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X ylem has con rmed successful trials of its virtual reality (VR) capabilities, which it says will bring customers closer to complex pumping solutions. The project, which was started at Xylem's Flygt o• ce in Sundbyberg, Stockholm, uses virtual simulations of 3D CAD models to take the customer through various pump station layouts, enabling more informed decisions to be made on the right solution for their requirements. Xylem is now working on rolling out the technology to other Xylem o• ces, including those in the UK and Ireland. "The water and wastewater industries are facing unprecedented challenges, not least a growing population and unpredictable climates," Jamie Mills, systems engineer for Xylem UK & Ireland, said. "We therefore Xylem develops VR capabilities to present its pumping solutions need to react faster and be more e• cient by adopting more creative, innovative solutions to solve these problems. "VR is a particularly promising technology for the water industry because it allows the supply chain and owner operators to collaborate in the same virtual environment and identify problems before construction, for example the position and accessibility of valves; 3D visualisation is also the best way to present complex benching and ba' e design, which has bene ts for both construction and design review." The concept of VR for pumping stations was initiated by Adam Sheehan, pump station design specialist at Xylem Flygt, a" er a colleague brought a VR headset into the o• ce at Sundbyberg. The team developed a virtual model of a pump station by " Water solutions provider gives customers virtual tours of complex pumping stations How Twitter reacted to the Shieldhall Tunnel becoming operational. N early half of all excavation work in the UK takes place without a thorough underground asset search, putting critical utility infrastructure at constant risk of being accidentally damaged, according to a new report. The Digging Up Britain report, which was produced by LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD), found that, despite a 27 per cent increase in location-specific searches between 2016 and 2017, only 2.25 million of the estimated 4 million work projects – or 56 per cent – that took place last year included a thorough search for assets such as pipes and cables that might be present underground. LSBUD, which provides a free-to-use online asset search facility, suggests many utility companies are missing a trick when it comes to protecting their underground assets. While the 72 members of LSBUD combine to make their assets available as easily as possible, many others do not, leaving hundreds of thousands of kilometres of the UK's pipes and cables exposed to a greater risk of strikes. With only a small number of water companies making their asset information available through a collaborative portal, water- related infrastructure is the most vulnerable of all the utility sectors. Companies in four regions of the UK – Northumbrian, Essex & Suffolk, Hafren Dyfrdwy and part of Severn Trent – provide details of their network of pipes through LSBUD, which it suggests indicates that the vast majority of the sector is at huge risk of strikes. Another great @CostainGroup water sector project with JV partner @Vinci for client @scottish_water that will improve the environment for Glasgow's residents and reduce flooding from the River Clyde now and in the future. #ShieldhallTunnel @RuthThompsett #ShieldhallTunnel was constructed over 2 yrs by a team of more than 100 workers from around the world – that's over 1.5m working hours! @scottish_water Shieldhall Tunnel now operational as Scotland biggest sewer... a fantastic enhancement to Glasgow's sewerage infrastructure. @oldfi ebe complex pumping station, which allowed our customers to understand how it would work in-situ. We were also able to present multiple options to the customer." As well as an international roll-out of the VR so" ware, the team is also working on the development of enhanced functionality, such as faster data transfers, and additional simulation capabilities. "We're investigating the feasibility of using computational ¥ uid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the water in pumps as part of an enhanced VR model," he added. "We also want to make sure that services such as this are available to everyone." wwtonline.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2018 WET NEWS 3 Report shows excavation risk transferring existing product data into gaming so" ware to develop a VR scene. "Our rst trials with customers were a huge success," Sheehan said. "We were able to use specialist so" ware to generate an accurate virtual 'tour' of a The completion of the tunnel marks one of the most signiŽ cant infrastructure projects in the city Glasgow since Victorian times. It's big! @UnisonDave WET News is registered at Stationers' Hall. Origination by Faversham House and TR Clash Ltd. Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6AE. Copyright 2018. Faversham House. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publishers. 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