Utility Week

20 | 11TH - 17TH OCTOBER 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Market view A ccording to the UN, there's expected to be a 40 per cent shortfall in global fresh water resources by 2030. A side from the devastating e• ect such a shortage will have on social wel- fare, the World Bank predicts that GDP growth rates could decline by 6 per cent as a result of water-related impacts on agriculture, health and incomes, with a loss of $4.50 trillion by 2050. In the UK, the Envi- ronmental Agency has issued its own warn- ings about future water de‰ cits across the country. Although population growth and climate change are adding to supply pressures, the biggest waste of resources remains water leaks. In England alone, 3.2 billion litres of water are being lost from leaking infrastruc- ture every day, enough to ‰ ll 1,273 Olympic- sized swimming pools. Despite Ofwat's recent recognition that smart meters are an e• ective way to reduce both leaks and water use – and their growing presence in UK households – leakage ‰ gures have remained static. This is because many smart meters lack critical technology that should underpin a smart meter programme – an always-on real- time network. So, just how can network con- nectivity help secure the future of water? Rapid responses Many suppliers use the simplest type of smart (AMR) meters, which can automati- cally collect readings within a 3m radius over a short-range radio connection. Some companies send out their own ‰ tted vans, but others have inventively attached reading technology to dustbin lorries that can cap- ture data from about 75 per cent of the smart meters. However, with these weekly read- ings, the data collected from AMR meters is considered out of date by the time it has entered the analysis system. In contrast, the latest generation of ‰ xed network smart meters (AMI meters) send hourly readings in near real time to the water provider, which can reduce leak run-time to two to three weeks. This rapid response time requires a private network that can guaran- tee coverage and capacity. By providing a network that uses a licensed spectrum with dedicated channels for an individual water provider, any potential traœ c volume issues that might arise if multiple users attempt to use the same spectrum can be avoided. Data-driven decisions As water companies battle to tackle water waste, there is a growing recognition that the onus is not just on suppliers, but also on consumers. Až er the Environmental Agen- cy's warning that England could run out of water in 25 years, Agency chief Sir James Bevan has urged society to consider wasting water as socially unacceptable as throwing plastic bags into the sea. As smart meter networks continue to grow and generate vast amounts of data, smart meters are fast becoming integral tools for water providers seeking to increase consumer engagement. In fact, smart meter ownership has been shown to reduce con- sumption by 17 per cent. The two-way data exchange, supported by a private network, allows customers easily to add extra sensors to the existing network. This provides an ever-increasing rich data set from which to derive actionable outcomes, and ultimately help customers understand and act on their water use. Two of the water providers we work with are using our ‰ xed smart meter networks to access smart meters instantly and identify and alert consumers to problems. An auto- mated process is in place in which the sys- tem takes meter reads, predicts the leakage amount, and sends a letter to the homeowner calculating the monthly cost of the leak. We have found that within three days, 95 per cent of those leaks disappear with no further interaction or cost from the water company. Securing the network Increased consumer data collection, com- bined with the explosion of connected devices, has lež data privacy a common con- cern among both customers and providers. The introduction of internet-connected smart meters could in fact enable hackers to steal personal details and defraud customers. Although data breaches are prevalent, cyberattacks in the utility sector are of even greater concern. Given the immediate links to critical national infrastructure, the potential repercussions are signi‰ cant. A data breach is of concern, but a loss of water could be catastrophic to both business and society. Private ‰ xed smart meter networks can help water providers avoid the security issues associated with internet connectivity. By using a private licensed radio spectrum, ‰ xed meter networks avoid sharing a spec- trum with other applications – ultimately evading the susceptibility of online com- munication. Considering their status as an alluring data-rich target, it's vital that water providers secure their smart meter networks, or risk being compromised. As awareness of the world's water scar- city crisis continues to rise, the argument for smart water meters has never been more compelling. Behind the bene‰ ts of these devices lies a resilient ‰ xed network, for both short-term solutions and future applications. John Lillistone, director of water, Arqiva Securing the future of water John Lillistone makes the case for using private communications networks to improve the effi ciency and frequency of data collection from smart water meters, helping to realise their fullpotential. "Despite Ofwat's recent recognition that smart meters are an eff ective way to reduce both leaks and water use – and their growing presence in UK households – leakage fi gures have remained static."

• Cover