Controlling the complex work of water supply and sewerage systems is much easier and more convenient using geographic information systems (GIS) that collect, store, analyze, and graphically represent spatial data, including engineering networks and related information.
Significant Advantages
Currently, Kyivvodokanal has already implemented GIS for water supply and pressure parts of wastewater networks, for which hydraulic models have been built. This allows:
- to view actual data of water and sewerage networks,
- to make correct technical decisions in eliminating emergency situations,
- to monitor network emergencies and check water supply systems for reliability.
Optimization of network management significantly reduces maintenance costs.
GIS also provides convenient analytical tools for dispatchers: data visualization by various criteria and the formation of "heat maps" - water supply networks are visualized on an interactive map along with their characteristics.
Real-life Example
Previously, when sending a team to fix an emergency, the district chief had to draw the location of pipelines, water wells by hand to explain which valve to close, where to perform welding work, etc. If there were 10-15 emergencies in a day, this work took a lot of time that could be used more effectively. Now, with GIS, you can immediately print a network fragment with all necessary markings, saving time and providing accurate, verified information.
GIS capabilities are already being tested in the field. Our specialists use tablets containing digital network maps. This allows them to quickly obtain data about water supply objects near the employee. It is planned that the tool will allow operators to correct object data directly on site to continuously improve and refine the digital model of our networks.
In the near future, by monitoring pressure changes in the network, the system will be able to identify emergency situations, and GPS integration will allow sending the nearest emergency team to the leak, saving time and fuel.
Main thing - consumer comfort
For water canal consumers, effective use of GIS provides the following benefits:
- Stable water pressure in the network. Digital modeling of the network will allow optimizing its operation so that there are no low-pressure areas in the city without enough water.
- Proactive work. The program can model the most worn-out and emergency network sections, allowing us to better plan repair and pipeline replacement work. This will prevent emergency situations and cause less inconvenience to consumers.
- Accurate consumer information. Since GIS allows creating informative maps with work performance and shutdown zones, we can inform consumers about the progress and completion of work in real-time.
What's next
Next, we plan to digitize gravity sewerage and power supply networks of the enterprise's facilities, as well as perspective sections of these networks - planned for new construction or reconstruction of existing ones.
Currently, integration of GIS with other corporate systems of the company, such as SCADA, Billing, CRM, KIC IT-Enterprise, and tracking, is being worked out.
One of the important tasks is to refine water network data and include perspective network sections in the program. This way, GIS will reflect not only the current state but also the development potential of water networks.