Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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28 | AUGUST 2018 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk Innovation Zone Water networks Trimble NRW solution (Trimble) California-based Trimble recently launched its Internet of Things (IoT) and smart water monitoring solution for reducing leakage and non- revenue water (NRW) loss in drinking water systems. The system comprises the Telog 32 Advanced Series of 4G LTE wireless water monitoring devices and Trimble Wireless Leak Detection, while it expects to release the Trimble Unity NRW so ware application in the third quarter of 2018. The solutions are modular and when combined are designed to offer a comprehensive NRW solution. The Telog 32 Advanced Series provides battery- powered smart water IoT data recorders for a number of real-time, remote applications including pressure monitoring, pressure transient analysis, water level monitoring and rainfall intensity measurement. It offers several advantages over the original Telog 32 series, introduced in 2010, such as 4G LTE wireless capability, faster impulse monitoring, Bluetooth connectivity, replaceable modem and improved battery life. Trimble Wireless Leak Detection uses cellular- based leak detection sensors and cloud data processing so ware to detect and locate leaks through continuous monitoring, as well as assessing severity. Users can also locate leaks in the field using mobile sensors and smartphones. The Trimble Unity NRW so ware application, built on the latest version of the Trimble Unity smart water cloud and mobile so ware platform, will make use of the IoT data collected and help utilities to manage NRW through proactive leak detection, pressure monitoring, field service and reporting. Aquasuite OPIR (Royal HaskoningDHV) OPIR optimises operation of water production and distribution facilities by predicting future drinking water consumption 72 hours in advance, using machine learning and AI to assess demand patterns. Part of Royal HaskoningDHV's Aquasuite range of smart water solutions, the system is designed to achieve more stable production flow, reducing pressure in the distribution network and minimising variations in water quality. The control so ware – which connects to the existing SCADA system to take real- time measurements and send setpoints – uses an adaptive short-term forecasting model to predict water demand in each supply area of the system. The water demand predictions are then translated into the total outflow from each reservoir, and the so ware determines the setpoint for the inflow into the reservoir, aiming to keep it as constant as possible to maximise drinking water quality. Royal HaskoningDHV says OPIR can reduce water loss by 20 per cent, energy consumption by 15 per cent and pipe bursts by up to 50 per cent as well as improving water quality and extending asset life by up to five years. The company's BURST system, meanwhile, offers an additional means of combating leakage. BURST Alert uses real-time data against modelled predictions to detect leaks, while BURST Find uses machine learning from pressure and flow data to provide the location. OPIR is already well established – over 12 million people in the world drink water controlled by the so ware – and 80 per cent of the Dutch water supply uses Aquasuite. Demand Driven Distri- bution (Grundfos) Danish pump manufacturer and water solutions company Grundfos' Demand Driven Distribution system uses pressure management to reduce leakage losses, increase energy efficiency and cut down operation and maintenance costs. Pressure management involves managing system pressures to optimal levels to ensure they are efficient without becoming excessive, which eliminates the transients and faulty level controls that cause unnecessary leakage. Demand Driven Distribution sees the installation of battery- driven network pressure sensors in critical areas of the distribution network to provide accurate measurements, with data transmitted once a day, allowing for low energy use and long lifespan. A pumping station then acts on the data to keep the pressure optimal, with the option to lower pressure at times of lower usage, such as at night. Grundfos says lowering pressure at night can reduce burst rates by 50 per cent, while the system can reduce leakage overall by up to 20 per cent, depending on pipe materials and types of leak, and that it helps to defer the need to renew assets. It is also capable of cutting energy costs. The company cites the examples of Bucharest, which saw energy consumption reduce by around 15 per cent, Skagen in Denmark, which saw a drop of around 17 per cent, and Talca in Chile, which saw a fall of around 28 per cent a er installing the system in 2013.