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Problem Solving with InfoNet 4.
One of the biggest problems of many existing systems is not that a wide range of data is not stored. The problem is that the people who need to view and use the data cannot retrieve it because it is not held in a system designed for wide or timely access. Typically, data is held in a variety of systems and the growing need over time for wider access to that data soon exceeds the design specification of the system.

Problem Solving with InfoNet 5: Managing Surveys

Most utilities carry out regular surveys of subsets of their assets, and this task is never more important than for water utilities. Knowledge of the condition and current performance of water distribution system and collection system assets is essential to maintaining service levels.

There is, as many engineers know to their cost, almost infinite scope for errors in survey results...

Key industry trends for 2005

Looking to the year ahead, Wallingford Software has identified a number of key themes that it believes will drive customer thinking in the selection of data management and network modeling software.

InfoWorks WS – the best Calculation Engine

The calculation engine on which a water distribution model is built is a fundamental determinant of the value of that model. A better engine means that a better model can be built.

Problem Solving with InfoNet 6: Reporting

It is a truism that if you cannot access data in a system then it is not worth storing the data. While few data storage systems are so extreme as to permit no output, many have limitations on their reporting capability that either restrict their outputs or impose a heavy burden on the user in processing raw outputs into a usable format.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 5 – Backing up at River and Tidal Outfalls

Where sewerage networks (usually Surface Water sewer networks) discharge to rivers or coastal waters there is an interface between the receiving water and the sewer which can control or influence discharges. Where the discharge is from a combined sewer overflow (CSO)there can be instances where the control level at the CSO is below river or tide level which could result in water entering the sewer network rather than being discharged from it.

Eight reasons to validate data using InfoNet

Validation and consolidation is an ongoing challenge for water organisations overwhelmed by data volumes from multiple data sources; we examine the options.

Water managers need current, validated information about water and sewer networks (including their location, build and condition) in order to operate them effectively. However, all water organisations have large volumes of data from multiple data sources – hydraulic models, MMS, Scada, CCTV, field data and, of course, GIS. So the challenge is – which data sets do you use when they overlap or contradict? How do you validate and consolidate data sets without compromising their integrity?

Problem Solver for Wastewater 4 – Flagging Data Quality

Hydraulic Models of complex urban drainage systems have at their heart a large volume of data on a wide variety of different aspects. Every pipeline or link in a model typically contains in excess of 33 items of data, every manhole has in excess of 30 items of data and typical contributing areas each contain over 24 items of data. In a model for a township of say 30,000 people the model may contain about 600 nodes and links and in total may contain over 52,500 separate data items.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 2 – Varying Populations

Catchments which have large daily or seasonal variations in population have presented Hydraulic Modellers with difficulties for a long time. These variations are caused by a variety of factors such as a significant influx of tourists during the summer months, a significant movement of people commuting out of the catchment during the working week or the influx of students in University towns during semesters. Accurate modelling of population totals and hence dry weather flows can be particularly important for combined sewer systems during prolonged periods of dry weather when the flows may be insufficient to maintain self cleansing velocities in the sewers

Problem Solver for Wastewater 6 – Sediment Transportation

The composition of sewage varies noticeably from one country to another but the one thing which does not change is the fact that there is always particulate material more commonly called ‘sediment’ that may settle within the sewer. The conventional criterion for sewer design is usually based on minimum velocities or minimum bed shear stresses in order to keep this sediment moving either in suspension or by movement along the bed.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 3 – Modeling Trade Flows

Modeling of wastewater networks in densely urbanized catchments, especially those with large industrial or manufacturing areas, has always been a challenge. This applies particularly when attempting water quality modeling in addition to hydraulic modeling. Many of the larger dischargers of trade flows (breweries, paper mills, steel making etc) can discharge large volumes of flow and frequently these can have high pollutant concentrations or loadings.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 8 – Checking Cover Level Data using Digital Terrain Models

Hydraulic Models of complex urban drainage systems use a wide variety of data concerning the sizes, levels and dimensions of the underground assets, such as sewers and manholes. But the single most important item of data is the manhole cover level. All manhole surveys use the cover level as a temporary survey datum, which is leveled some time later. If the manhole cover level is incorrect all the below ground data will also be incorrect.

Using DTM’s to determine locations of permeable runoff into Sewerage Networks

In recent years the availability of accurate Digital Terrain Data has improved and it is now reasonably priced. This has meant that the network modeler can use the data as a tool to help develop accurate models. Digital Terrain Data can be obtained by many methods, from ground surveys to airborne LiDAR.

Imran Khan of Black and Veatch talks about modeling collection systems and InfoWorks

Imran, where do you fit into the Black and Veatch organization?

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, and has around 3,500 staff working in the area of water and wastewater around the world. I’m a consultant in the Infrastructure Planning Department with special responsibility for collection systems modeling. My role is to provide specialist advice to all our offices in North America on the best approach to proposing and undertaking collection systems modeling and wastewater Master Plans.

My background is more than 16 years of hydraulic modeling experience on both sides of the Atlantic, both in the UK and the US. During that time I’ve used all the major commercially available software suites, and seen the evolution of both hydraulic modeling and its software. I bring this experience to relevant Black and Veatch hydraulics contracts to provide our clients with the approach that best suits their need.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 1 - Routing Floodwater

Flooding of properties from sewers is a problem around the world. To solve these problems it is necessary to understand the flooding mechanism so that the appropriate alleviation measures can be identified. This is where modeling becomes important. Until recently most modelers set their models to either lose any floodwater or to store it on the ground surface immediately surrounding the manhole. In addition to these two options there is now the possibility to route the flood water overland, which in many cases is the best representation of the actual flooding mechanism.

Does traditional calibration hide errors in your demand analysis?

A well-calibrated water distribution model can address numerous problems encountered in the everyday operations of a water utility. However, without sound calibration and validation, any model remains unproven. The calibration process is fundamental to the accuracy and usefulness of the model.

Problem Solver for Wastewater 7 – Rainfall for Long Simulations

Some environmental criteria specify that flooding or polluting spills should not exceed specific frequencies. For example, in the USA the EPA has for a number of years focused on the elimination of Sanitary Sewer Overflows, and in the UK the Bathing Water Directive states that polluting spills should occur less than an average of three times per bathing season, May to September. To determine whether proposed or existing schemes meet such criteria, it is necessary to simulate a hydraulic model for a long duration. It is now commonplace for 10 year or even 15 year rainfall series to be simulated.

What makes the InfoWorks CS Simulation Engine the best of breed for wastewater and stormwater modelling?

Modeling software is only as good as its simulation engine. But the engine is the least visible and most difficult part of any modeling software product for users to evaluate.

This note examines the characteristics of SIM, the simulation engine at the heart of Wallingford Software’s InfoWorks CS, explaining how it works compared to other approaches and why it is the best available for wastewater and stormwater modeling.

The main benefits of SIM are the high level of accuracy with which it models wastewater and stormwater hydraulics and the wide range of flow conditions to which it can be applied. The primary reason for this is the use of true dynamic modeling for its flow calculations.

Current Trends in Modelling Water Distribution Systems

Hydraulic Modelling is emerging from the infrastructure planning offices of our water utilities, where it continues to play a vital role in optimising capital investment projects, to take a more central role in the day-to-day operational management of water services.

This move to operational applications is a natural progression in the increasing use of modelling in water distribution. Understanding the drivers for this change requires a brief view of history as well as current imperatives. The key issues behind the trend are:

• The historical perspective
• Hydraulic modelling as a strategic planning tool
• Less water, more control

It will be shown that the importance of hydraulic modelling in operational management is likely to increase over the coming years as the water utilities are required to forecast and manage network performance with every greater degrees of accuracy in order to meet regulatory and customer expectations.

Problem Solver for water supply - Reducing unaccounted-for water

Unaccounted-for water (UAW or UFW) is rapidly moving from being solely an economic problem for water companies to becoming a major political problem too. Finding the economic balance between cost of repair and cost of lost water is no longer an acceptable solution. Water now has a perceived value greater than its production cost, and regulators around the world scrutinize UAW targets and performance figures ever more closely.

Problem Solver for water supply – High Energy Costs

With energy prices rising and operating budgets under pressure, most water companies need to ensure that they are not wasting energy and money through inefficient pumping schedules. With InfoWorks, it is possible to address pumping costs and simulate different operational rules to arrive at the optimum pumping schedule.

Using InfoWorks for preparing Rapid Assessment Models

BACKGROUND

A water company, in preparing an estimate of the capital costs for its AMP4 program (Asset Management Planning), wanted to investigate the impact of both growth and “creep” on its sewer system. The ideal way would have been to model all the catchments in detail as this would give the most robust understanding of the overall performance capability.

The company already had a good understanding of some of its wastewater catchments through detailed model representation. A more general understanding existed through coarse or aging models, general catchment summary reports or local knowledge. However, there remained a significant number of catchments for which there was a severely limited understanding of the system capability and performance.

Problem Solver for water supply - Water Main break

Breaks in major Water Mains require urgent actions. But unless remedial actions are carefully planned, the effects can be prejudicial and even dangerous. As with many other water network issues, a good network model can give sound answers in a short timescale to support the engineering decision-making.

Current issues and trends in the Malaysian water industry

At an annual average close to 3,000mm Malaysia has one of the highest rainfalls in the world and, yet in common with so many parts of the world, this does not mean that the country has unlimited access to supplies to clean water. This paradox – plentiful natural water with the risk of flooding it brings, and yet insufficient or irregular supply of clean water for consumers – represents the central challenge for the Malaysian water industry over the coming years. In this article we examine how hydraulic modelling can assist in the achievement of water engineering objectives and, specifically, we examine the contribution made by Wallingford Software, the company that develops the InfoWorks suite of hydraulic modeling software. With users in every state in Malaysia across the disciplines of water supply, urban drainage and river modelling, Wallingford Software is widely recognised as the primary authority on hydraulic modeling in the region.

Estimating Riverine Conveyance

The ability to estimate riverine conveyance with accuracy is fundamental to accurate flood forecasting and flood risk mapping. The ability to accurately predict water levels facilitates accurate decision making both in terms of the design of river infrastructure and in the operation of flood risk emergency plans. It also has a bearing on a variety of other strategic planning and operational issues such as the scheduling of riverside vegetation maintenance and embankment works.

Hydraulic modeling and water quality monitoring

The 2004 IMTech conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, April 18-20, attracted hundreds of water professionals interested in the application of IT solutions in water supply and distribution and wastewater networks. IMTech, organized by AWWA, is the top industry conference focused on the use of software as an aid to the day-to-day operational management of water systems and networks; the issues covered at IMTech are both highly topical and pertinent to the wider water industry.

Problem Solver for water supply – Pollution incidents

Pollution in water supplies has always been a concern for water companies and with today’s political climate the issue has never been more important. The threat of terrorism and the requirements of Homeland Security and similar initiatives around the world require that water companies maintain detailed plans for how to react swiftly in the event of a pollution incident, whether accidental or malicious, and that they are ready to implement the plans effectively.

Problem Solver for water supply - System Extensions

Residential and commercial developments and the subsequent increase in the domestic and/or industrial consumption is a fact of life for most water supply companies. Whether the development is in the suburbs, away from the existing distribution system, or in the middle of the existing network, modeling has the key role to play in planning the most cost-effective system extensions to cater for the new demand.

Problem Solver for Water Supply – High pressure

With low pressure being a key problem that constantly preoccupies water supply utilities, it is tempting to think that high pressure is “a nice problem to have”. But in fact higher than normal pressures result in three serious issues – leakage and pressure-related demand increases; excessive wear and tear on assets such as pumps and valves, leading to increased burst frequency; and additional expenses for the installation of pressure reducing fixtures at the point of use. There will also be customer complaints – although showers will gain new power, other water uses could become inconvenient or even dangerous, as some domestic fittings operate above their pressure rating. The impact therefore falls across the key areas of water availability, costs, and customer relationships.

Problem Solver - Reducing unaccounted-for water

Unnacounted-for water (UAW or UFW) is rapidly moving from being solely an economic problem for water companies to becoming a major political problem too...

Problem Solver – High Energy Costs

With energy prices rising and operating budgets under pressure, most water companies need to ensure that they are not wasting energy and money through inefficient pumping schedules

SMURF: combining urban planning with water management

The potential benefits of a coordinated approach to urban planning and the management of the water enviroment are well established...

Estimating Riverine Conveyance

The ability to estimate riverine conveyance with accuracy is fundamental to accurate flood forecasting and flood risk mapping.

HarmonIT: Demonstrating the value of collaboration in hydrology

A unique project in the hydraulic modeling community, HarmonIT has brought together a team of fourteen engineers from seven countries to work together to develop an open modeling interface to link new and existing models.

Digital Terrain Models map neatly onto InfoWorks

With the recent increases in the use of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) in water modeling, it’s a good time to review how InfoWorks users are exploiting their benefits.

Balancing Supply and Demand in the UK

The supply/demand balance of water distribution in the UK is under stress. From the demand side, there are four clear upward trends at present:

• demographic forecasts show an increasing UK population
• an equally important demographic factor is the continuing reduction in average household size, which leads to greater per capita consumption (single occupation can double the per capita consumption compared to households of 3 and more)
• summers are expected to be hotter and dryer in the future, with implications for higher demand
• national leakage figures, which reached a low point in the year 2000 at just above 3000 megalitres per day nationally, have been on an upward trend since then.

The evolution of wastewater system modelling in Hong Kong (doc)

In order to assess the performance of the Hong Kong wastewater systems, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) undertook a series of Sewerage Master Planning (SMP) studies using software developed by Wallingford Software. As computer modelling software has developed, so the studies have become more extensive and sophisticated leading to an increased understanding of the performance of the wastewater systems and highlighting areas where service can be improved and pollution reduced.