In many parts of the world, water stress is an increasing problem. Clean, treated water is not only essential for sustaining human life and ecosystems, it is also a crucial element in most industrial processes. So how do we meet the challenges of increasing demands for fresh water while supplies remain at the same level – at best?

We need to:

• Help utility customers curb water use by making consumption data available through AMI systems
• Replace aging infrastructure to be better prepared to deal with increasing efficiency requirements
• Add intelligence to the distribution grid to streamline operations and identify leaks faster and more accurately

Compared to its relative scarcity and the resource demanding process of making clean water available, the price of water does not reflect its real value. This results in over-consumption and causes under-investments in infrastructure.

Second to carbon reductions, it seems that reducing water consumption is the next big issue on the agenda. We are now talking about our “water footprint”, and methods of reducing it in order to ensure long-term sustainability.

Studies show that there is a growing need for fresh water. Within 20 years, the demand for water will be 40 per cent higher than it is today . And yet, water quality and availability is decreasing, and waste is running high: “Every year, more than 32 billion cubic meters of treated water physically leak from urban water supply systems around the world” .

All in all, there is an urgent need for continuously launching initiatives that can reduce water consumption, improve water distribution infrastructure, and increase water quality.

Smart grid for water
With the advances of distributed intelligence in the power grid, the time is right to apply these processes to the water distribution network. Using e.g. real-time communication, sensors, and smart meters, we can get better insight and discover wasteful leaks.

At Amplex, we are always looking towards new ways of applying our energy efficiency and smart grid technologies. Our AMI system reads and tracks water (and heat/electricity) consumption and helps identify leaks and non-revenue water usage.

We are currently working on a solution that uses distributed intelligence and smart grid technology and relates it to water quality, water distribution, and non-revenue water. By monitoring water pumps in the distribution network, we add intelligence to a process that has largely been characterized by mechanical processes.

With such initiatives, the water distribution network will become an intelligent grid that is more efficient, less expensive to run, and more capable of handling the future fresh water scarcity issues.