Smart Water Grid

Municipalities are increasingly adopting smart water grid initiatives to improve the way that scarce water resources are conserved, monitored and managed.

Like a smart electric grid and other smart city technologies, a smart water grid uses sensors placed throughout the water distribution network to gather real-time data about everything from water flow and water quality to the performance of water utility infrastructure and the possibility of flooding. A smart water grid also relies on smart meters to monitor commercial and residential consumption, helping utility officials to more effectively manage demand and predict future consumption trends.

With the vast wealth of intelligence produced by a smart water grid, water utilities can better prevent water shortages and ensure a continuous supply of clean water. Leaks and potential theft can be quickly identified and stopped, helping to eliminate waste that drives up environmental and financial costs. Cities can more effectively manage floods when they occur. Water quality can be proactively monitored, with alerts issued when any changes are detected in critical metrics such as bacteria and pathogen levels. Cities can also reduce the stress on aging distribution networks through informed planning, and pumping operations can be optimized to reduce energy consumption. Finally, a smart water grid helps lower the cost of managing water resources, enabling utilities to improve service while dealing with budgetary constraints.

How a smart water grid works

A smart water grid uses a variety of technologies to collect, transmit and analyze the data required for smart water management.

• Smart water sensors gather real-time data on water pressure, temperature, moisture, flow, vibration, water quality and flooding potential. Sensors may be placed throughout the water distribution network, including sites such as reservoirs, wastewater and sewage treatment systems, clean/potable water distribution infrastructure, industrial facilities, multi-tenant housing structures, commercial and agricultural irrigation systems, and large commercial facilities.
• Smart metering technology replaces standard meters in homes and businesses. Smart water metering can provide continual data on water consumption, helping water utility officials to understand and plan for consumption more effectively.
• A high-performance network infrastructure can quickly and reliably transmit the vast volumes of data produced by sensors to data management platforms in the cloud.
• Analytics software is used to aggregate data and transform it into useful information that water utilities can use to monitor infrastructure, predict consumption patterns and plan more accurately for future demand.

Spectrum Enterprise connects the smart water grid

As one of the nation’s leading suppliers of connectivity solutions for governments and enterprises, Spectrum Enterprise provides smart cities with the network infrastructure they require to connect a smart water grid and other smart city initiatives. Spectrum has more than 840,000 miles of fiber network already in place and is currently adding additional capacity with a $25 billion investment by 2021.

To enable the sensors in smart water systems to communicate reliably and accurately with a smart water grid, Spectrum provides:

• A two-way, fully interactive digital network.
• Symmetrical connection speeds of up to 100 Gbps for large clients such as local governments and enterprises.
• Internet connectivity for homes and businesses with gigabit connection speeds.
• Cellular connections through Spectrum Mobile, one of the nation’s largest LTE cellular networks.
• WiFi connectivity, with more than 350,000 WiFi hotspots throughout the nation.

Learn more about Spectrum Smart Cities at www.spectrumsmartcities.com.