Yorkshire Water has begun adding artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor its network of more than 2,000 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to reduce pollution incidents.
Following a successful trial with Siemens and the University of Sheffield, the company expanded its use of AI to predict blockages within its sewer network.
Sensors feed data from the networks into an analytics system from SIWA and Siemens. The Blockage Predictor works with Siemens’ cloud-based, open Internet of Things (IoT) operating system, MindSphere.
Performance of the sewer network can be analysed in real time to predict and identify blockages and network problems before they happen or develop into a pollution incident.
The University of Sheffield analysed 21,300 days of data and found the tool can provide up to two weeks’ notice of problems within the sewer network and identify 90% of potential issues, which is three times more successful than current pollution prediction tools and halves the number of false positive alerts.
Heather Sheffield, integrated planning and central control manager at Yorkshire said: “Much of our network in Yorkshire is combined, taking both waste from toilets and sinks in home and surface water from rainfall. Periods of prolonged or intense rainfall can significantly increase the flows in our network and there is a risk of sewage flooding in homes, the environment, and the potential for damage at wastewater treatment works.
“This challenge is compounded by population growth, climate change and consumer behaviour which puts non-flushable items like wipes into sewers, causing or accelerating blockages.
“Reducing intermittent discharges from CSOs is a key priority for us and our partnership with Siemens illustrates Yorkshire Water’s commitment to investing in cutting-edge technology to reduce pollution incidents by 50%, a key goal of our Pollution Incident Reduction Plan 2020-2025.
Steve Hanslow, head of water for Siemens, said: “The challenge of moving from a Proof of Concept to scale are considerable. Through partnership we have been able to develop a solution that is secure, scalable, cost effective and can be deployed at pace.
“Keeping sewers free from blockages and reducing river pollution is a wide-ranging and complex issue, and Siemens is happy to help the water industry to meet the technological challenge.”
Siemens is now engaging with water companies to support the ambitions of Water UK, the trade association, to eliminate pollution incidents in the sewer network by 2050.