Thames Water serves 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, managing more than 2,236 miles of the trunk main network. One of the factors which they consider is aging mains and the impact that pressure spikes may have over time.
THE CHALLENGE
Trunk main bursts are a major problem for large, urban water systems. Detecting bursts and reducing leakage is particularly important for Thames Water. Given the cost and complexity of replacing trunk mains — especially in a city as densely built-up as London — Thames Water uses the company’s technology predominantly for burst detection on its critical pipelines.
THE SOLUTION
The utility uses Syrinix’s RADAR technology predominantly for burst detection on its critical pipelines, which incorporates transient monitoring, where major pressure events can be traced back to source via a triangulation algorithm in the linked software platform.
Due to the rapid, near-instantaneous nature of transient pressure waves, sub-second data resolution is essential to observe what is truly happening in the network. When events occur, detailed monitoring data is sent in real time to Syrinix’s cloud platform for analysis.
Data from the monitors is cross-referenced with mapping data held in Thames’s geographic information systems (GIS) repository, enabling operational teams to rapidly identify the location of pressure transients and bursts in real time.
RESULTS
The high-resolution data generated by the smart monitors supports routine operational activities. Pressure can be monitored in real time during line flushing. When new assets are brought online, the control team can monitor pressures in the pipe as the unit is commissioned and take corrective action in real time, if required.
Given the critical importance of identifying pressure transients and bursts quickly — and the potential economic risk of failing to do so — a continuous flow of pressure and flow data is essential to network operations today. Using the API interface, the data points are vital as Thames Water move towards a smart water network and incorporate these into day-to-day operations.
With Syrinix smart monitors and intelligent data analysis, Thames Water is well positioned to keep calm and carry on.
