Leveraging data to reduce unplanned downtime for utilities

Sector: Water Utilities

Challenge: Minimising system downtime

Service disruption can be catastrophic for water utilities, limiting customers’ access to safe, clean drinking water or - in the case of wastewater treatment - leading to spillages and the incurrence of severe financial penalties.

Downtime can also impact customer satisfaction, threatening incentives available for meeting Ofwat’s demands on customer measure of experience (C-MeX).

While varied factors from extreme weather events to the unprecedented supply chain issues currently faced by the UK and the EU can lead to unexpected outages, companies have the power to protect themselves: by converting the data collected across networks into insights that can drive decisions on optimising performance and maximising efficiency.

Translating data into actionable intelligence

Key to lessening the threat of downtime is strategic digital management – and that is where Xylem can help. We can guide utilities through the process of pinpointing key data points to access data of the right quality.

We know it is vital the data obtained is in the right format to be rapidly mined to then inform the maintenance of overall systems and reduce the likelihood of unplanned failures. The surfeit of information faced by water companies can mean a lack of visibility, but our team can help identify and monitor relevant data to be converted into actionable intelligence.

Insights which inform maintenance

Utilising this data can help utilities transition from a reactive maintenance schedule to a proactive condition-based programme based on an in-depth understanding of system performance. This real-time operational intelligence can inform adjustments or repairs, if the data reveals assets are not functioning at their best efficiency point or enable replacement as needed.

This type of tactical data management which leads to a maintenance regime targeting only those areas in need can play a significant part in meeting Ofwat’s justly high standards on customer experience.

Avoiding disruptions to treatment

At Xylem, we understand the need for treatment works to have resilience in-built for peace of mind. With downtime and disruption not an option, back-up assets can play a role in maintaining supply when faced with unplanned incidents and the risk of compliance breaches.

As a first step, our service agreements, driven by 50 years’ experience in the pumping industry, can help minimise the risk of breakdowns. Close monitoring and a priority repair service ensure maximum equipment uptime at a manageable cost, allowing utilities to become better informed on the condition of their huge volume of assets.

If repairs or servicing have to take place, rental assets can be quickly brought online to bridge the gap, like our top-of-the-range UV treatment equipment, to guarantee the uninterrupted operation of treatment works.

Or, for more comprehensive insights, Xylem Treatment System Optimisation arms treatment plant managers with real-time analysis of operational inefficiencies. This can help managers run treatment plants more effectively, safely and at reduced cost – even predicting potential operational issues to prevent them before they occur.

Protecting the clean water network

Reliability is also key for the delivery of a quality water supply: burst pipes can mean outages for customers, costly repairs and disruption to communities.

Our two free-swimming solutions, PipeDiver and SmartBall, offer utilities the opportunity to proactively detect leaks and inspect the condition of pipes hidden far below ground.

In the first inspection of its kind in Poland, the SmartBall platform was deployed to help a district heating supplier in Wroclaw understand the true condition of a section of its district heating pipeline. Some 11km of the district heating system’s supply and return pipelines were scanned and the resulting data used to identify four leaks. Read more about SmartBall in action here.

Avoiding blockages and optimising flow

Xylem Wastewater Network Optimization uses an innovative sense-predict-act model that brings together sensors and weather data with artificial intelligence to create a real-time decision support system that helps utilities gain greater control over their wastewater network, slashing sewer overflow and flooding events by up to 30%. Our solution offers operators a single system with all the tools they need to make rapid operational decisions to more effectively manage the system when faced with the unique demands of a wet weather event.

Our Flygt Concertor is also capable of sensing its operating conditions and varying performance to match what is required of it to reduce energy consumption, eliminate the need for scheduled de-ragging and lift station cleaning, and potentially reduce maintenance call-outs to zero.

Switching to condition-based upkeep

For the very latest technology to drive the move to a condition-based maintenance plan, our Smart Asset Management Performance & Reliability Optimisation (SAM PRO) is a unique comprehensive decision-intelligence solution that provides full monitoring, diagnostic and prediction of a machine's technical and performance condition.

It can be retrofitted to any equipment driven by electric motors to gather data to convert into insights to improve the technical operation, energy consumption and maintenance efficiency.

It can spot inefficiencies in pumps, blowers and mixers within a plant to optimise performance and boost reliability, highlighting assets in need of maintenance and enabling service teams to prioritise their workflow and manage risks more effectively. It can be combined with Xylem Digital Maintenance, or any asset management system, via seamless information integration for even greater protection against downtime.

Moving on from a fix-or-fail approach

Using the power of the data available to utilities and transforming it into valuable intelligence to inform operational decisions and proactive maintenance regimes offers the optimal solution to greatly reduce the likelihood of unexpected outages.

By partnering with Xylem, utilities can better map existing assets and correctly interpret data to inform the right workflow for their conservation, identifying potential maintenance requirements and extending their life cycle to save money and time.