, agriculture,
manufacturing, machinery and food & beverage.
The SmArt Serv app is designed to provide prompt and efficient service to resolve any issues with Grundfos pumps, reducing the service process minimising the
downtime on any repair.
Nicolai Thrane, Regional Service Director, Grundfos Asia Pacific Region, said: “Downtime on critical applications is not just an issue in terms of business continuity
or lost revenue but has far-reaching consequences on the end-users as well such as the disruption in water provision. One of our key focus areas as a business is
incorporating digitalisation in our service given its potential to drive efficiency at the large scale and rate we need. The SmArt Serv app is one of our many efforts
to ensure a fast response rate and minimise any downtime on our solutions as much as possible.”
Through the SmArt Serv app, customers can contact Grundfos or locate the nearest Authorised Service Partner and raise a request easily through filling an online
form and including a picture of the pump or system. The selected service centre will then deploy one of their service engineers to the site to assess and resolve
the issue. For digital pumps, the service provider can even look at fixing the problem online through remote assistance.
The app also provides customers the option to leave ratings and feedback once the problem has been resolved. These reports can be used by Grundfos to assess
and plan for continuous improvements in service.
Nicolai added, “We put great effort into building great pumps, and we want our customers to get the most out of them. To ensure this, we combine outstanding
quality with outstanding repair service. Customer feedback is a key component of how we ensure this high-quality service and work towards not just meeting
but exceeding customer expectations.”
SmArt Serv is available on iOS, Android, and Windows, and can also be installed on a desktop computer.
Grundfos’ New Cloud-Based Service App To Reduce Downtime
For Malaysia’s Critical Pumping Infrastructure
GoAigua Category Winner Of The Aquatech Innovation Award
2019
The IoT and Big Data Platform developed by GoAigua, the pioneer company in digitization for the water industry, wins the Aquatech Innovation Award 2019 in
the category of Process Control Technology and Process Automation.
Aquatech is the world’s leading platform for professionals in the world of water technology. Its Innovation Award is granted to the most innovative products,
services and solutions. This year 2019 the jury has valued GoAigua’s IoT and Big Data platform as the most innovative product for process control and automation
in the water industry.
GoAigua acknowledged as the most innovative Smart Water Platform
The Aquatech Innovation Award 2019 recognizes GoAigua’s IoT and Big Data platform as the best world first top-notch innovative technology for process control
and automation, which stands out for its originality, practicality and sustainability. The jury commented that the solution was not only “user-friendly” but also
unique because it can connect with many different platforms and systems.
Winners were announced during the Innovation Dinner and official Opening Ceremony of the Amsterdam International Water Week and Aquatech Amsterdam
(5-8 November), the leading water trade show for process, drinking and wastewater.
More than 25,000 global water professionals and 1,000 exhibiting companies have participated in the event, which is one of the biggest for water technology
and the perfect place to discover the latest trends, developments and solutions to address current water challenges. Aquatech Innovation Award is considered
to be The Oscars of the Water Technology Industry.
The ultimate Master Data Management Platform for the water industry
The awarded GoAigua’s agnostic master data management platform normalizes how sensorized data is acquired, stored, managed and shared, providing a
holistic vision of the integral water cycle in real time. It integrates information from different vendors and equipments, including on-field components, IoT
devices and proprietary third party systems, maintaining the existing software and hardware.
With this award, Aquatech recognizes GoAigua’s platform as the leading innovative solution worldwide for those organizations looking for a single management
point of the entire water cycle: leaks, smart metering, work orders management, billing, CRM, centric assets management, master plans and maps.
Page 9

NanoLockSecurityJoinsWithMekorotToDeliverCyberProtection
For Water And Energy Utilities
NanoLock and Mekorot collaborate on device level cyber defence solutions to protect critical infrastructure from outsider, insider and supply chain cyberattacks.
NanoLock Security, the market leader of flash-to-cloud, powerful security solution for Internet of Things (IoT) and connected edge devices, is pleased to announce
that it is joining forces with Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, to develop cybersecurity solutions for water and energy utilities in Israel and around the
world.
Due to the critical role that water and power infrastructure plays in our society and its increasing reliance on connected devices, utilities are an especially
appealing target for multiple attack vectors, such as state-level outsider attacks, insider attacks from employees who have or were once granted access to device
control, and even off-shore supply chain attacks. The possibilities for destruction are vast – from a disgruntled employee gaining access to a wastewater plant
and changing settings that could cause contaminated water, to shutting down power for entire cities. To keep water and energy infrastructure safe, it is crucial
that connected devices are protected throughout their entire lifecycle, starting at the production line and through the supply chain, field operation, and remote
software updates, until end-of-life.
NanoLock Security developed an innovative security by design solution with a device level flash-to-cloud security protection, monitoring, and management
solution, specifically developed for connected devices and IoT applications. The solution creates a hardware (HW) root-of-trust in the flash memory of the device
that blocks all unauthorized code modifications, while moving the control from the vulnerable device to a trusted entity in the utility data centre. Since typical
attacks manipulate the flash memory of the connected device to create persistency that survives reset, the HW root-of-trust protects the device’s firmware and
critical code (e.g. configuration, loggers, and boot), thus preventing malicious manipulation.
NanoLock’s solution is processor and operating system agnostic and requires zero processing power or additional energy, making it perfectly suited for smart
water and gas meters, which are battery-operated and very sensitive to power consumption.
“We are developing partnerships with companies like NanoLock to enable innovation in the delivery of the world’s water. Essential to that mission is that utilities
are protected from nefarious cyber threat and cities are safe from the consequences of attack,” said David Balsar, GM of Mekorot Innovation and Ventures.
“NanoLock’s solution to secure IoT devices from within the flash memory is a technical innovation that we believe will help protect Israel’s national water, as
well as those utility ecosystem partnerships we have made across the globe”
“The time is now for decision-makers in the utilities industry to ensure cyber protection with a security by design approach, such as NanoLock’s solution – one
that is future-proof and scalable and can protect the world’s critical infrastructure (including brownfield and legacy systems) for the long-term,” said Eran Fine,
CEO of NanoLock Security. “As a leading authority on water management, Mekorot has made a commitment to developing an ecosystem that delivers secure
utilities, and they are working with us to put a global focus on cyber defence solutions for this market.”
Through partnerships with the world’s leading memory vendors, NanoLock secures seamless hardware root-of-trust that enables system integrators and device
makers to ensure unprecedented protection, security, and control.
Colorado Team Wins 2019 LIFT Intelligent Water Systems
Challenge
A team representing the City of Boulder, Colo., won the 2019 Intelligent Water Systems Challenge for a project that used aeration control to maximize the
efficiency of biological nutrient removal.
The winning project, titled “Predictive Modelling and Performance Assessment of Ammonia-Based Aeration Control,” was announced at WEFTEC, the Water
Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference, in Chicago and earned the team a $10,000 prize.
As water resource recovery facilities face increasingly stringent regulatory limits, the team focused on aeration control as having the widest and largest potential
forefficientbiologicalnutrientremoval.Theteamusedmodelpredictiveaerationcontrol,analternativeapproachthatusesreal-timeprocessdatatocontinuously
predict process conditions to allow for proactive control adjustments.
The Intelligent Water Systems Challenge is hosted by the Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT), a joint effort of the Water Environment Federation
(WEF) and The Water Research Foundation (WRF). The competition challenged students, professionals, and technology experts to use innovation and data to
help solve some of the most difficult issues facing water and wastewater utilities. Now in its second year, the challenge began in April and 53 participants across
nine teams addressed real-world problems.
“The Intelligent Water Systems Challenge provides a unique showcase for water sector innovation and collaboration,” WEF Executive Director Walt Marlowe
said. “This year’s challenge was an impressive show of knowledge and talent and we are proud to support this effort to help foster the adoption of smart water
technologies.”
Second place went to the team from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). Their project was titled “Developing Advanced
Models to Optimize Chemical Dosage for the Odour and Corrosion Control at James C. Kirie Water Reclamation Plant.”
The Intelligent Water Systems Challenge was sponsored by The Water Council, and was also supported by the American Water Works Association (AWWA),
the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN), the International Society of Automation’s (ISA) Water and Wastewater Division, Cleveland Water Alliance, The
International Water Association, and the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP).
Page 10

Smartphone Device Detects Harmful Algae In 15 Minutes
A team of engineers from NUS has developed a highly sensitive system that uses a smartphone to rapidly detect the presence of toxin-producing algae in water
within 15 minutes. This invention can generate test results on-site, and findings can be reported in real-time using the smartphone’s wireless communications
capabilities. This technological breakthrough could play a big role in preventing the spread of harmful micro-organisms in aquatic environments, which could
threaten global public health and cause environmental problems. The NUS team, led by Assistant Professor Bae Sung Woo from NUS Civil and Environmental
Engineering, first published the results online in scientific journal Harmful Algae on 25 July.
Current challenges of water quality monitoring
A sudden surge in the volume of algae and their associated toxins in lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal waters can adversely affect water quality, and in turn, may
have unfavourable effects on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and water supply. For instance, in 2015, an algae bloom wiped out more than 500 tonnes of
fish in Singapore, and caused some fish farmers to lose millions of dollars.
Conventional methods of algae detection and analysis are time consuming, and require specialised and costly equipment, as well as skilled operators to conduct
water sampling and testing. One approach is to test for the presence of chlorophyll using complex instruments that cost more than S$3,000 (US$2,200).
Another common method is to carry out cytometric and image analysis to detect algal cells – this method involves equipment that cost more than S$100,000
(US$73,000).
“Currently, it can take a day or more to collect water samples from a site, bring them back to the laboratory for testing, and analyse the results. This long lead
time is impractical for monitoring of algae blooms, as the management of contamination sources and affected waters could be slowed down,” explained Asst
Prof Bae. To address the current challenges in water quality monitoring, Asst Prof Bae and his team took a year to develop the novel device that monitors
microbial water quality rapidly and with high reliability. The new NUS invention comprises three sections - a microfluidic chip, a smartphone, and a customisable
3D-printed platform that houses optical and electrical components such as a portable power source and an LED light.
The chip is first coated with titanium oxide phthalocyanine, a type of photoconductive polymer-based material. The photoconductive layer plays the important
role of guiding water droplets to move along the chip during the analysis process. The coated chip is then placed on top of the screen of a smartphone,
which projects a pattern of light and dark regions onto the chip. When droplets of the water sample are deposited on the surface of the chip, a voltage drop
difference, created by the light and dark areas illuminated on the photoconductive layer, modifies the surface tension of the water droplets. This causes the
water droplets to move towards the dark illuminated areas. At the same time, this movement induces the water droplets to mix with a chemical that stains
algae cells present in the water sample. The mixture is guided by the light patterns towards the camera of the smartphone.
Next, an LED light source and a green filter embedded in the 3D-printed platform, near the camera of the smartphone, create the conditions suitable for the
camera to capture fluorescent images of the stained algae cells. The images can be sent to an app on the smartphone to count the number of algae cells
present in the sample. The images can also be sent wirelessly to another location via the smartphone to quantify the number of algae cells. The entire analysis
process can be completed within 15 minutes.
This portable and easy-to-use device costs less than S$300 (US$220) – excluding the smartphone – and weighs less than 600 grams. The test kit is also highly
sensitive, hence only a small amount of water sample is needed to generate reliable results.
High detection accuracy of 90 per cent
The NUS research team tested their system using water samples collected from the sea and reservoirs. The water samples were filtrated and spiked with
specific amounts of four different types of toxin-producing algae - two types of freshwater algae C. reinhardtii and M. aeruginosa, and two types of marine
water algae Amphiprora sp and C. closterium. Experiments using the new device and a hemocytometer, a standard cell-counting technique commonly used
for water quality monitoring, were conducted to test for the presence of algae. The new smartphone system was able to detect the four types of algae with an
accuracy of 90 per cent, comparable with the results generated by the hemocytometer.
Asst Prof Bae shared, “The combination of on-chip sample preparation, data capture and analysis makes our system unique. With this tool, water quality tests
can be conducted anytime and anywhere. This new method is also very cost efficient as the microfluidic chip can be washed and re-used. This device will be
particularly useful for fish farmers who need to monitor the water quality of their fish ponds on a daily basis.”
This project was supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore through its Marine Science Research and Development Programme, and the
Ministry of Education.
Page 11

Feature Article:
The Drive towards
Digital Transformation
It seems that everywhere that you go in the Water Industry at the current time somebody is talking about Digital Transformation…..or if we go back 5 minutes
it was Water 4.0…..and 10 minutes ago (it seems) it was “Smart Water,” these are all very well used buzz words that the industry is destined to think about for
a short-term and then promptly forget about. In reality though, we as an industry, have been hit by a number of different concepts for a number of different
technological aspects for a good number of years now. For almost as long we have had a term for all of this, “widgets.”
The number of times I have heard people in water companies say “I’m not interested in widgets, I’m interested in solutions to my challenges,” shows that there
is a need for a “Digitally Transformed” Industry but at the moment we need to bring the industry together to understand what the challenges are, what the
applications are and how we can collaborate together to bring around this “transformation.”
So let us go back and define what this “concept” actually is. Whatever we choose to call it the original definition of a “Digitally Transformed Smart Water
Industry” seems to be based upon the SWAN Layers diagram which is loosely based upon a combination of the Purdue Model and/or the OSI model of ICT
system that was developed in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In the SWAN Layers model there is everything from
Layer 1 which is the physical infrastructure
Layer 2 which is instrumentation & control systems
Layer 3 which is communication
Layer 4 which is visualisation
Layer 5 which is analytics
The model itself is a technological based model which is layered and there is an
argument that it should by pyramidical reflecting the fact that the layer above
cannot work without the layer below. So there is no point monitoring a pipe with
instruments if the pipe isn’t there. The Water Industry has a history of being very
good at Layer 1 with decades of infrastructure-based programmes of investment.
From layer 2 above the Smart Water Industry really starts. Layers 2 & 3 is an area
that the Water Industry has mixed results with good strategy in some areas and
challenges in other areas. The importance of Layer 2 is the fact that the instruments
and sensors that the water industry uses produce data and it is in data that at
least the majority of the smart water industry comes to fruition as data leads to
information and information leads to insight and situational awareness. It is through
situational awareness that the water industry can understand the performance of
the systems that it operates and make informed decisions. What is key though is
that the data that forms the basis of the informed decision is right as otherwise we
end up with the situation that was highlighted in the 1950’s by the American Army
mathematician William Mellin which is of course “Garbage In Garbage Out.”
This is the technological solution and underpinning the Swan Layers are the elements
of people and processes as the technological solution is worthless if there aren’t the people understand and operate it and the processes to maintain it. The
modification that has suggested to the SWAN Layers is that the people and (business) processes be incorporate whereas in reality they are part of each and
every layer. For example for instrumentation if we, as an industry, don’t incorporate a process into instrumentation then a resistance to its effective use creeps
in and the industry ends up in the situation where it is Data Rich Information Poor (DRIP) as the data tends not to be utilised to its full effect. However, if a
process is followed that identifies the need in terms of information then the data is valued and its utilised. With the value of data comes the need for the
business process which in turn leads to the people skills to maintain the data being in place and the processes to make sure that the data is correct.
From this we can derive the first step that any company, especially the water companies, should take in order to Digitally Transform. This first step is not
technologically based but is in fact people-based insofar as it has it roots in stakeholder engagement as it is to identify the informational needs of the organisation
based upon the various business processes in terms of regulatory and financial drivers including such as aspects as compliance, operational efficiency and
customer service just to name three of the most important aspects.
So, where is the industry right now with its Digital Transformation? Some areas are actually quite far advanced for both political and financial reasons with the
most developed solutions around smart water networks which helps the water companies to manage both non-revenue water and per capita consumption.
Programmes of meter verifications and maintenance are commonly delivered by external specialist companies are utilised by the leading water companies to
make sure that the data is correct to enable identification of areas of unusual consumption using DMAs. More innovative companies are taking on the Dynamic
DMA approach as well which relies on instrumentation to manage the system along with a high end platform for data visualisation techniques. Advanced
Pressure Management of the system to limit losses are also commonplace which is a solution that in reality covers Layers 2 – 5 inclusive. These are the successful
technological solutions that have delivered as part of the “Smart Water Industry.” On top of this Smart Water Meters together with techniques such as social
engineering are also delivering savings across the industry with reductions of 15-18% non-revenue water commonplace and an 8% reduction in PCC noted in
case studies. Within the next Asset Management Period (AMP) these techniques, if not already utilised, are bound to start being utilised moving forward in
Figure 1:The Instrumentation Life-Cycle is the centre of Level 2 and the Smart Water
Industry
Page 12

order to address the tough leakage targets that the industry faces. There
are other areas that the Water Industry can do more and it is a case of
using the data that already exists through the correct classification and
analysis. Figure 2 shows the data from a flow monitor over several years
of total daily volumes. The highlighted areas show a classic infiltration
profile repeating at a similar period each year. From this not only can
the fact that infiltration exists but with using data from freely available
additional sources such as underlying geology and soil conditions the
behaviour of flow can be discerned. Using this and technical knowledge
it can be assumed that the underlying soil conditions promote the soil
acting as a sponge and slowly releasing flows. As the flow does not
remain high throughout the year it can be further assumed that the
weaknesses in the collection network are in the upper half of the pipe,
as the flow lasts for an extended period of time its likely to be in the
lower-part of the top half of the pipe i.e. in the 50-75% level of the
pipe. This was confirmed when the pipe was dug up and replaced but its
interesting to compare the data with reality.
Note so far, the concepts of Big Data, Internet of Things or even Digital Twins have not been mentioned. They have their application and in fact NB-IoT (Narrow
Band Internet of Things) is likely to become part of the industry in its niche in the future as are communications technologies such as 5G, Radio and Satellite but
in reality they are part of Level 3 which facilitates the concept as a whole. They are vital pieces of the puzzle but they are just one piece of a much wider picture.
What are the barriers to the adoption of Digital Transformation? The first one is to understand the application. Its been understood for non-revenue water
and potable water distribution systems and the technology is well matured with the value case well understood. Regulatory drivers within the UK are pushing
the water companies passed the previous concepts of the Economic Level of Leakage and are in fact driving the industry towards lower and lower levels of
leakage by use of technology to enable smaller and smaller leakage areas to be identified. Its an intelligent step forward as arguably, due to the water resource
challenges within the industry, a megalitre of water saved is more valuable than a megalitre of water supplied as it delays the investment in critical infrastructure
such as reservoirs that will eventually be needed. Where next? Flow management in the wastewater system and pollution prevention is an area that is becoming
increasingly important and is certainly a future driver that can be assisted by using Digital Transformation Techniques. Construction and Operational Management
Techniques using Digital Twins and Operational Models also looks to be an area of development that the water industry is heading towards.
All of this is going to require the industry, as a whole, to work together in collaboration in order to identify the applications and advances that are needed
in terms of the technology, people and processes. It is in the people element where at least some of the barriers exist in terms of the skills availability. It is
well known there is a shortage of engineers, instrumentation technicians and hydro-informaticians with the specialist skills in ensuring data quality (through
instrumentation maintenance), data management and analytics as well as having the process knowledge to avoid the situation of finding patterns where they
don’t necessarily exist. These are specialist skills that are in short supply and the industry can’t, at the moment, keep up with the demand for these skill sets. As
such there is a strong need for technically skilled people in these areas which acts as a barrier to implementation.
The Water Industry does have a desire to Digitally Transform but at the moment the understanding of what this means is also crucial. In the meantime the
pressures that are being laid onto the industry to move in this direction through efficiency and tighter regulation is a double-edged sword insofar as the drivers
help the industry to move in this direction but also apply a monumental pressure to deliver in a relatively short period of time.
Figure 2: A classic infiltration profile - but what more can be done with the data
Severn Trent Water seeks market input on sensor technology
development for monitoring sewer assets
Severn Trent Water is seeking market input from suppliers on sensor technology development for a device that is capable of being rolled out at scale across
its network to enable it to better understand the operational condition of its assets. The water company said that gathering data on the level and/or flow of
water, in its sewers will enable it to proactively react to potential failures before they cause a consequence for customers or the environment, such as flooding
or pollution.
Severn Trent is interested in the development of sewer level sensors which will enable it to take necessary action in terms of proactive intervention and
maintenance. The company is looking into the market to understand what the various stages of development are for a product which can be used to detect rising
fluid levels in remote locations and communicate back alarm data. Severn Trent said:
“We’re keen to open up to many industries with similar technology requirements (sensing level and of flow) that can be further developed to fit a business use
case for monitoring sewer levels within chambers no deeper than 2 meters in depth.”
If the response from the market is positive, Severn Trent would like the possibility of meeting potential suppliers to find out how adaptable any current
technology is and talk through its requirements further. It also wants to explore the likelihood of running a proof of concept (PoC) trial with any products which
are at the point in development where this is possible.
At this stage, the Periodic Indicative Notice is for soft market evaluation only - once the market evaluation process has taken place, subject to its findings the
utility will then look to go out to tender in March 2020.
Page 13

Article:
Classifying data in the
Water Industry
At the centre of all of the buzz words of the “Digitally Transformed Smart Water Industry 4.0” we have the concept of information, insight, informed decision
making and of course operational awareness but cutting through all of these things that are meant to make the industry feel energised and excited we have the
absolute basic thing of data. The Water Industry has always been infamous for being “data rich and information poor” and not getting the most out of the data
that it already collects and it is with the Digital Transformation of the Water Industry that an opportunity to exists to change this infamy. However how exactly
do we do this?
Well at first the thing to do is to understand what the problem is and understand how we can solve it. One could say that the problem is that we don’t tend
to have a huge amount of standards around instrumentation. An ICA standard was published as part of British Standards as part of BS12255-12 in 2003 which
although it included instrumentation it was basically mentioned in passing with “the level of instrumentation for process control” should be specified giving an
example of activated sludge plant instrumentation before moving onto backup values, control loop design and soft (fuzzy) sensors. The standard virtually leaves
out instrumentation in its entirety even in the title which centres around control and automation. Couple this with the fact that in the intervening few years
technology has moved on a vast amount (and will continue to do so) then its is fair to say that BS12255 is out of date and needs to be re-written (and in fact it
is). At the core of this problem is the fact that we, arguable are looking at things the wrong way, we shouldn’t concentrate on the technology but the application
or in terms of instrumentation we shouldn’t concentrate on the instrument itself but what it can give us.
This of course the first stage of the instrumentation life-cycle – to define what the instrument and the data is being used for? Is it for control purposes (as in
BS12255) or is it for something else like regulatory monitoring, operational efficiency or for a wide range of other purposes? By identifying what purpose the
data is being collected for in the first place helps to classify it and in its classification so we can end up with data that has a much higher value associated with it
in terms of its usefulness.
Let us take a look at an example:
In the next Asset Management Period the water industry is going to be installing a lot of flow meters at the front of wastewater treatment works ensuring that
every wastewater treatment works that needs to treat the flow to full treatment (as the works has a storm consent) is doing so. In order to do this flow meters
need to be installed at the front of the treatment works along with an event duration monitor on the storm split. This is what physically has to be installed but
what is its data purpose what is it actually there for? The first and primary function is for regulatory purposes ensuring that the treatment works is treating what
it should be treating, but there’s more. The purpose is also potentially for control as it could be there for active control driving a penstock up and down or passive
control if a flume is present. Is there anymore than this? Yes, as it could potentially be for situational awareness insofar as a drop of flow may indicate pollution
events and yet more as it can be used as for control purposes ensuring the plant is operating as efficiently as possible.
So, for this example of a single flow meter we have a classified purpose for that meter of:
1. Regulatory
2. Control
3. Situational Awareness
4. Process Efficiency
5. Informational
In the modern world if we are going to metatag the data these are possible classifications that we use to define what we are going to do with the data. There is
possible sub-classifications too as the regulatory data could be split down into DWF Compliance Assessment and FFT Compliance Assessment which drives the
various analytics engines to treat the data that is gathered in certain ways. In the first instance agglomerating it into producing total daily volumes and tracking
the daily treatment figures and in the second comparing it with spills measured by the storm event duration monitor and the flow to full treatment figure to
assess whether the treatment works is treating what it should be treating.
This is very much centred around the process uses of data and data classification but there are other potential ways in which the industry has to look at its
data and the importance of it. In a recent workshop on Cyber-Security hosted by +Add Strategy and Siemens the subject of data classification came up in terms
of what data do we protect to the extremes of protection systems and what data do we not protect at all and make “open data.” The problem being is that
protecting all the data that is ever produced by a water company sensor is a “Fool’s errand” as to protect it all is a waste of time and resources. So in reality we
need to classify data for a Cyber Security point of view ranging from the sensitive data that needs to be protected with all of the bells and whistles because it is
private (customer) data or commercially sensitive to the data that is already shared with various stakeholders (such as Surfers Against Sewage) as sharing the
data has a positive customer impact.
From this we, as an industry, can start to pick up a methodology for data classification in terms of what the data is and how it should be classified and the
instrument maintained:
Page 14

Data source Inlet FFT Flow Meter
Units L/s
Metatags
Regulatory
DWF Compliance
FFT Compliance
Control
FFT Control
Ferric Dosing Control
Situational Awareness Pollution Detection
Process Efficiency Energy Efficiency
Informational
Cybersecurity Classification Category 2 – Commercially Sensitive
Maintenance Priority Category 1 – Regulatory Requirement
Associated Corporate Systems SAP, ClearScada, CMMS
The reality of the above table is in fact much more complicated as the metatags can be associated with the various control elements that it influences (as is
done within the ladder logic of the control system).This allows everyone to know the importance of the data (and the associated instrument) and the priority
associated so that resources can be diverted to it as necessary. It is through the classification of data that the industry can identify what it has to do to maintain
the operational status quo which is part of the “Business as Usual” day to day routines.
As we move towards a Smart Water Industry this is an area that the water industry, as a whole, is going to have to move towards understanding what information
it wants to see on a day to day basis and for what purpose asking the question as to what is the informational requirements of the organisation and what data
this drives in terms of both the people requirement to drive situational awareness (such as compliance awareness and the requirements to maintain the systems
that the industry needs to run on a day to day basis (such as chemical stock levels). It is through the classification of the data and information that it collects that
it can move from Data Rich Information Poor into a Digitally Transformed Industry.
Wastewater Leak In West Texas Revealed By Satellite Radar
Imagery And Sophisticated Modeling
Geophysicists at SMU say that evidence of leak occurring in a West Texas wastewater disposal well between 2007 and 2011 should raise concerns about the
current potential for contaminated groundwater and damage to surrounding infrastructure. SMU geophysicist Zhong Lu and the rest of his team believe the leak
happened at a wastewater disposal well in the Ken Regan field in northern Reeves County, which could have leaked toxic chemicals into the Rustler Aquifer. The
same team of geophysicists at SMU has revealed that sinkholes are expanding and forming in West Texas at a startling rate. Wastewater is a byproduct of oil and
gas production. Using a process called horizontal drilling, or “fracking,” companies pump vast quantities of water, sand and chemicals far down into the ground
to help extract more natural gas and oil. With that gas and oil, however, come large amounts of wastewater that is injected deep into the earth through disposal
wells.
Federal and state oil and gas regulations require wastewater to be disposed of at a deep depth, typically ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 meters deep in this
region, so it does not contaminate groundwater or drinking water. A small number of studies suggest that arsenic, benzene and other toxins potentially found in
fracking fluids may pose serious risks to reproductive and development health. Even though the leak is thought to have happened between 2007 and 2011, the
finding is still potentially dangerous, said Weiyu Zheng, a Ph.D. student at SMU (Southern Methodist University) who led the research.
He noted that leaking wastewater can do massive damage to surrounding infrastructure. For example, oil and gas pipelines can be fractured or damaged
beneath the surface, and the resulting heaving ground can damage roads and put drivers at risk. SMU geophysicists say satellite radar imagery indicates a leak
in the nearby disposal well happened because of changes shown to be happening in the nearby Ken Regan field: a large section of ground, five football fields in
diameter and about 230 feet from the well, was raised nearly 17 centimetres between 2007 and 2011. In the geology world, this is called an uplift, and it usually
happens where parts of the earth have been forced upward by underground pressure.
The scientists made the discovery of the leak after analysing radar satellite images from January 2007 to March 2011. These images were captured by a read-
out radar instrument called Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mounted on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite, which was run
by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. With this technology called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR for short, the satellite radar images
allow scientists to detect changes that aren’t visible to the naked eye and that might otherwise go undetected. The satellite technology can capture ground
deformation with a precision of sub-inches or better, at a spatial resolution of a few yards or better over thousands of miles, say the researchers. Lu and his
team also used data that oil and petroleum companies are required to report to the Railroad Commission of Texas (Texas RRC), as well as sophisticated hydro-
geological models that mapped out the distribution and movement of water underground as well as rocks of the Earth’s crust.
“We utilized InSAR to detect the surface uplift and applied poroelastic finite element models to simulate displacement fields. The results indicate that the
effective injection depth is much shallower than reported,” Zheng said. “The most reasonable explanation is that the well was experiencing leakage due to casing
failures and/or sealing problem(s). One issue is that the steel pipes can degrade as they age and/or wells may be inadequately managed. As a result, wastewater
from failed parts can leak out,” said Jin-Woo Kim, research scientist with Lu’s SMU Radar Laboratory and a co-author of this study.”
The combination of InSAR imagery and modeling done by SMU gave the scientists a clear picture of how the uplift area in Regan field developed. Previously,
Kim and Lu used satellite radar imaging to find that two giant sinkholes near Wink, Texas—two counties over from the Ken Regan uplift—were likely just the tip
of the iceberg of ground movement in West Texas. Indeed, they found evidence that large swaths of West Texas oil patch were heaving and sinking at alarming
rates. Decades of oil production activities in West Texas appears to have destabilized localities in an area of about 4,000 square miles populated by small towns
like Wink, roadways and a vast network of oil and gas pipelines and storage tanks.
Page 15

In the next Asset Management Period between 2020 and 2025 the investment in wastewater flow is at an unprecedented level as the industry is set to address
issues around the flow to full treatment at wastewater treatment works as part of the Environment Agency’s Water Industry National Environment Programme
(WINEP). The programme is in essence part of a wider strategy by the Environment Agency designed to manage wastewater flows in the wastewater system. In
essence this programme started in 2005 with the regulation of wastewater flow monitoring under the Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS).
The MCERTS scheme was designed to bring data quality into wastewater flow measurement by the inspection and management of wastewater flow meters.
When this quality of flow measurement was instigated it highlighted a problem within the industry surrounding compliance of treatment works in line with the
dry weather flow. Through good data quality the issue of consenting due to normal domestic flows was highlighted and this led to a re-adjustment of a large
number of dry weather consents in AMP 5 (2010-15).
The next stage in the management of flow was all around spills from combined storm overflows (CSOs) and was set off by Richard Benyon and his famous
direction to the Water & Sewerage Companies to monitor the vast majority of CSO’s by 2020. This has led to a large programme of event duration monitoring
across the water industry in order to effectively manage discharges to the environment from the wastewater network.
This hasn’t addressed all of the problems with the management of wastewater flows in the wastewater system and this has led to the third programme of
monitoring and control which has been raised under the 2019 Price Review and is set to address the problem of flow to full treatment.
Its probably at this point that its good to address some of the technical terms in terms of flow within the wastewater network and treatment systems which
collectively makes up the wastewater system.
The first term is something referred to as Formula “A” this, historically, has been what sewers have been designed to and is sometimes referred to as six times
the dry weather flow as this is a rough approximation. Formula A is the overflow setting for a CSO and is normally calculated as 1360 times the population plus
twice the trade effluent concentration plus the dry weather flow
The second term the dry weather flow and as the name suggest this is the basic inputs into
the system from domestic customers, infiltration into the network and any trade effluent
customers. It has historically been defined as the flow that passes through a treatment
works after seven consecutive dry days not including a bank holiday but more recently has
been defined as the 20th percentile of the flow during anyone year.
The third term is the flow to full treatment which is the overflow setting for the storm
weir at a wastewater treatment works, i.e. the flow which must be passed forward before
a works overflows to the storm tanks in conditions that are either due to storms or snow
melt. This traditionally has been set at three times that of the dry weather flow although
this ratio between FFT and DWF has changed over the years.
It is the erosion of this ratio that has cased a driver for investment in the next asset
management period. The FFT to DWF ratio is in reality a function of how fast a wastewater
catchment reacts to a storm event. A catchment where all of the flows arrive at the
treatment works relatively quickly needs a high ratio as opposed to a catchment which is
more balanced with a large number of sustainable urban drainage solutions would require
a much lower ratio. Within the next asset management period the work that is going to be
done around the management of flow to full treatment is set to change the way that the
industry operates as it invest between £1-2 billion. So what is this investment programme
about?
The programme is split into three main areas. Firstly two monitoring drivers which
are set to see flow meters installed, where they aren’t already, at a point of the
treatment works downstream of the storm split in addition to event duration
monitors which are set to monitor spills to and from storm water tanks. The next
driver is an investigation driver which identified the problem that two retrofit flow
monitoring under the monitoring driver maybe, in some cases, incredibly expensive
as whole structures are modified or in some cases rebuilt and so is set to investigate
the feasibility of monitoring using existing flow measurement structures and using
this figure to imply compliance with environmental permits. The last category is set
to be two improvement drivers which are set to expand wastewater works where
there is a potential problem with managing flows and expanding storm water tanks
so that a minimum of two hours of storm water can be contained.
The problem with these drivers is that the monitoring and investigation elements
are incredibly complex and difficult to deliver. This is especially the case with the
investigation driver where in-depth knowledge of flow measurement structures
combined with in-depth knowledge of process engineering and wastewater
flow behaviour is necessary. The investigation driver is also time-limited with
Article:
Managing Wastewater Flow: the
past, the present & the future
The problem with inlet flow monitoring is there isn’t always the space!!
The FFT to DWF ratio is vital for the management of flow
Page 16

approximately 1,000 investigations needed to be delivered before April 2022.
All of this is moving towards a direction of tighter regulation surrounding the management of flows in the wastewater system. Dry Weather Flow and the Flow
to Full Treatment Flow have never been truly enforced properly in the past as non-compliance hasn’t affected the Water Companies Operator Performance
Assessment (OPA) score. This is set to change, and the regulation of flow management is set to be equally weighted as sanitary parameters such as BOD,
ammonia and solids concentrations which have traditionally been elements that the water companies have focussed upon. This is set to change in 2026 with a
3 in 5 year assessment which is due to start in 2021 and so the challenge on flow compliance, especially FFT, is set to start in a relatively short time.
From all of this we can see that the industry is going to be significantly challenge on flow and its management in the wastewater system. Over the years there
has been a progression towards a point where the water industry is expected to treat as much as possible through the wastewater system and minimise spills to
the environment. Surely the challenge back from the water companies when the aims are reached and good ecological status is achieved will be a rebalancing
of sanitary parameters in order to protect not only the water environment but the wider environment in an attempt to limit the overall environmental impact of
the water industry. After all the amount of energy that the water industry consumes, despite the amount of energy that it produces, is a significant percentage
of the overall energy production in the UK.
Managing flow through the wastewater system also has additional benefits in the potential proliferation of smart water networks that can help the industry to
limit the energy consumption by using the network to balance flows as much of the sensor network that is required will be in place. This is especially the case as
monitoring at the flow to flow treatment point allows the water companies a huge insight into how the wastewater treatment system as a whole is performing.
The challenge that the industry faces is that the expertise to deliver the programme over the next five years is in very short supply with only a handful of technical
experts in the water industry able to deliver the elements that need to be delivered, especially where the investigation and monitoring drivers are concerned.
€ 2.4m+ EU-funded project secures Europe’s drinking water with
satellite technology
An EU-funded project co-ordinated by EMWIS in Greece is developing in-water and satellite-based digital monitoring systems that can detect threats to Europe’s
drinking water supplies, improve water management and guard against dangerous water quality. From climate change-induced droughts and rising water
demand to harmful algal blooms triggered by excessive fertiliser run-off, Europe’s drinking water supply is under increasing strain. Helping to make the sector
resilient to present and future challenges, the € 2.47 million EU-funded SPACE-O project has developed smart, digital services for water management that will
keep Europe’s drinking water supplies clean and safe for human consumption while boosting ability to meet demand.
SPACE-O’s system is designed to manage water contained in reservoirs – the biggest source of drinking water in Europe. It also supports the reservoir water’s
downstream management and the treatment of water. ‘As water management operations are growing in importance and complexity, reliable and effective
innovation is becoming critical for water managers,’ says project coordinator Apostolos Tzimas, managing director at EMVIS in Greece. ‘Our technology and
monitoring systems will improve their capabilities and enable them to predict and effectively manage crises before they develop.’
Tracking algal blooms by satellite
Harmful algal blooms cause a body of water to turn a green or rusty brown. They affect water quality, water transportation, dam operations, hydropower
generation and water-based recreation activities. Blue-green algal blooms can contain cyanotoxins, which are dangerous for human health and can even cause
death. Incidents of algal blooms are rising due to climate change, which causes more extreme and disruptive weather, the growth in the use of synthetic
fertilisers in agriculture, and the rise of both human and livestock populations.
Using image data obtained by sensors on the EU’s Copernicus satellites Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8, as well as information collected by sensors on buoys placed
in the water, SPACE-O project scientists created a system that automatically monitors key water-quality indicators. Information collected includes chlorophyll
levels – a measure of biological activity in the water; turbidity levels – a measure of water cloudiness; and water temperature, all of which can contribute to a
harmful algal bloom.
Project researchers also demonstrated how satellite images can improve the skill of forecasting models, introducing continuously adjusted, predictive models for
decision-making. The project’s algorithms can provide up to 10 days of water quality and quantity forecasts, allowing water managers to adjust their everyday
water management operations to achieve the highest-quality water possible. For example, a water manager could decide to blend water from different sources
or treat water to weaken a potential algal bloom. They could also warn downstream water users early enough to reduce the impacts of a poor water quality
event.
SPACE-O’s proactive management of water resources could help avoid costs
SPACE-O technology has been tested in the Mulargia reservoir and Simbirizzi water treatment plant in
Sardinia, Italy, as well as the Aposelemis reservoir and water treatment plant in Crete, Greece.
In Mulargia, local water managers tested the system’s early-warning forecasting to prevent algal blooms.
Using the system, water could be transferred from the Flumendosa reservoir upstream and blended
with the water in the Mulargia reservoir long before the bloom could spread across the reservoir.
According to the project, SPACE-O’s proactive management of water resources could also help avoid
costs. In a small city of around 100,000 people, water disruption for one day due to potentially harmful
water quality could amount to more than EUR 300 000 to cover the costs of buying water from other
sources. The technology developed by SPACE-O also has the potential to support other water-quality
dependent sectors, such as agriculture, hydropower and aquaculture.
Aposelemis reservoir and water treatment plant in Crete,
Greece
Page 17

Article:
Smart Water Networks And
The Choices Ahead
Many water utilities continue to evaluate the costs and benefits of investing in smart metering to reduce operational costs and help recover revenue from water
losses. Smart metering can also provide customers with more granular consumption data to help them protect their property from water damage and better
manage their water expenses.
While many water suppliers continue to build business cases to justify the typically large capital expenditures necessary to deploy a system-wide smart metering
platform, a potentially bigger question has emerged relating to the type of communication technology to the utility should select. Historically, a water utility
would select a vendor to provide both the metering technology and the communication network infrastructure. While this approach had the benefit of a single
point of contact responsible for delivery of an entire system, it didn’t take into account all lifetime cost-of-ownership factors, or the possible redundancy that
was created due to overlapping communication systems within a single municipality or geographic region.
The Emergence Of The Smart City
At the same time water suppliers are considering ways to improve operational efficiency and save costs, cities more generally are developing long-term strategies
to build sensors into a wide range of city services in order to improve service levels and lower costs. Some examples of smart city initiatives include:
• Smart streetlights that automatically time themselves for optimal traffic management based on the real-time level of traffic from motion
sensors.
• Smart refuse bins that radio back to garbage collection services when they are full and need to be emptied, or when they can wait a cycle
for pickup.
• Smart parking meters that can automatically identify when a car has paid the appropriate toll and when they are remaining in an expired
location.
• The ability to monitor the structural health of city infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, and monuments.
• Wireless noise sensors which can ‘hear’ gunshots or the sounds of possible illicit activities and triangulate locations to notify first responders.
All of these applications, as well as many others being contemplated by forward-thinking city planners across the country, require various sensors being installed
throughout city infrastructure to capture data and automatically make decisions to improve service quality and generate municipal revenue. Installing sensors,
however, is only part of the challenge in implementing the Smart City. All of these sensors strewn throughout the city must also be equipped with small radios to
transmit the data they are receiving back to a centralized server for cleaning, interpretation, and future action. Artificial Intelligence software and cloud services
are the backbone or ‘brain’ of the smart city. The ability for smart devices to communicate back to the central interpretation system is critical to conduct the
choreography required for these complex systems to work and deliver the intended value their designers tout.
Communications Networks Are Foundational
Ultimately, the crux of the smart city is actually a reliable communication network. This is where things get tricky. There is a phalanx of vendors approaching
various departments within a municipality trying to sell communication technologies designed for typically narrow applications. It is increasingly common to
find a city whose energy utility has their own proprietary fixed wireless network for delivering electric or gas consumption data while the water utility builds
out its own, separate network for effectively the same purpose. This uncoordinated approach is leading to system redundancy and unnecessary costs for cities.
Of course, the vendors of these communications networks would love to maintain the status quo as it gives them the opportunity to sell more network
equipment, software packages, and data plans to different departments within the same municipality. What alternative, then, do cities have other than to take
the recommendation of their various legacy providers of meters, streetlights, and trash bins? The answer is obvious. Who specializes in building out massive,
reliable voice and data communication networks throughout the world? Telecommunication companies, of course.
The Rapid Evolution Of Telecom
One of the concerns many water suppliers have when it comes to investing in a cellular
infrastructure solution is the rapid pace of technological evolution. The speed that
technology has evolved from 3G, or third-generation cellular networks, to the current 5G
networks has been less than 20 years. Consequently, it is reasonable for utility managers to
be wary of investing in AMI endpoints that may become stranded assets when the cellular
networks they rely on no longer support legacy communication protocols.
When looking at the ongoing investment in technology from the perspective of the large
telecom companies, you can understand why they have taken such an aggressive approach
to rapid evolution. Cellular connectivity is effectively a commodity service with the leading
providers competing mostly on price since the emergence of mass market cellular service
in the 1990s.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was a major piece of legislation that had wide ranging
impacts on the industry. The Act ushered in the era of Local Number Portability (LNP), which
led to increased competition among cellular providers. Since customers were no longer
beholden to a given provider to retain their mobile phone number, they were free to chase
Page 18

the lowest prices, best connectivity, or highest quality of customer service. This led to lower service costs and, consequently, lower margins for the telecom
providers. While mobile device adoption grew rapidly in the early years of the new century, the race to provide faster networks and support the most modern
wireless devices became more important than ever to retain customers and drive subscriber growth.
The telecommunication providers had a vested interest in building the newest, fastest networks as quickly as possible to maintain and grow market share.
Also, given that most mobile devices have a replacement rate of less than two years on average, there was no incentive to maintain legacy cellular networks
for decades. It’s no wonder water utilities, looking to invest in meter communication systems whose devices have a useful lifetime of up to 20 years, were
concerned that the cellular networks would pass them by far before the meters and registers needed to be replaced.
Telecom Commitment To The Future
Companies such as Verizon and AT&T have spent billions of dollars over the past couple of decades desperately trying to keep up with customer demand for
higher-quality data services for the omnipresent smart devices that we carry around in our pockets. But the prize is bigger than just consumer services. The
major telecoms recognize that investments in their networks can be used for a new class of applications beyond consumer communications. Municipalities are
the next frontier of growth and the prize is substantial for the winners. These companies are now clearly vying to become the communication infrastructure
providers for the smart city of the future. There are billions of dollars of revenue at stake and they are taking the challenge very seriously.
Of course, along with this new opportunity comes some fresh challenges. The devices and sensors deployed for many smart city applications are no longer
dependent on high-speed data networks. Also, cities expect that the investments they make in smart sensor hardware will deliver value for decades, not just a
few years. The telecoms understand these requirements and have embraced new network technologies that can deliver on these capabilities to win smart city
business when competing against a large number of legacy water meter and network technology vendors. Along with this commitment to new technologies, the
telecoms also recognize they will need to maintain backward compatibility with these new communication protocols for the expected lifetimes of the various
sensor equipment if they expect to win the municipal business. This reality is a sea change from the previous generation of cellular network solutions for smart
metering, which were not aligned with the business models and long-term economic incentives of the cellular network providers.
Emerging Communication Network Business Models
Another interesting change in the evolution of AMI are new business models generally referred to as network-as-a-service (NaaS), which allow water suppliers
to ‘rent’ or ‘lease’ network capacity over time without the need to make substantial, upfront capital commitments. This approach spreads financial risk over
time as the cost of the network build-out is borne by the communication vendor. Just as you pay a monthly fee to your mobile phone provider to use data
capacity on their network, so can a water supplier pay monthly or annual service fees to a network service provider whether it be a traditional cellular company
such as Verizon or AT&T, or an upstart LoRa service vendor.
In certain cases, the vendors of AMI endpoints that may be attached to existing water meters include the cost of the network communication with the price
of the device. This approach provides cost certainty to the utility and avoids the need to continually provision budget for ongoing network communication
expenses into the future. The long-term cost of ownership using this approach is typically 30 percent lower than the legacy approach of building out proprietary
fixed-wireless networks for specific smart city applications such as smart water metering.
Flexible Communications
Fortunately, the selection of a communication backbone for a new AMI system is not an all-or-nothing proposition for water utilities to contend with. It turns out
that many of these emergent communication technologies can actually work in concert with each other. For example, while a wireless network may use LoRa
for device-to-gateway communications, the back-haul portion of the network, or how the gateway communicates with the central control system or master
database, may use standard cellular communication services.
Another strategy being utilized is to deploy LTE-M endpoints to a majority of water meters where cellular coverage is ubiquitous, but deploy a select number of
LoRa gateways for remote locations where cell service may be less reliable. The best-in-class AMI endpoints support multiple radios in the device design, which
allows them to communicate over more than one network, and even dynamically switch between networks based on the best available communication signal.
This means that a water supplier can afford to experiment with a variety of technologies that provide flexibility and broad service territory coverage as long as
the IoT devices they select for their meter registers are capable of supporting multiple standards.
Conclusion
What all of this leads to is the unavoidable conclusion that, at minimum, there is a viable and cost-effective alternative to the traditional approach of building
proprietary fixed-wireless networks to support the deployment of AMI for water utilities. Not only does this new approach prove to be more cost effective, but
it’s also more rational from the position of nearly any water supplier. Utilities are structured to procure, treat, deliver, and bill for clean, potable water. They are
not staffed with electrical engineers who are experienced at designing, building, and maintaining wireless communication networks.
In the increasingly complex world of sensor data, analytics software, water loss monitoring equipment, condition assessment tools, and a host of other
technology-driven solutions, it no longer makes sense to take on the additional cost and hassle of the communication network. A better alternative is to
outsource this increasingly commodity service to vendors that are best suited to affordably deliver and maintain the service. Complexity inextricably leads
to increased specialization, and water utilities have enough on their hands as it stands. If we all acknowledge our strengths and continue to invest where we
provide the most value, we can leave the rest to the folks who have dedicated their careers to addressing a different set of complex challenges.
This is the way of the modern world and leads to higher-quality, lower-cost, and more satisfying outcomes for both water utilities and their customers. While
the benefits of specialization have been evident for a long time, with the advent of a new class of sensor and communication technologies at our fingertips, this
approach to building the future of water utility management is more important than ever.
Page 19

WIPAC Monthly November 2019

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