Nobel Systems is one of two companies that the Asian Development Bank identified as a top solution provider for improving remote monitoring of water utilities in its #DigitalAgainstCOVID-19 Hackathon contest. Nobel Systems will receive potential seed funding of $10,000 or more to pilot its solution in ADB’s developing member countries.
ADB chose Nobel Systems and Hiraya Water as top solution providers in the Improving Remote Monitoring of Water Utilities challenge, whose goal is to find remote smart water management solutions for water utilities in the following areas:
Water monitoring operations
Service delivery maintenance
Asset management
Staff performance
Identifying service area vulnerabilities
Water Utility Monitoring and Operational Challenges
Population growth and climate change are driving increased water demand in urban and rural areas worldwide. COVID-19 has added to the complexities for water utilities in providing continuity of services.
Fewer on-site staff, difficulty in managing bill collections, and an increase in water demand due to heightened sanitation efforts and more people staying at home have impacted water services.
COVID-19 has also caused safety concerns for staff at wastewater treatment plants. Staff shortage is one of the greatest concerns that have impacted water and wastewater operations management.
Water utilities must ensure uninterrupted asset management, water quality monitoring, facility status reporting, and identify leaks and disruptions promptly.
Remote smart water monitoring systems are critical to safely and efficiently ensure ongoing operations and to monitor every part of the water cycle from sourcing to treatment and delivery to consumption.
ADB asked participants in the challenge, how smart water technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, and analytics, integrate into existing water systems to improve water utility asset management, monitor water supply operations, and manage staff remotely, especially in times of crisis like the COVID-19?
Nobel’s Real-Time Remote Water Utility Monitoring Solution, GeoViewer
To address the challenge, Nobel Systems pitched its flagship real-time operational asset management system GeoViewer that revolutionizes remote water utility monitoring.
GeoViewer allows water utilities to remotely monitor real-time information on leaks, low water pressure, and low flow. It also enables instant asset management/work orders for reactive and predictive maintenance.
GeoViewer provides solutions to:
Monitor water level and conditions (through pressure sensors, among others)
Forecast demand and monitor consumption to help manage the pressure and speed of water throughout a system
Act as an asset management solution, detect leaks, and enable predictive maintenance
Enable staff safety and track operational performance, including workforce capacity and work orders
Enhance customer service, for example, real-time updates on closures and disruptions, hourly consumption, leak detection, and customer feedback
Watch the video below to see how Nobel’s proprietary Machine Learning Algorithm leverages existing GIS data, pressure, and depth sensors to create a “digital twin” of an existing water system.
Watch Nobel’s pitch (begins at 14:22).
About ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development.
ADB, in partnership with member governments, independent specialists, and other financial institutions is focused on delivering projects in developing member countries that create economic and development impacts.