WATER PAGES
by a utility. According to Sergio Aznar, a specialist in the GIS Implementation and Product Department at Idrica, "its efficiency partly depends on a robust connection to the rest of the utility’s systems and the tools used in dailymanagement". Likewise, "they are the core of the geospatial information about a utility’s assets, where themaintenance and analysis of the infrastructure’s georeferenced data and its technical characteristics is carried out”, added the expert.
According to Idrica, some of theirmain functions include advanced network inventory queries, the generation of thematicmaps, the printing ofmaps using computer-assisted templates, the generation of longitudinal network profiles and the definition of basins discharging water at a specific control point, links to documentation, photographs and sketches, and real-time information queries onmobile devices. In addition, in recent years, some of themost advanced utilities have chosen to connect GIS in real time to theirmathematicalmodels (EPANET) and other data sources, resulting in the implementation of digital twins.
Main use cases in watermanagement
Water resource applications deployed in GIS cover the entire water cycle and its processes. These systems facilitatemore effective and efficient water resourcemanagement in the sector by providing more accurate understanding of the availability and distribution of water resources. In addition, thanks to their geospatial component, they can address and solve specific challenges and problems that would otherwise go unanswered.
As they are the core of the information and know the location of the assets and their characteristics, they can provide knowledge about their environment and what can directly affect them, helping specialists tomake the best decisions in any water analysis or management issue, added the expert.
Water supply uses
GIS applications are key applications in leak and alarmmanagement in the water supply sector. Thanks to these information systems, utilities canmake decisions tominimize water service interruptions
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after a leak or planned work in the distribution network. "They provide us with information about which pipes and service connections are going to be affected by repair work or a leak, thus providing guidance on which elements, such as valves, need to be closed tominimize the consequences. Users can thus be notified if their water is likely to be cut off at home", said Sergio Aznar, a specialist in Idrica's GIS Implementation and Product Department.
In terms of fault detection and prevention, these systems gather vital information to prevent failures in the distribution network, such as thematerial pipes aremade of or the date they were installed. Geospatial analysis of the pipes, i.e., linking data with the geographical element, facilitates inspections. For example, detecting connections that are operational but should no longer be in use.
In the geolocation of field work, GIS systems provide field information through real-timemapping of essential data for route setting and tracking, and detailed documentation related to the work performed at a specific location. Therefore, GIS improves water resourcemanagement by providingmore detailed, up-to- date information.
Wastewater uses
According to Idrica, the analysis of virus incidence in the population is key to wastewatermanagement. “GIS can compile, analyze, and draw up infected populationmaps or cadastralmaps (documents with information on location,measurements and/or land surface, etc.), to establish areas of greater or lesser infection, population ratios, ages, etc., based on the information available fromthe wastewater network receiving household discharges, crossed with contagion data”, stated Aznar. Thus, GIS enable us to carry out critical studies to analyze relationships and behavioral patterns that can provide amore effective response to pandemics.
In urban flood prevention, these systems, in combination with remote sensing, can identify possible overflows in sewers, and show which ones have poor drainage capacity, providing municipalities with alerts to prevent flooding after heavy rainfall events.
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