Digital Revolution in Ground Water Utility Management

Most water utility managers feel confident they are doing a good job of tracking and maintaining their systems and planning for capital projects. Operators still have to record some data on paper log sheets, transcribe the data into a computer spreadsheet, and report to water authorities on a timely basis. The job has not changed much in 30 years. This presentation describes a 21st-century approach to water utility information management, from collecting data in a direct and accurate way, to using the data to manage day-to-day operations more effectively. We focus on the advantages that the new approach has offered to users. The presentation starts with a quick look at water data, including collection, reporting and analysis, and how a digital system has been used by three utility managers. •           M. Marlon Ivy & Associates operate several small Municipal Utility Districts in the Houston area. They have used a digital data system since 2003 to monitor water treatment, distribution and wastewater treatment, and within the first month of use virtually eliminated paper logs. •           Genoa Township in Michigan employs Severn Trent to operate about 60 lift stations, 3 wastewater treatment plants, and 2 water treatment plants and has been using a digital data system since 2006. The Township’s utilities director is in the process of integrating the operational data collected with a comprehensive GIS system designed to track every piece of the water and sewer infrastructure. •           The City of Pearland, TX, installed their digital data system 2005. The data collected was used in a dynamic modeling study as part of their long-range capital improvement program. With digital data, the engineer could dynamically model and verify the system. As a result of this study, the projected cost of the capital project dropped from $145 million to $77 million.