13 minute read
Data flow
MANAGING DATA FLOW
Could Big Data make the huge improvements needed in water efficiency?
Radical ideas are needed to reduce the amount of water being lost. According to the Consumer Council for Water, 3.1 billion litres of water are lost every day in the UK from leakage. What can be done to stop this?
Water firms have begun to explore how Big Data can be used to tackle the problem. The concept is simple, even if the work to do it isn’t. It’s telemetry on a massive scale: bringing together lots of information about water use or loss from multiple sources. Add in the factors that influence the rate of losses and you have a dashboard that helps decide the inputs you make. But it requires a lot of computing power to get there and complex analysis to get it right.
UK Water, the body which coordinates work between the UK suppliers, has started a focus group specialising in data and analytics as part of the British Water Technical Forum. The two areas of focus for the industry are network management and sustainable water management.
Technical Director Marta Perez says: “At its first meeting, members of Data & Analytics Focus Group vowed to work towards a code of practice to advise UK utilities and their supply chain. The data and analytics experts also propose to compile a glossary of technical terms to streamline the way language is used across the industry.”
They are latecomers to the idea: the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) has already been sharing best practice from utility firms in America, Asia and Europe for more than three years.
Organisations working with the utility firms have already been using the
data analysis to reduce water loss.
The Met Office, using its access to massive computing power, needed to calculate weather changes to advise UK water firms. Nicholas Law, senior account manager at the Met Office, has been telling IT leads at utility firms that data can help them be better prepared.
“A solution we developed to help better manage severe weather is our new ‘Freeze-Thaw’ warning and alerting capability. The model analyses specific combinations of forecast weather elements, that when combined can cause an impactful freeze-thaw event. An early alert of a ‘freezing and thawing’ event gives a water company enough time to prepare an appropriate response and better manage resources.”
Is this a game-changer?
It’s a change that the big players don’t want to keep to themselves. UK Water, in its 2050 innovation strategy launched last month (see https://bit.ly/3on46CD), says it wants to see “systemically rethinking innovation practices, culture and enablers in the water sector.
“This means that innovation extends well beyond new technology… and spreading and scaling what works, so that we achieve maximum benefit.”
Later this month, British Water – which represents the waste water industry – is bringing together experts to explain the benefits for smaller operators such as cutting costs, increasing sales, more accurate pricing and becoming more agile to compete with bigger rivals. They say: “Companies
ANALYSE THIS
Even small businesses can use data to help plan work and improve marketing:
Social media
Maintaining an active presence on social media not only allows you to market your business easily, but channels such as Facebook offer useful insights from individual reviews to wider patterns of use – for example, which of your posts generate big reactions, and what kind of people are looking at your page.
Google Analytics
If you have a company website, Google Analytics is a free tool that you can use to monitor how many people are looking at your site, when and how they’re accessing it, and which pages they’re visiting most.
Spotting trends
Take advantage of services that already harness Big Data, such as long-range weather forecasts and economic predictions, to work out when your customers are most likely to need and be able to afford your services.
need to turn their data into usable information to increase efficiencies”.
While data analysis on a large scale offers benefits, there are challenges, most obviously the issue of data sharing. Two years ago, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), began a review into how Big Data could help improve its future work to tackle flooding, and found that a lack of access could limit potential gains.
Defra says: “Sharing of data is often restricted by licencing arrangements and a risk-adverse approach to sharing what can be seen as ‘sensitive’ data. A possible solution would be the creation of ‘safe havens’ for people to access and work with sensitive data.”
Then there is the issue of translating the results of large-scale analyses into real-world actions. Julie Spinks, managing director of the Water Regulatory Advisory Service (WRAS), says: “After you collect data, you’ve then got to persuade people to do good things.
“The conversations I’ve had around building design show there’s a bigger opportunity in Smart Metering and getting people to know their plumbing and water use, and to identify losses. There’s also designing out faults.”
And when it comes to water efficiency – where urgent action is needed to prevent critical shortages – some would argue that simply raising awareness of the issue and taking practical steps to improve things could result in faster gains than switching to a data-led strategy. CIPHE technical manager Jerry Whiteley says: “Net-zero carbon targets dominate the agenda whilst the use of water, a finite resource, still does not command the public and legislative attention required.”
At a day-to-day level, installers have yet to be convinced about data and believe better quality products and workmanship will help more.
Mick Iles, former Surrey CIPHE branch chair, is an installer with 30 years’ experience. He says: “There are better things we can be doing. Manufacturers have tried to make things more efficient but some of the toilet valves are getting far too complex. When they fail, the system still works so people don’t bother repairing them – and the waste goes on.
“A lot of it is down to education and good system design. Sometimes the expectations of the client are different to what the regulations want and what the manufacturer claims.”
Want to find out more?
For HVAC and the Internet of Things, go to
bit.ly/3iA4eea
Smarter Water networks Forum is at
www.swan-forum.com/
POWER HOUSE? It’s home to the world’s most important politician and many White House residents have changed its heating and ventilation. P&H Engineering explores its history
It’s one of the world’s most famous addresses, where the most powerful person in the world lives and works.
But at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, all is not what it seems. For starters, the location means the White House residents have had to deal with stifling heat in summer and, as with all old buildings, the workmanship over the years has varied.
Many US presidents have complained about it – and also used it to promote new technology or encourage industry to build during downturns.
The site was selected by George Washington in 1791 and it’s been the home to every US leader since 1800 when the second president, John Adams, and his wife Abigail moved in.
But there have been issues from the beginning; Adams was dismayed to find no running water or indoor plumbing. That didn’t arrive for another 33 years for drinking and for fire protection.
Temperature control was also a problem. Washington DC has sweltering summers and freezing cold winters. In the early years, presidential families would literally head for the hills in summer. Things got better in 1840 when ducts were installed. The first air conditioning was installed in the form of an electric blower pushing air through ice and cotton sheets in 1881 specifically
The infrastructure needs constant improvement
for staff to try and ease the suffering of a mortally wounded President Garfield. Additionally, a gravity hot-air heating system fed off of a self-contained furnace heated his and several other rooms through the ducts. But the system was limited to the state rooms until five years later when President Polk ordered its extension to the second floors.
None of which stopped President Taft, in the days before high security, from sleeping on the porch to escape the heat.
Moving with the times
Events forced a major overhaul after construction work caused a fire in 1930 that caused extensive damage to the West Wing. Proper HVAC units were installed in 1933. Even so, President Roosevelt chose to work in shirtsleeves with the windows open.
Did you know? The 2017 project
There has also been a to overhaul HVAC collapse. The overhaul left at the White House constant battle over who cost $1.965m a façade with iron girders pays for improvements. holding the main structure, The first swimming pool, effectively building a modern indoors, was finished in 1933 office and housing complex within after a newspaper raised the money the shell. for Roosevelt, who suffered from Artifacts lost at the time were later poliomyelitis and needed to swim as collected and returned in a project First part of his treatment. Lady Kennedy began in 1961. She formed
President Lyndon Johnson never got the White House Historical Association the hang of the HVAC system and was and since then it has sourced $50m from rumoured to sleep under an electric donations to assist with its upkeep. blanket, even in summer. Heating continued to be a problem for successors. President Nixon, relied on a Starting from scratch burning fire in his private office, even at Decades of wear and tear finally took the height of summer. their toll and in 1948 surveyors warned Before leaving, he said its best asset the building was in imminent danger of was the staff and was frank about its modernisation over the years: “This isn’t the biggest house. Many, and most, in even smaller countries, are much bigger. This isn’t the finest house. Many The estimated in Europe, particularly, and in China, age of the system Asia, have paintings of great, great value, things that we just don’t have here.” based off of usage The next change was an outdoor pool installed in 1975 at the request of is 81 years old President Gerald Ford.
The most radical innovation was requested by President Jimmy Carter, who lived there from 1977 to 1981.
At the height of the oil crisis, he requested the installation of solar panels to heat water. They were mounted on the roof until quietly being removed on the orders of President Reagan in 1986. But he inadvertently backed recycling as the panels were installed at Unity College, Maine and they remained in service until recently.
Pressure points
President Carter also downplayed the image of the official residence: “I would say that the quarters at the White House are quite similar to those we enjoyed as the governor’s family in Georgia.”
FANCY A TOUR OF DUTY? You don’t need to be an American citizen to work the for US Government.
They say: “The federal government maintains a substantial presence overseas and the positions cover the entire spectrum of employment.” The UK government has renewed a Memorandum of Understanding with US counterparts covering “cooperation in research and development, production, procurement and logistics support”. The locations will be government buildings including embassies – also in Edinburgh and Cardiff – offices and military bases.
Join today?
We found a vacancy for an HVAC engineer with the US Airforce at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. Contractor firm Engie offered as a permanent contract on 40 hours a week.
Where do I find jobs like this?
The main recruitment websites carry them or the websites of the companies that have the contract. BAE Systems is the eighth-largest US government contractor, according to USASpending. gov. Whichever government you work for, you will need a very high level of liability cover and get legal advice to be clear of what is expected of you. You will also need security clearance which involves significant disclosures about your career, personal life, finances and connections.
Post-lockdown
In recessions, the government increases building and maintenance work to keep the industry going. In June, Amey was awarded as a co-contractor in the £200m project to refurbish homes for Armed Forces personnel. More than 2,000 jobs are being created to install better insulation, energy-efficient boilers and solar panels.
For US government opportunities, go to: uk.usembassy. gov/embassy-consulates/jobs/hrd/
To find UK government work go to: www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
Left: One of the men’s bathrooms at the White House today. Top right and below: workmen inside the basement ventilation system and the excavation under the North Portico during the Truman renovations in 1948
It was so good before [the Obama administration] did this system
With the pace of world events speeding up, so has the building. President Bush brought solar heaters back in 2003 for the presidential pool and some staff. Then President Obama ordered their installation for the living quarters.
The two most recent occupants have never seen eye-to-eye except on one issue. Presidents Obama and Trump have agreed that the low water pressure is a problem. Staff bought a specialist shower head for President Obama shortly after he and his family moved in.
Mr Trump, a property developer, has been less than impressed. In 2017, he described it as “a complete dump”.
Shortly after moving in, he demanded a new toilet seat and recently
complained that low water pressure was preventing him from getting perfect hair.
In 2017, the now 27-year-old HVAC system was replaced and officials moved to the Old Executive Office building while the work was carried out. It coincided with President Trump playing golf for two weeks.
Pace of change
White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said: “The HVAC systems are 27 years old, but due to the 24/7, 365-day use a year, the estimated age of the system based off of usage is 81 years old.”
But Mr Trump has a different take on the problems: “The Obama administration worked out a brand new air conditioning system for the West Wing. It was so good before they did the system. Now that they did this system, it’s freezing or hot.”
The new incumbent will have to get used to the quirks of living at the world’s most famous address.
Tommy Vietor, who served as National Security Council spokesman under President Barack Obama, says: “It’s the
BUNKER MENTALITY
The Situation Room in the West Wing is the heart of the operation. Created for President Kennedy in 1961, today the 513m2 basement needs sophisticated HVAC to handle three conference rooms that host 5,000 people every day. Refitted in 2007, it can handle contact with 1,800 at once and process 2,000 items of data each day.
THE HANDYMAN
Although now 96, there is one President who could build a house. Every year, health permitting, Jimmy Carter has joined volunteers to build houses for people on low incomes. Last year, he joined Habitat for Humanity in Tennessee despite suffering a fall the day before that required stitches. “I had a number one priority and that was to come to Nashville and build houses,” he said. The former peanut farmer himself lives in a modest house and practices carpentry.
best office I will ever have, but that building is old and the infrastructure needs constant improvement.”
For the next four years, water leaks in White House will be the lowest Presidential worry. As one ex-member of staff gleefully told the press, “It’s the only ‘leaks’ they can fix.”
Find out more
Read about other unusual plumbing and heating projects, including Crossrail and a Commonwealth Games swimming venue:
www.pandhengineering.co.uk/features
