Smart Water Distribution Technology

To support populations of thousands of people, clean water is vital. To support agriculture, drinking purposes, and cleaning purposes, millions of gallons of clean water are needed. But if the water cannot be transported for these uses, the supply of clean water is irrelevant. For thousands of years, dating back to Roman times, water distributions have been vital to the survival of a city. So how can we ensure that these systems are working as efficiently as possible?

To ensure the efficiency of these systems, the problems with existing infrastructure need to be understood. As pipe infrastructure ages, these distribution systems become prone to water loss and worse water quality. So, it is important to revitalize aging infrastructure.

Also, current pipes may not be able to support future populations. Many distribution systems are approaching their limits, and do not have any extra piping systems to support growing demands.

Adding on to this, climate change poses changes to these systems. In areas with increased flooding, the current distribution infrastructure is not set up to treat large amounts of water from new floods. And because of this, distribution systems in flood prone areas are being overloaded.

So, new technology has been created to address these issues. One solution from this technology is installing sensors into reservoirs. This will allow for real-time analysis of water levels, and allows for the anticipation of releasing of water. Also, water quality sensors will allow for the effective analysis of water quality, and will quickly identify issues for solving.

Adding on to this, basic steps in maintenance will allow for the achievement of this smart water distribution. Repairing these systems and providing consistent check-ups will allow for distribution systems to avoid any unexpected concerns.

Combining these two systems will create a water distribution system that is set to last. By implementing these sensor systems, system operators can begin to collect data that may assist in the efficient distribution of water. Also, this data may allow civil engineers to quickly identify issues in these systems, and add new systems on top of existing systems. As economies grow and environmental challenges arise, data is the factor that will allow civil engineers to keep these systems up to date.