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Better, real-time data feeds will also pay off in reduced maintenance costs, with the smart meter grid and the access to low-cost accurate sensors for measuring pressure, flow, valve operation, pump monitoring and level monitoring. That data will allow water utilities to have access to the information, replace time-consuming processes.The benefits of using LoRaWAN for real-time water supply network monitoring include: ■ the ability to plug water leaks at various locations ■ high-value sensing at multiple network locations, at a fraction of the cost of SCADA solutions ■ better water network modelling, allowing more data to be collected via less expensive communications and devices ■ pressure-monitoring sensors at both inlet and outlet systems on pressure-reduction valves (PRVs). Sewage Systems Real-time monitoring helps improve the preventive maintenance of sewage assets. Sensor data and decision-support tools improve network assessment and planning using accurate and timely data related to issues such as flow control, content composition, overflows and pump stations. The benefits of LoRaWAN for sewage systems include the ability to: ■ implement preventive maintenance via pressure sensors and sewage level and pump monitoring. ■ proactively manage sewage overflows during heavy rain periods, allowing crews to be dispatched in a timely manner before customers complain, both improving customer experience and minimising water loss. ■ monitor changes in flow and pressure through water infrastructure. ■ monitor diesel fuel storage levels for emergency pumps, power generation sites, and vehicles and machinery. ■ install remote monitoring sensors for manhole covers to monitor sewer level and manhole movement to determine an overflow or downstream blockage. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Ensuring Water Quality Improving the management of water and sewage infrastructure is particularly important in water-depleted countries like Australia for supporting community environmental expectations. By leveraging IoT infrastructure to improve water management, water companies can reduce the risk of water loss and avoid environmental issues. Water and sewage operators need to move away from relying on customers to be their 'sensors' by reporting problems such as discoloured water or sewage overflows. Such conventional and reactive methods leave water utilities open to reputational damage and increase the risk of fines under environmental protection laws. Using IoT Sensors to measure turbidity, water quality, and sewage overflow in an empirical way reduces the subjective nature of the management of the system and provides a method for continual improvement in contrast to the aforementioned reactive approach. Energy Usage and Net Zero Emissions Growing awareness about climate change is leading Australian utilities to commit to a policy of net zero emissions by 2050. Reaching this goal will be important in helping water utilities play their part in minimising the impacts of climate change. Within the water management context, one of the largest and most challenging sources of emissions is the treatment of wastewater. Key issues contributing to emissions are high energy usage and the production of gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane. The water industry currently undertakes a range of emissions-reduction initiatives, as described in Figure 5. LoRaWAN technology can be used to support these Case Study: Western Municipal Water District Taps LoRaWAN ® for Advanced Metering Infrastructure-as-a-Service Manual reading of water meters was costing time and money, and causing frustration, for Western Municipal Water District (WMWD), a water utility with more than 24,000 retail customer accounts servicing Riverside County, California. Working with managed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) provider Neptune, WMWD ran a pilot in which 100 legacy water meters were replaced with LoRaWAN-connected smart meters that can be read remotely at any time. A successful trial demonstrated 99% accuracy, leading to a subsequent commercial-scale rollout using LoRaWAN coverage across the county to support over 20,600 additional meters. Better monitoring of water usage has cut the network's previous 12% water loss to around 3.5% -saving WMWD money and optimising its use of water resources so scarce they must often be piped in from elsewhere in the state. www.lora-alliance.org p.9 Read more

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