Digital one water smart utility3/19/2023 ![]() GARY: So energy costs are typically about 1/3 of the operating budget. Water and wastewater facilities often have things like pumps, and motors, and other equipment running 24/7. Surprising as it sounds, this is really true. GARY: The whole energy water nexus is critical to think about here because the typical large consumer, most likely the largest consumer of power in any town or city, is likely going to be the water, wastewater utility. The interplay between power and water infrastructure I mean, we all remember those images of people having to boil their water just to drink, and collecting snow to flush their toilets, and everything. At the same time, pipes actually started to freeze and caused them to burst. They couldn't run the treatment process, so that led to boil water advisories. GARY: Well, since power and water are inextricably linked, without power, the water treatment facilities weren't able to operate their pumps. NEWS ANCHOR: More than 620,000 waking up without power in Texas this morning. So demand couldn't be met and, as a result, the grid operators had to conduct those rolling blackouts in different parts of the state. Basically, every potential source of power in Texas shut down at the same time. So what happened, really, was there were ice and snow storms in Texas and that caused a widespread power outage. GARY: Sure, and that's the whole point about having to be resilient, right? It's being prepared for the next unknown and that, I think, really took a lot of people by surprise in Texas. Can you just start off by reminding us what happened, how it impacted water in that state? REBECCA AHRENS: So Gary, I want to start off by asking you about a recent event that really put the resilience of the water infrastructure in America to the test, and I'm talking about the big polar vortex that hit Texas this past February. I got in touch with Gary because I was curious about how data is changing the water industry, but also because I wanted to ask him about two really big words when it comes to water systems, resilience and sustainability. ![]() Gary has been working in and studying the water industry for almost 25 years. He's also Chairman of SWAN Americas Alliance, the smart water networks forum. That's Gary Wong, the Global Water Industry Lead and Expert for AVEVA. GARY WONG: In total, I think about 1,200 water systems were impacted, affecting up to about 15 million people. Transcript The polar vortex of February 2021 That is, until clean drinking water is suddenly unavailable. It can be easy to take water for granted. Last, Gary tells a fascinating story about the growing climate-related threat of toxic algae and how data and AI are helping to keep those toxins out of public water supplies. You’ll also discover how data can be used to reduce energy usage in water treatment plants, about water loss, and about the importance of smart water meters for leak detection. Learn why the infamous polar vortex that turned off the lights in Texas last winter also affected access to clean drinking water. In this episode, you’ll hear about how big data and smart water technology are helping to keep our water systems resilient in the face of a changing climate. Using predictive analytics to mitigate the impact of extreme weather.Climate change and the rise of harmful algae blooms in drinking water.Why water utilities must be proactive about leak detection.Between 15 – 30% of community water systems are leaking water.Why the February 2021 polar vortex power outages also shut down water infrastructure.
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