Future proofing smart water solutions
“A big challenge, not only for water utilities but for Earth, is to protect [water itself]. It is precious, available for us, and so we have to care for [it],” stated Kamel Chaabane, Senior Product Manager at Itron.
And while there are challenges ahead for players within the water industry, optimising operational efficiency, data dissemination and customer engagement might provide the solution.
The challenges ahead for water utilities are varied. But so are the solutions.
One of the key points mentioned by Kamel Chaabane was the necessity to streamline and expedite the rate at which a meter reads information, detects failures and anomalies and reports back to enable corrective action.
Manually checking every meter would be a waste of time and “as long as [utilities] get more data from [their] meter reader, [they will be] in need for faster failure and anomalies detection.”
Chaabane, who spoke on this topic as part of the Itron Inspire EMEA webinar series, elaborated how advanced meter reading devices, “are capturing more and more data. More intelligence is embedded within them and is pushed from those devices in the field to [the] meter data management platform.”
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Accelerating efficiency
It is essential for utilities to consider what their metering devices offer and how best they can help with data collection and accurate analysis.
In light of this, there are three ways utilities can accelerate their meter’s reading cycle:
- Leverage map-based reading tools, which allow for faster, more accurate and secure tasks.
- Synchronise data collected in the field as close as possible to real-time. The faster this data is shared with the back-office system the better. It should, ideally, enable near-real-time communication between the field and the office so that the billing process can get started as soon as possible.
- Secure and use an Android device to help keep reading tools under cost. Such investment, stated Chaabane, is critical. Hardware investment is arguable the highest cost for water utilities’ early investments. Thus, they should aim to balance this investment in devices ideal for their requirements and necessary features. Chaabane went on to relate this back to Android, which he claimed to be the best platform to choose regarding cost-efficiency and market availability.
Infrastructure optimisation
“Probably the biggest challenge any water utility will be facing in the next few decades is how to optimise [their] ageing infrastructure upgrade replacement.
“Choosing which assets to replace [and when to replace them] are two key questions to consider.”
An answer to this requires utilities to pay attention to where they choose to invest.
Increasing return on investment would be key to optimising the asset replacement cycle. As such utilities are cautioned to optimise investments, minimise costs, and consider where and when investments are placed.
Chaabane related this issue to the fluctuating nature of technology.
“Technology [is] shifting every year. [It shifts] every five years and as a water utility you are investing for 15 years to 20 years.”
As such, utilities need to pick the technology that is proven to be future proof.
A future proof solution
So, what are the main criteria for an ideal future proof solution?
Future proof means the capability of handling a decade-plus in investment.
Therefore, a future proof solution should:
• Enable more accurate asset tracking. This extends to helping with tracking, storing, and recording information on an asset.
• Offer a rich set of data and information. This would entail using photos and GPS data to get a better understanding of field conditions. Which could then be sent out to the crew or back to the office.
• Be able to help optimise asset renewal cycles and smooth CAPEX spent.
• Still be functional and accurate for the next decade. This is arguably the most important. Software and meter data management systems that become outdated within a few months would be a waste of energy. Thus, priority should be placed on one which is as timeless as possible.
Customer engagement
Chaabane went on to relate this to how it is key for utilities to increasingly offer information to their customers with transparency. All data collected around the meter and on an asset should be made available to end customers.
“We must make it clear to our end consumers and customers and make it transparent how they are consuming water and make them able to take action on what they consume, when they consume, and if there is any abnormal usage regarding their consumption.”
These customers will then be empowered to take proactive actions, track their usage and adjust their behaviour accordingly.
