The digital transformation of water: It just makes sense
It’s a digital world, but apparently not everyone has gotten the message.
To help remedy that, the SWAN North American Alliance held its 2nd Annual Utility Workshop in Chicago on Nov. 6. Aptly titled Modernizing North American Water Systems in the Digital Age. This day-long event, in collaboration with the Alliance for Water Efficiency, Current, and GlobalWaterWorks, was sponsored by Uptake and Sensus, a Xylem brand, and featured an interactive exploration of innovative digital solutions to water challenges through panel and roundtable discussions.
Data-driven strategies bring efficiencies
During the panel discussion, “Smart Water Technologies: Understanding the Opportunity,” panelist Tim Kruse, VP, Eramosa, talked about a recent visit to a large waste-water plant. “They were using Excel; cut & paste, cut & paste! They need better access to data and the single most transformative thing they can do is find solutions that talk to each other and use the tools to get it done. These tools are available.”
David Drake, co-founder and VP of Enterprise Architecture, SmartCover Systems, added, “turn-key solutions that integrate all components of monitoring, communications and reporting may provide an easier on-ramp for smaller utilities or utilities just embarking on a digital transformation.”
During another panel, “Embracing a Digital Transformation,” Colin Walsby, senior director of Strategy & Business Development at Xylem, listed some of the benefits of going digital:
- Utilization and sharing of data across systems and departments drives additional operational efficiencies
- Provides an ability to measure key performance metrics
- Enhances public safety
- Allows customers to become better informed and receive increased services.
Expert-led roundtables drill down on digital transformation opportunities and what’s standing in the way
More and more providers are seeing the value of going digital, taking advantage of the technology that’s out there and available. GlobalWaterWorks organized 10 interactive roundtable sessions to allow participants to drill down on specific opportunities for the digital transformation of water. Each of the discussions was facilitated by knowledge or technology expert(s). Click on the first session and hear them all, or use the links below to hear the 90-second recaps for the topics of interest to you:
- Smart Water as a Foundation for the Smart City: Seth Cutler, Frost & Sullivan, with Rani Averick, GlobalWaterWorks
- Navigating Your Digital Transformation: Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Amane Advisors
- Making the Most of AMI: Chris Thomson, Sensus, a Xylem Brand, with Megan Chery, Alliance for Water Efficiency
- Wastewater 3.0: Richard Prinster, Linko Technology, with Andrew Shaw, Black & Veatch
- Smart Collection Systems: Joan Hawley, Superior Engineering, with David Drake, SmartCover Systems
- Using Data to Inspire Collaborative Watershed Planning: Linda Reid, Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, with Matt Bednarski, GRAEF:Water
- Technology Innovation and Validation: Steve Frenkel, Current, with Walter Graf, WE&RF
- Engaging the NextGen: Nate Conroy, STEMHero, with Marcia Silva, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences
- Finding $ and Experts in Water: Ebie Holst, SplashLink, with Helge Daebel, Emerald Technology Ventures
- Incentivizing Smart Water Policy: Amir Cahn, SWAN Forum, with Adriana Felix-Selgado, EPA
You can learn more about the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) and this workshop on the SWAN site: http://www.swan-forum.com/Chicago-workshop.