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Optimising Water Data Ahead of Price Review

Ofwat has published its PR24 final methodology and expectations around leakage and water consumption are predictably high. Implemented now, smart technology can help get data for upcoming business plans, says Kevin Brook, Director at Orbis Intelligent Systems.

WD News: Innovation will be key to water companies hitting future targets and delivering against new expectations, says Ofwat in its price review 2024 final methodology.

The regulator tells water companies in England and Wales that it will reward ambitious plans for the 2025-2030 operational period. With leakage, for example, it says “companies will be rewarded if they can set and deliver aggressive reductions. We expect companies to embrace the opportunities to improve performance through smart technology and better use of data”.

Kevin Brook

The long-term challenge of ensuring sufficient water resources is a key element of Ofwat’s methodology framework, including the reduction of leakage and water consumption.

While data-driven real-time monitoring has kick-started the water sector’s smart transformation, with leakage performance being just one area to have improved as a result, companies will need to be bolder and move faster to put themselves in the best possible position ahead of the next price review.

With both leakage and per capita consumption, there are some quick wins available to enable utilities to get their data in order, close reporting gaps, and help inform business plans. Smart standpipes, for example, allow more precise monitoring of water supply networks.

By calculating in real-time the exact volume of water being extracted from the network by third parties who have hired the devices, utilities can assign consumption to an authorized user, such as a local authority or construction company. Orbis’s unique SmartStandpipe has a built-in multi-sensor that measures water extractions and pipeline flow data, provides GPS location data, and records the time the water was taken.

Source & image courtesy: Ofwat

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