For this, there is a need for data that can be used for daily management, for annual reporting, prioritization of projects and long-term planning.
The underlying driving forces for increased digitization of the power grid can be summed up as urbanisation, older infrastructure and climate change.
- Urbanisation : Leads to both an increased need for capacity, but also a reduced need for capacity in areas where the population is decreasing. Digitization makes it easier to check whether the capacity is sufficient, or whether the water is stagnating in the network.
- Aging infrastructure : Analysis of available data can help the municipality identify areas with the greatest need for investment and detect leaks. Data access provides a basis for the municipality to work proactively by anticipating a reduction in the line's function and looking to improve the line before the damage has occurred.
- Climate change : Smart solutions can help reduce stress on the pipeline network when more extreme events, more intense rain and stormwater that increase the risk of flooding and overflow discharges and increased drought in the summer that limits the capacity of drinking water sources, become more common as a result of climate change.
As part of digitizing the wiring network, Skiptvet municipality will introduce smart water meters and at the same time utilize the potential that lies in the use of data from smart water meters.
Data from smart water meters will be used to monitor the status of the municipal network, among other things to make leak detection more efficient. In recent years, Skiptvet municipality has had a water leakage amount of 30%, which requires resources to locate. Leakage water uses large amounts of energy in water production and transport and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and unnecessary costs. Using data from smart water meters will simplify everyday life and free up resources for other important maintenance and operational tasks.
By automatically collecting and processing water meter data, the preparation of the invoice basis can also be made more efficient, including reducing sources of error, increased response rate and less manual handling for both the subscriber and case manager in the municipality. The municipality currently has manual processes for measuring and settling mechanical water meters and spends a lot of time processing cases of missing readings and complaints. Smart water meters make it possible to digitize these services, which will save the municipality resources.
For the resident, they want to offer a more understandable invoice, access to an overview of their own water consumption and the possibility to notify the resident if a leak is suspected.
In summary, smart water meters can provide a number of benefits, both for the municipality, subscribers and society.
Profits for the municipality
- Reduced costs that benefit subscribers
- Reduction of leaks from 30% to 20%
- Reduced energy consumption
- Better environmental accounting with reduced CO 2 emissions from treatment plants and pumping stations
- The municipalities will receive lower costs for their own building materials where leakage may occur
- Option to optimize energy management of water pumps
- The municipality will reduce costs for manual scanning and processing of reading cards and reduce complaint handling related to manual measurement and settlement
Profits for subscribers
- Subscribers can get reduced public charges related to water
- Reduced damage to property due to leaks, which leads to lower insurance premiums
- Awareness and control of own water consumption
Benefits for society
- Vertical data use for new services in a smart-city perspective (e.g. water consumption versus health)
- Shared operating center with other infrastructures, for example electricity, water and district heating
- Increased awareness among subscribers about water will contribute to a general increased awareness in relation to overall climate challenges
The municipality has carried out a pilot in the period September to November 2021, where the municipality tested 2 areas with digital water meters with a view to how the data from water meters can be collected, stored and what is needed to use the data to establish new services in the municipality. The pilot has given the municipality valuable experience and will lay the foundation for future purchases of digital water meters, associated data management and services such as invoice management and leak monitoring.
The pilot has also looked at the costs and benefits of introducing digital water meters and associated services. It was challenging to quantify all the factors included in the benefit analysis, but Skiptvet municipality has quality assured the calculations and assisted with the numbering of the internal items in the benefit analysis. The principle of the profit analysis is that with a profit index above 0, it will be profitable to invest in digital water meters compared to continuing as before. By installing leakage water meters in all households, the profit index will be positive after 10 years of operation of the system and it was therefore decided to install digital water meters in all households in Skiptvet municipality in the coming years.
Money has now been allocated in the financial plan for 2023-2025 for the necessary investments, so that work on the tender can start in the autumn of 2022.