Smart Water Utilities- a journey of transformation

Pernille Ingildsen, Ph.D., M.Sc.

The 13th IWA Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies 16/6-2016

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AgendaWhy do we need water utilities to get smart?How can water utilities become smarter?What inventions are on the wish list?

“We are the last generation that can fight climate change. We have a duty to act.”

Ban Ki-Moon

“The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.”

Richard Attenborough

Our key challenge is water sustainability

Water sustainability is an issue everywhere

Men and women, everywhere and at all times, have despoiled the environment, mostly out of simple ignorance.

Modernity’s ignorance about the environment is much more serious, simply because modernity has many more powerful means to destroy the environment.

Tribal ignorance, on the other hand, was usually milder; but ignorance is ignorance, and is certainly nothing to emulate.

Ken Wilber

Ignorance is ignorance

SmartWater Utilities

AgendaWhy do we need water utilities to get smart?How can water utilities become smarter?What technology is on wish list?

The Smart Water Utility Project

Professor Gustaf Olsson,

Lund universityIndustrial Electrical Engineering and Automation Sweden

Manager of plans and projects Pernille Ingildsen

Kalundborg Utility, Denmark

Theoretically, no limits can be set to the field of consciousness, since it is capable of indefinite extension. Empirically however, it always finds its limit when it comes up against the unknown.

Carl Gustaf Jung

M Measure

A Analyse

D Decide

Sensors, laboratory analysis, observations, …

Signal analysis, statistical analysis, dynamic models, business cases, …

Decisions everywhere from strategy to controllers …

The MAD-model

Strategic Direction, objectives, values

Tactical Development of system, project plans, project execution

Operational Plant wide control, process optimisation, maintenance

Automatic Process control, unit control

Unplanned Unplanned events, risk assessment, emergency plans

Decision levels

Consumers/customers (short term)

Lead objectives

Community (longer term) Environment/nature (long term)

Water extraction Water treatment

Water resource

Water recipient

Water distribution

Water usage

Return of water Wastewater treatment

Wastewater collection

Nature Water utility Community

Ecology

Real Time Monitoring of Ganges River Basin during Kumbh Mela ceremonyBy J. Raich-Montiu; F. Edthofer; R. Wurm; A. Weingartner, S::CAN

A glimpse into smart water dataBy Jo Cooper, Intellitect

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The risk of NOT measuringBy Nenibarini Zabbey, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Understanding Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)By Nurudeen Adeyinka Salau, Kalundborg Forsyning

Lessons learnt from implementing ammonium controllers at three full-scale plantsLinda Åmand, IVL. Sweden

Käppala WWTP

Henriksdal WWTP

Himmerfjärden WWTP

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NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4 NH4

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Lab measurement

HENRIKSDAL WWTP HIMMERFJÄRDEN WWTPKÄPPALA WWTP

Qin

Qin On-line measurement

BASIC INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

Strategic• No strategic direction. • No top level goals or priorities

defined.

• Goals and priorities are well defined • Strategic direction is clear• Translated into objectives• Clear understanding in organisation

Tactical• Improvements are done haphazardly• Projects are ill defined

• There is a plan• Projects are performed satisfactoriy

• Project plan aligned with direction• Clear succes criteria in projects• More conceptual solutions are evaluated

Operational• Processes are not monitored closely• Processes are not optimised• High risk of failures

• Skilled operators and managers ensure a safe operation

• Problems are solved expediently

• A clear system for all operational objectives. • Any deviation is handled fast• Understanding of roboustness and resilience

Automatic• Process control are generally not

applied except for the very low level• Realtime controllers implemented• Control-competent staff is not in place. • Many controllers are not well tuned.

• Sensors, sensors everywhere• Processes are well controlled• An effective early warning system• Control-competent staff in place

Unplanned• No/few sensors for unplanned events• No strategies for unplanned events

• Plans are in place to handle critical unplanned events

• Sensors in place to detect critical events• Information avaliable for handling critical

events• Plans for handling critical events

Advances in decision making capability

AgendaWhy do we need water utilities to get smart?How can water utilities become smarter?What inventions are on the wish list?

To measure the ecological state of the local nature online

To measure microbiology in drinking water in real-time

To measure and understand micropollutants in wastewater

Top 3 wish-list for MEASURING

Easy non-expert dynamic simulations

Asset Management for optimal refurbishment

Natural Capital Accounting (NCA)

Top 3 wish-list for ANALYSIS

Sustainable leadership

360 degree design decisions

Water Circle Management

Top 3 wish-list for DECISION

Water is life Let’s treat it wisely

Photo credentials: Unsplash.com and Jag_cz (Shutterstock)