WET News

NOVEMBER 2016 WET NEWS 7 News+ Innovation is the smart way to success in the water sector • In order for the water sector to meet future challenges, such as non-domestic retail competition and embracing a digital world, innovation is key. Talis' Mark Hodgens explains. T he water industry faces its biggest changes since privatisation with plans to open up the market to competition designed (in Ofwat's words) to bring an analogue service into the digital world. On top of this, the challenge of managing the UK's water supply has never been more complex, along with the need to meet rising demand coupled with the effects of climate change and increasing energy costs. The tide of change is too great to simply take a business- as-usual approach. These new conditions require new solutions. To succeed in the future, innovation is going to be key. Sustainability is now smart business and should be the keystone of future planning and innovation. If the environmental need was not enough in itself, sustainability is also vital to succeeding in a competitive marketplace. Efficient use of water helps to minimise unnecessary costs and enables water companies to have more control over pricing. Sustainable practice Water is also a hugely political issue and the regulator has shown it is prepared to name and shame companies into action when it comes to poor sustainable practice. In a competitive market therefore, where brand affects customer loyalty and recruitment, taking a lead on sustainability makes companies appear smart, cost conscious and socially responsible – a major part of the battle in winning the hearts and minds of customers. In meeting these challenges, it is vital for suppliers to step up their game and play a major part in bringing innovation into the sector, especially in addressing issues of ageing networks and leakages. When it comes to tackling these problems, there are lots of new products and systems being developed by solutions providers, such as Talis UK, which could provide inspiration to the water sector. In particular, smart, cloud-based tech- nologies and solutions are growing in availability, claiming to hold the answer to a more efficient water network. The aim of these systems is to enable water companies to monitor usage, and to help detect and reduce water loss. Even better they will work alongside water companies' existing infrastructures, allowing information to be collected immediately from products such as valves or hydrants to show what is happening in the network in real-time. Alongside this, solutions will also allow companies to access and update individual valve or hydrant records both on site or remotely, saving valuable time, efforts and resources. Water companies will be able to use a web interface to effectively see data and historic records. Valuable time One innovation that is gaining global recognition is TAGUA, a smart asset management soˆware system that integrates with multiple solutions in order to help water companies optimise their asset management. TAGUA provides an innovative solution, which not only allows water companies to efficiently manage products such as valves and hydrants on- or off-site, it also allows them to save valuable time, as resources and maintenance efforts can be focused and targeted. A water company can use TAGUA to pinpoint exactly where a hydrant is located and view individual product records such as installation details, current network data, maintenance and repair records. Based on a secure web platform – www.smart-inside. com – the soˆware enables water companies to interact with and collect all manner of data from their solutions located out in the field. This is because NFC tags (small microchips that can store a small amount of information) are used to track equipment, with the help of a smartphone application. Data can then be uploaded to the cloud instantly, allowing companies to immediately spot if there are any issues with their products. As data can be accessed remotely, this also helps to reduce labour and operation costs, saving considerable amounts of time and money overall. Not only this, but the TAGUA system can be used to plan maintenance and operation checks to ensure all components are working as they should be. The data collected from products and solutions will be collated automatically into reports stored on the Smart- Inside website and can be sent automatically to those involved in the network, such as water companies or fire service departments. This guarantees a continuous overview of the asset management so customers can be assured that the water company is focused on the maintenance of the whole network. In order for the entire network to become smart- connected, products and solutions are being developed that can integrate with the TAGUA soˆware. For example, there are fire hydrant products that have been created to be controlled via a dedicated 'smart card', making it quicker for users to access the water and also easier for water companies to monitor users and consumption. Embracing change In the past the water sector has been reluctant to embrace radical change, taking a steady and responsible approach as stewards of the UK's water supply. However, this has meant that some of the technological advances in the rest of the economy have yet to find their way into the water sector, hence Ofwat's allegation of being an analogue industry. The time is now for looking at new solutions to age-old problems. Water companies that do not jump on board are at risk of looking increasingly out of touch as the pace of change accelerates. n Mark Hodgens is managing director of Talis UK. "In the past the water sector has been reluctant to embrace radical change, taking a steady and responsible approach as stewards of the UK's water supply" TAGUA enables water companies to interact with and collect data from assets out in the field with the help of a smartphone "The aim of these systems is to enable water companies to monitor usage, and to help detect and reduce water loss. ... they will work alongside existing infrastructures"

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