WC131 JulyAugust 2023 - Magazine - Page 10
INNOVATION
Collaborating with the Esri Canada team, the City was able to harness the
full potential of their data and leverage the Utility Network to set a modern
foundation that encompassed the entirety of its water network.
Visualizing the water network
Contrary to static legacy systems, the Utility
Network provides an accurate three-dimensional,
real-world representation of all assets, including
modern IoT-enabled pressure sensors and internal
configurations of complex assemblies within building
assets, such as pump stations, metre pits, and valve
assemblies.
When the City of Brandon first approached Esri
Canada, the City’s geometric network data did not
align with its broader geographic information system
(GIS), causing discrepancies across multiple network
versions. The implementation of the Utility Network
resolved this, offering a centralized system for accurate visualization and schematic diagram production,
helping staff identify system vulnerabilities.
Despite starting with robust data, the City of
Brandon’s previous system restricted simultaneous
real-time observation of their assets, network, and
equipment. Collaborating with the Esri Canada
team, the City was able to harness the full potential
of their data and leverage the Utility Network to set a
modern foundation that encompassed the entirety of
its water network. As Jamie Hart, Brandon’s manager
of municipal assets, observes, “We’re now operating
at the most optimal state due to our ability to know
and understand the network. We’re at the beginning
of our journey in this transformation. The information value we’re able to deliver now across the utility
and the City as a whole is exciting.”
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WATER C AN ADA • JULY/AUGUS T 2023
Time-aware performance
Operating in real time, the Utility Network delivers
better operational awareness, enabling simultaneous
management, maintenance, and analysis. Changes
made by field technicians are instantly updated,
improving information transfer and network visibility.
For example, when a field crew turns a valve off
for maintenance, the closure can be seen by anyone
using an app that is connected to the Utility Network. Likewise, if an asset controlling the directional
flow of water is altered, the status is immediately
modelled and updated across the network. Moreover,
the Utility Network can be used for future construction and replacement activities by projecting the
network’s potential status years ahead.
Anywhere access
Building on the ArcGIS Utility Network data model,
the City of Brandon rolled out a series of industryspecific water network tracing and outage control
workflows, developed by Esri partner VertiGIS.
Layering this configuration-based application on top
of the Utility Network enabled Brandon to rapidly
deploy apps for important operational workflows
such as valve isolation, and water outage customer
identification and restoration coordination, among
others. Deploying these workflows offered Brandon
a significant improvement in their ability to manage
water outages and notify affected customers, resulting
in happier customers and fewer complaints.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
