Using data analytics to plumb the depths of smart-utility water data
As urbanization, migration, and population growth intensify demands on water in many regions, water utilities must become more resilient to keep delivering safe and clean water to all. One way of coping with shocks to a water system is to invest in smart infrastructure.
Smart water infrastructure includes a range of technology—sensors, advanced analytics, and machine learning algorithms—that permit real-time monitoring and managing to detect leaks, track water usage, and optimize water distribution.
Early Detection and Response
An estimated one third of water utilities around the world lose about 40% of their water to leaks. Smart water infrastructure monitors fluctuations in water pressure to detect leaks, bursts, and problems with water quality so that utilities can quickly dispatch repair crews.
Efficient Water Use
Smart water infrastructure uses data analytics software to optimize efficiency, reduce waste, and conserve water resources. Result: more water when it’s needed, even in arid conditions.
In addition to maintaining and improving the water system, insights distilled from data analytics can also be used to educate the public about thoughtful water use, to develop effective conservation measures, and to create incentives that encourage customers to install water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
Better Maintenance
By monitoring emerging problems in real- time, smart water infrastructure enables utilities to do more faster to prevent or at least minimize gaps in service and reduce the risk of catastrophic failures. For example, sensors can detect problems with water quality that indicate the need for maintenance.
Data-Driven Decision Making
These days, utilities have plenty of digital water hardware: GIS systems, status systems, billing systems, Internet of Things devices. The problem now is how to make the best possible decisions in light of all the data flooding in from all the nifty tech. That’s where data analytics comes in.
Data analytics software crunches the numbers on water usage, quality, and pressure to identify patterns and anomalies that point to leaks and inefficiencies in water usage. The analysis helps water managers to make better decisions about emerging problems and to predict future problems; they are now better equipped to optimize operations, improve efficiency, and reduce risks.
Collaboration and Communication
Smart water infrastructure improves communication between utilities, government agencies, and members of the public so that everyone can work together more effectively to sustain a more resilient water system. More accurate real-time information about water usage and quality fosters confidence in the utility and more informed public decision-making.
As an essential building block for resilience in the water utilities of the future, digital water technology adoption should not be delayed. And with the specter of climate shocks on the horizon, water resilience may well be the factor that determines whether many regional economies and the utilities that serve them will flourish or be abandoned.
