Anglian Water Collaborates with Industry Leaders to Implement Advanced Condition-Based Monitoring System
Anglian Water, a prominent water company in the UK, has recently unveiled an innovative framework in partnership with Asystom, Flowserve, Samotics, Seepex, and SKF. The collaborative effort aims to deploy cutting-edge condition-based monitoring (CBM) sensors on its pumping assets.
Anglian Water's CBM program will utilize state-of-the-art temperature, vibration, and electronic signature analysis (ESA) sensors to constantly monitor the condition of rotating and pumping assets. By leveraging this data-driven approach, the company can optimize asset performance and transition towards a proactive maintenance strategy. Through pre-emptive measures based on real-time asset health, performance, and efficiency insights, Anglian Water can mitigate costly repairs, minimize disruptions to customers, and extend the lifespan of its assets.
Charlotte Stewart, Smart Water System Engineer for Anglian Water, expressed the significance of this development, stating, "Delivering a reliable service for our customers and protecting our environment from leakage and pollution are the key tenets of what we do at Anglian Water. Condition-based monitoring will allow us to monitor the health of our pumping assets on both the clean and wastewater networks much more closely than ever before, meaning we can act quickly to prevent disruption for customers and damage to the environment."
This CBM initiative aligns with Anglian Water's strategic vision of building a smart water network in line with the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) model. Condition-based monitoring serves as a crucial component of a smart water network, providing valuable insights and enabling early intervention through data-driven decision-making. The implementation of CBM will empower Anglian Water to monitor and maintain assets based on their condition, improving their efficiency, reliability, and overall performance. Ultimately, this will contribute to delivering a resilient service to the company's six million customers across the east of England.
Looking ahead, CBM will play a central role in Anglian Water's maintenance strategy, utilizing advanced algorithms to identify potential failure signatures. By enabling engineers to proactively address issues before they escalate, CBM has the potential to significantly reduce unplanned failures, associated safety risks, and the impact on customers, while also cutting down on reactive maintenance costs.
Ian Peverill, UK Business Unit Manager at SKF, emphasized their commitment to sustainability and expressed pride in partnering with Anglian Water on this five-year CBM contract. He highlighted SKF's wireless and advanced continuous monitoring technology as a valuable resource that will provide actionable insights to optimize repairs, enhance equipment efficiency, and extend equipment life.
In addition to the CBM framework, Anglian Water is actively working on another crucial aspect of the SWAN smart water network. The company is installing over 20,000 pressure monitors across its sewer network, enabling the early detection and resolution of pipe-related issues and blockages. This proactive approach ensures the protection of the environment from pollution. By utilizing weather forecasts and a network of sensors, the system can identify areas where the network is not operating at full capacity, signaling the formation of a potential blockage, and enabling preemptive measures to prevent pollution.
In conjunction with the CBM framework, Anglian Water will continue to support the technical development of 8power, a vibration and temperature CBM provider. The company has extended its existing agreement with 8power, a technology start-up based in Cambridge, to monitor 150 critical motors and pumps for an additional three years. This collaboration showcases Anglian Water's commitment to fostering innovation and addressing the unique challenges faced by water utilities.
Anglian Water's progressive efforts in implementing advanced condition-based monitoring technologies and embracing a smart water network demonstrate their dedication to providing reliable services, protecting the environment, and ensuring the optimal management of water resources.
