Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JUNE 2016 | 27 In the know Digging deeper: smart water Integrating intelligence As infrastructure is installed with smart capabilities, edge computing can make for ever more intelligent asset programming ChrIs steele HEAd of dEvElopmENT SmArT INTEgrATEd INfrASTrUcTUrE BlAck & vEATcH W ater and wastewater systems use hundreds and sometimes thousands of data-producing instruments, but much of that information remains isolated. There is little two-way communication so the vast majority of data stays buried, just as water infrastructure is mostly buried out of sight. Smart water programmes are seeking to change that. You can rapidly process intelligent sensor data at the device level and local interface. Now - with advances in connectivity and integrated control - a pump can transmit its speed, efficiency, vibration, temperature and more. This information can help optimise pump operation. For instance, when used in combination with energy consumption and tariff information, it can help create a more efficient operation logic. Once a pump can measure parameters such as efficiency, vibration and temperature it can protect itself. A pump can be programmed to slow down if, for example, increases in heat or vibration are detected. Knowing these parameters also makes it possible to move away from control and usage based maintenance and towards condition and reliability based maintenance. This empowers utilities to do the right maintenance at the right time. Smart Integrated Infrastructure (SII) is the combining of intelligent infrastructure with data analytics that leads to actionable information. Tools such as Black & Veatch's Asset 360 smart analytics platform serve as an integration and analysis point for that information. Systems such as this need to have two key aspects: operational intelligence and adaptive planning. Operational intelligence provides insights that help optimise day-to-day operating and maintenance practices to boost reliability and efficiency. This can include important monitoring and diagnosis services that provide a dashboard for water companies to see deeply into their systems, via the cloud, in near real time. Adaptive planning focuses on the future, using scenario analysis and predictive analytics to better inform operation and maintenance regimes, long- term capital expenditures and other planning decisions. Both operational intelligence and adaptive planning are applicable to the water industry, but the sector has - thus far - been slow to adopt comprehensive smart water programmes. Many utilities develop a smart solution for a single aspect of their business. In future, however, the benefits of expanded tactical and strategic smart analytic solutions should be considered. The key is to look at the potential of smart water programmes across the entire enterprise, not just in pockets. These programmes are redefining the art of the possible, adding value across the entire asset base. Water and wastewater systems use hundreds and sometimes thousands of data-producing instruments take immediate action if required, which is a big advance. This is called edge computing, or closed-loop control, where data is analysed at source, not a central node. This, combined with the ability to historicise data at ever lower costs, means the potential to make useful information available to water utilities has grown exponentially in recent years. Previously a pump just told you whether it was on or off, o"en at a