Part of the problem is that the traditional usage-based revenue model is unsustainable. Conservation efforts mean indoor water consumption is forecasted to decrease from recent highs of 80 to 120 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) to less than 40 GPCD.
The proposition for Intelligent Water
To meet scaling financial obligations, many utilities have turned to rate increases. Rates rose nearly 37% from 2012 to 2021, while the average median household income rose only 20% over the same period.
Still, less than 15% of utilities feel equipped to fully cover costs of providing service in the future, and maintenance costs reached an all-time high of $50.2 billion above capital in 2017.
Consumer rates year-to-year climb
Are utilities equipped to cover costs?
U.S. population rising, consumption dropping
Jim Cooper, Intelligent Water Lead, explains the benefits of Intelligent Water.
Clearly, rate increases are not the answer. The key will be maximizing the workforce’s knowledge and abilities.
Intelligent Water gives people the power to revolutionize utility management
Insight-driven solutions can help optimize spending plans and create new operational efficiencies while moderating rate changes. Seizing these opportunities requires a unique relationship between advanced technology and the people using it.
Collective intelligence: The ability for humans and machines to collectively present far greater intelligence than either could on its own.
Physical enablement and measurement
Platforms, UX, APIs, sensors, meters
Reason and pattern recognition
Neural networks, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning
Learn and solve specific problems
Supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning
Sense, reason, engage and learn
Machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics
Human intelligence capabilities
Resolve bias, connecting broad spectrum of expertise
Abilities
Examples
Collective intelligence adds value across the entire water cycle
Katie Umberg discusses the follies of system implementation with no strategic oversight and lack of staff engagement.
Collective intelligence in action: Digital Twins
A digital twin mirrors something real at your utility – an asset, process, or even the entire enterprise. The twin continually studies, monitors and simulates potential futures for its physical counterpart using live data. What it learns exploring challenges digitally is applied to make real-world improvements.
As your implementation grows, so do the benefits.
Introducing digital twins’ potential to the entire community
Connected twin
3
+
Accelerating optimization using live data and real-time analytics
Operational twin
2
+
Leveraging real-world data to enhance utility functions
Informational twin
+
1
Equipping your virtual models for seamless digital interactions
Digital twin ready
0
+
Maturity
Level 3: Connected twin
A virtual representation of connected assets that uses real-time data analytics to coordinate functions across domains
Functionality: Interoperability and enterprise-wide solutions
Building blocks: Connections between enterprise networks
Requirements: A city-wide coordination, data and communication network plan
Connected twins leverage live data streams and real-time analytics to optimize inter-departmental coordination across a community network, such as alignment between repaving and pipe replacement schedules.
Level 2: Operational twin
A virtual representation of an asset that uses real-time data analytics to enhance a utility function
Functionality: Operational support
Building blocks: Interoperable environment, such as BIM 360, Autodesk Forge, Bentley iTwin or a custom system, combined with live data streams and real-time analytics
Requirements: An interdepartmental coordination, data and communication network plan
Operational twins leverage live data streams and real-time analytics to optimize power and chemical usage, asset health, compliance management and field deployments.
Level 1: Informational twin
A virtual representation of an asset that uses historical data to enhance a utility function
Functionality: Data integration, master planning and long-term planning
Building blocks: Interoperable environment, such as BIM 360, Autodesk Forge, Bentley iTwin or a custom system
Requirements: Data governance and security integration frameworks
Informational twins support vertical and horizontal asset management, run what-if scenarios to optimize operations, and help staff safely train on assets in a digital environment.
Level 0: Digital twin ready
A virtual representation of a physical asset
Functionality: Tool-specific
Building blocks: Geographic information system (GIS), building information modeling (BIM), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), hydraulic model
Requirements: Established tools and data management practices
Digital twin ready can enhance operations modeling, design support and traditional planning capabilities for areas such as pipe sizing or non-revenue water evaluation.
5 questions for planning a collective intelligence implementation
1.
Does the technology provide a better result, outcome or business impact than your current process?
Where is your organizational maturity relative to innovation and change?
2.
Is the tool less complex to implement than other tools with a similar output?
3.
Can the technology and the data it collects be made transparent across the organization?
4.
Can the new tool be easily adopted by the workforce?
5.
Ability
Example
Collective Intelligence
Sense, reason, engage and learn
Machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics
Ability
Example
Artificial Intelligence
Learn and solve specific problems
Supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning
Ability
Example
Analytics Techniques
Reason and pattern recognition
Neural networks, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning
Ability
Example
Computational Methods
Physical enablement and measurement
Platforms, UX, APIs, sensors, meters
Ability
Example
Tools and Technologies
Natural language processing, a subset of machine learning, can identify patterns in written customer feedback to identify significant concerns or opportunities. AI platforms can also connect customers to their consumption data, even suggesting targeted water conservation measures based on individual household usage patterns.
Customer management
Workforce management
AI-enabled workforce management tools analyze real-time workorder and geospatial data to help utility field technicians to optimize their schedules and workflows, allowing them to save time, minimize system downtime and reduce transportation costs.
Financial planning
Digital systems can support finance teams’ long-term capital planning decisions by identifying the highest-impact projects that fit specified parameters, such as budgetary limits, performance targets, future planning scenarios or high-priority geographic areas.
Regulatory risk and resilience
In a complex regulatory environment, predictive analytics with smart sensors and cloud-based, real-time reporting can optimize how resources are used to monitor and treat water within regulatory standards.
Asset management
Machine learning tools optimize asset management programs for vertical and linear infrastructure by applying algorithms trained on large historical asset failure datasets to data on individual assets (e.g. age, performance, condition, geospatial context) in order to calculate both the likelihood and the cost of failure.
Principal Management Consultant
Katie Umberg
“It’s important to make an Intelligent Water plan, and tie that in with the other goals of your utility, to make sure that you’re implementing something that meets your needs right now and sets a foundation for the future.”
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4
Can the new tool be easily adopted by the workforce?
5.
Can the technology and the data it collects be made transparent across the organization?
4.
Is the tool less complex to implement than other tools with a similar output?
3.
Where is your organizational maturity relative to innovation and change?
2.
Does the technology provide a better result, outcome or business impact than your current process?
1.
Jim Cooper, Intelligent Water Lead, explains the benefits of Intelligent Water.
Arcadis Intelligent Water Lead
Jim Cooper
"Intelligent Water is the process of water systems embracing digital technologies and ecosystems both in frontline operations and in utility management, with the purpose of doing three things. One, improving the financial stability of a utility. Two, improving their customer experience, and three, improving their operations and maintenance KPIs. ”
Slightly
Not at all
Moderately
Very
Fully
% Respondents
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
9.8%
14.2%
19.5%
21.8%
19.4%
21%
19.1%
13.9%
32.3%
29.1%
Current ability
Future ability
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2012
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2019
2020
2021
5.40%
6.24%
3.98%
2.03%
5.26%
1.53%
1.46%
6.37%
4.31%
Water
Sewer
Average bill per month, US$
Source: Bluefield Research
Source: American Water Works Assocation
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
U.S. Population (millions)
10
20
30
40
50
Public Water Supply Volume, BGD
Source: American Water Works Assocation
Slightly
Not at all
Moderately
Very
Fully
% Respondents
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
9.8%
14.2%
19.5%
21.8%
19.4%
21%
19.1%
13.9%
32.3%
29.1%
Future ability
Current ability
Are utilities equipped to cover costs?
Source: Bluefield Research
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2012
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2019
2020
2021
5.40%
6.24%
3.98%
2.03%
5.26%
1.53%
1.46%
6.37%
4.31%
Water
Sewer
Average bill per month, US$
Slightly
Not at all
Moderately
Very
Fully
% Respondents
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
9.8%
14.2%
19.5%
21.8%
19.4%
21%
19.1%
13.9%
32.3%
29.1%
Future ability
Current ability
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2015
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
U.S. Population (millions)
10
20
30
40
50
Public Water Supply Volume, BGD
Katie Umberg discusses the follies of system implementation with no strategic oversight and lack of staff engagement.
Arcadis title needed
Katie Umberg
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus volutpat turpis eu accumsan imperdiet. Aliquam erat volutpat. Suspendisse a scelerisque diam. Aliquam nunc felis, portti ”