Edge computing and IoT sensors help cities plug a leak in water bills

Edge computing and IoT sensors help cities plug a leak in water bills

Tracking the health of pipes and water meters in real time helps cities catch water main breaks sooner and issue more accurate bills.

water valve red plumbing joint steel tap have repair pipe close up

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Texas company is using edge computing and IoT sensors to help cities modernize crumbling water infrastructure and inaccurate water meters. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the country’s drinking water system a D- for the last 10 years. Many components of city water systems date back to the Civil War era. Olea Edge Analytics is using 21st century technology to spot needed repairs and make sure water bills are accurate. 

Dave Mackie, Olea Edge Analytics’ CEO, said the company combines edge computing with artificial intelligence and machine learning to help cities make more informed decisions.

“Our network operations center can remotely manage all of the endpoints across the city, prioritizing repair work, giving the ideal route and directions, and transmitted work plans and specifications to provide everything crews need for a right-first-time trip,” he said in a press release.

SEE: 5 Internet of Things (IoT) innovations (free Pdf) (TechRepublic)

Olea puts sensors on water meters and sends data about how much water is used to the cloud for analysis. The Smart Water Management Platform monitors the meters to look for water usage that isn’t showing up on monthly bills. Olea estimates that up to 40% of all high-volume commercial water meters are not capturing the full amount of water used. 

As Brandon Vigliarolo wrote in “ 5 edge computing predictions for 2021 ,” Forrester predicts that this is the year that new business models will push edge computing “from science project to real value.” Forrester analysts said that cloud platforms, artificial intelligence, and the widespread proliferation of 5G will make these edge use cases more practical.

SEE: The future of IoT: 5 major predictions for 2021 (TechRepublic)

The Department of Watershed Management of the City of Atlanta is spending $3.9 million on a deal with Olea to measure water usage more accurately. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a serious budget shortfall for many cities around the US. According to the National League of Cities, losses in sales tax and other revenue sources will cost cities $360 billion from this year through 2022.

Olea Edge Analytics produces products that use technology for revenue recovery. The company’s Vault Management platform allows utilities to manage assets and get alerts when something changes. A dashboard provides a high-level and operational view of workflows, including data about billing and consumption, maintenance, and safety. CityEdge uses blockchain, AI, and machine learning to spot problems in water infrastructure as soon as they happen. 

“People are surprised to learn that they can make these simple repairs and turn that money into a catalyst for much-needed projects,” Mackie said in a press release. “Everyone is looking for an edge in funding, especially during these economic times.”

With the CityEdge product, a blockchain validates water usage from when it leaves the meter’s sensors to the moment it reaches the customer. The encrypted data in the ledger is distributed across every device in the network, increasing transparency and traceability. The platform also creates a digital twin of every meter on the network. 

Also see

Source of Article