Taking water efficiency to the next level: digital tools to reduce non-revenue water

Abstract

Efficiency optimization of urban water systems is a growing concern for water utilities worldwide. This case study aimed at evaluating the impact of using cloud-based tools on the reduction of both real (real-time network monitoring) and apparent water losses (integrated customer meters management) in two water utilities. The incorporation of smart water solutions with a methodology for the management and operation of the systems allowed us to diagnose, prioritize areas and define actions to improve efficiency. Using a real-time monitoring tool allowed us to categorize bursts and to evaluate their impact on water loss volumes and to identify operational inefficiencies regarding detection and repair times, particularly in small and medium bursts. Additionally, the implementation of an integrated customer meters management tool allowed for an optimized meter management reducing apparent losses by estimating metering errors more accurately, enabling the water utilities to replace meters based on specific lifespan. Digitalization, through the implementation of optimized algorithms and early warning systems, allowed the analysis of data in a methodical and prompt manner resulting in non-revenue water reduction up to 8% in 3 years while improving the digital organization of data and its quality (reliability and accuracy), interdepartmental organization and communication, capacity building and utilities’ image among stakeholders.

Knowledge Management and Operational Capacity in Water Utilities, a Balance between Human Resources and Digital Maturity—The Case of AGS

“…Water utilities worldwide face the challenge of supplying water in an increasingly complex market [1]: while the population and demand are increasing, infrastructure is aging, sources are dwindling [2,3], prices are expected to stay low [4][5][6][7], and the sector's carbon footprint must be further reduced in the context of climate change [8]. It is thus crucial for water utilities to improve knowledge management and to implement smart and innovative water solutions to collect and analyze data in a more efficient and coherent manner [5,9,10], in order to optimize the efficiency of operational and administrative processes.…”

“…From the perspective of a water utility, this complex context includes three complementary areas: (i) knowledge management; (ii) staff capacity; and (iii) data/knowledge digitization and service digitalization [5,[11][12][13]. These three aspects complement each other, and their optimization will result in a water utility that has the capacity to more easily thrive in this complex context.…”

“…Water utilities worldwide already make extensive use of digital services, for example for billing, customer relationship management, geographic cadastre, supervisory control and data acquisition. The implementation of these tools has been shown to increase a utility's performance [5]. However, data quality is an issue [14] and only a fraction of the data collected are used, that is, it is a process that is data-rich in terms of quantity but poor in terms of information [11,15], and these data are not shared in corporate systems, greatly limiting deeper understanding [15].…”

“…Furthermore, infrastructure investment costs [27,28] and cyber-threats to critical infrastructure, such as water supply, must be carefully considered in the path towards digitalization [29][30][31], for example with the widespread deployment of IoT [32,33], since water utilities are considered as "one of the most sensitive components in smart cities" [34]. In fact, the digitalization of urban water systems is typically left behind when compared to other utilities, particularly gas and telecommunications, probably due to a combination of the fear of new vulnerabilities in a sector that is essential to human life [5] and financial constraints. However, the fact that this is a slow-moving sector can be seen as an opportunity, since lessons can be learned from other sectors, and risks can be mitigated [35].…”

“…Currently, many utilities in the West are still in the process of digitizing their processes, and large parts of utilities knowledge, for example, the location of the network, is tacit (in the head of the staff), or kept in physical form (physical registries of water produced). In fact, much of the knowledge of utilities' staff is tacit and not systematized in an accessible way that can be fully exploited by the utility either now or after the staff's retirement [5,12]. If not tackled, the latter will translate into the loss of critical and gathered knowledge [36].…”