AWWA IMTECH62882

Proper management of the water system is crucial to ensure sustainability of a given resource, maintain high quality water resources, and maximize a utility's ability to respond to profound operating conditions. By taking a "systems" perspective, utilities can ensure the most effective overall management of operations. While technology has always been important to effective and efficient operations, technology is playing an ever-increasing role in managing today's and tomorrow's complex environment. Advanced operational systems include technologies such as artificial intelligent networks, consumption forecasting, integration with operational simulation models, coordination with maintenance management systems, and automated energy management. Combining these technologies into an Optimization System empowers utility operations in ways previously unachievable. Through the use of an Optimization System, a water utility can achieve a multitude of benefits that include: reduce energy costs of pumping and maximize hydro generation; improve management of multiple water supplies - both ground and surface water; reduce cost of water supplies while improving overall quality of supply; improve coordination of maintenance, positively influencing system operations; reduce capital costs through coordination of operations optimization with water system planning;maintain consistent, high-quality water through real-time monitoring of water quality parameters; achieve more reliable and secure system operations via enhanced planning, continuous analysis, and inter- and intra-utility coordination; capture and institutionalize operational knowledge; improve response to emergencies and abnormal operations; reduce operational risks and avoid unforeseen operational expenses. This paper documents how water utilities leverage supervisory control and data aquisition (SCADA) systems and other commonly available IT systems (e.g. office automation and web tools) to achieve substantial results using advanced optimization and inference engines to substantially improve daily operations. Operational experience from multiple AwwaRF EWQMS/Operations Optimization research projects and other utility optimization projects is applied in this presentation of advanced technologies. Includes figures.