scholarly journals Revealing Unreported Benefits of Digital Water Metering: Literature Review and Expert Opinions

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monks ◽  
Stewart ◽  
Sahin ◽  
Keller
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Monetary Benefit ◽  
Business Cases ◽  
Water Meters

Digital water meters can take Australian water utilities into the world of internet of things (IoT) and big data analytics. The potential is there for them to build more efficient processes, to enable new products and services to be offered, to defer expensive capital works, and for water conservation to be achieved. However, utilities are not mounting business cases with sufficient benefits to cover the project and operational costs. This study undertakes a literature review and interviews of industry experts in the search for unreported benefits that might be considered for inclusion in business cases. It identifies seventy-five possible benefits of which fifty-seven are classified as benefiting the water utility and forty are classified as benefiting customers (twenty-two benefit both). Many benefits may be difficult to monetize. Benefits to customers may have a small monetary benefit to the water utility but provide a significant benefit to customer satisfaction scores. However, for utilities to achieve these potential benefits, eight change enablers were identified as being required in their systems, processes, and resources. Of the seventy-five benefits, approximately half might be considered previously unreported. Finally, a taxonomy is presented into which the benefits are classified, and the enabling business changes for them to be realized are identified. Water utilities might consider the taxonomy, the benefits, and the changes required to enable the benefits when developing their business cases.

scholarly journals Expert Opinion Valuation Method to Quantify Digital Water Metering Benefits

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1436
Author(s):  
Ian Monks ◽  
Rodney A. Stewart ◽  
Oz Sahin ◽  
Robert Keller ◽  
Samantha Low Choy
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Water Industry ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Valuation Method ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Business Cases ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Water Metering

Business cases promoting the introduction of digital water metering (DWM) have, to date, focused on a limited number of benefits, especially water savings, metering costs, occupational health and safety (OHS), and deferral of capital works. An earlier study by the authors catalogued 75 possible benefits and developed a taxonomy based on a literature review, interviews and water industry reports. The objective of the present study was to elicit the opinions of Australian water industry experts on the benefits, then use the opinions to form probability distributions which, in future work, could be used to model the value of DWM benefits. The study findings have implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to accurately and stochastically model the benefits of DWM transformation programmes. Thematic analyses on the open ended responses scaled likelihood and estimated value of benefits into comparable units. We found 82% support for the benefits of DWM with only 6% disagreement and 12% non-commital; the savings value of cost of water benefits were predominately expected to range between 5% and 10% and much higher in some individual situations, while charges/operational costs benefits were predominately expected to range between 45% and 100%; and, moreover, we indicated how a risk-based range of project benefit could potentially be calculated. Opportunities for further investigations were identified.

scholarly journals Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Jose Arturo Gleason ◽  
Cesar Casiano Flores
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Sensitive Stage

Mexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban water challenges such as floods or water scarcity. The WSUD approach highlights the role of both the water cycle and the water utilities systems, when transitioning towards a water sensitive stage. Therefore, the objective of this research is to demonstrate the relevance for cities of a WSUD approach by analyzing the current situation of the water cycle and the water utility in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG). This research proposes a case study approach. Within our case of study, we focused on the water cycle and the water utilities system (Sistema Intermunicipal de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIAPA)) and ask two questions: (1) What are the causes of water scarcity and flooding in the MAG? and (2) What are the proposals to solve these problems under a WSUD approach? By answering these questions, we identified that the water management in the MAG corresponds to a single purpose infrastructure. This type of water management is common in developing cities and does not contribute to solve the problems of water scarcity and floods. The water supply policy is based only on the construction of large dams disregarding the storage and use of rainwater, and reuse of greywater, and water-conservation devices. In order to transition towards a water sensitive stage, changes in the water policy need to take place and a WSUD approach that includes multi-purpose infrastructure, should be considered.

Benchmarking Risk Analysis Practice in the International Water Sector

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.H. MacGillivray ◽  
P.D. Hamilton ◽  
S.E. Hrudey ◽  
L. Reekie ◽  
S.J.T Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
The Usa ◽  
International Water ◽  
Practical Guidance ◽  
The Uk

Risk analysis in the water utility sector is fast becoming explicit. Here, we describe application of a capability model to benchmark the risk analysis maturity of a sub-sample of eight water utilities from the USA, the UK and Australia. Our analysis codifies risk analysis practice and offers practical guidance as to how utilities may more effectively employ their portfolio of risk analysis techniques for optimal, credible, and defensible decision making.

Counting Fish: Environmental Benefits Calculation for Avoided Costs Analysis in Urban Water Use Efficiency Planning

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Shulte Joung ◽  
Mary Ann Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Conservation Programs ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Water Savings ◽  
Urban Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

This report documents a project undertaken for the California Urban Water Conservation Council to create a method to calculate water utility avoided costs and assign economic value to the environmental benefits of raw water savings as a result of implementing urban water conservation programs. It is assumed that water savings associated with implementation of conservation programs can be quantified and represented as a reduction in the demand for water from a particular set of supply sources. This demand reduction may in turn result in a change to the availability of an environmental benefit provided by that source. Environmental valuation, as it is applied here, is relatively new and there are numerous complications, ambiguities, data gaps and differences of opinion in the application of the methodology. For that reason, this report should be considered a pioneering effort to put together all the required elements in a single coherent framework.

Trends and Opportunities in Health Analytics as a Service and Implications for Use in Low Resource Settings: A Literature Review Abstract (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghana Bastwadkar ◽  
Carolyn McGregor ◽  
S Balaji
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Healthcare Facilities

BACKGROUND This paper presents a systematic literature review of existing remote health monitoring systems with special reference to neonatal intensive care (NICU). Articles on NICU clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) which used cloud computing and big data analytics were surveyed. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to review technologies used to provide NICU CDSS. The literature review highlights the gaps within frameworks providing HAaaS paradigm for big data analytics METHODS Literature searches were performed in Google Scholar, IEEE Digital Library, JMIR Medical Informatics, JMIR Human Factors and JMIR mHealth and only English articles published on and after 2015 were included. The overall search strategy was to retrieve articles that included terms that were related to “health analytics” and “as a service” or “internet of things” / ”IoT” and “neonatal intensive care unit” / ”NICU”. Title and abstracts were reviewed to assess relevance. RESULTS In total, 17 full papers met all criteria and were selected for full review. Results showed that in most cases bedside medical devices like pulse oximeters have been used as the sensor device. Results revealed a great diversity in data acquisition techniques used however in most cases the same physiological data (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation) was acquired. Results obtained have shown that in most cases data analytics involved data mining classification techniques, fuzzy logic-NICU decision support systems (DSS) etc where as big data analytics involving Artemis cloud data analysis have used CRISP-TDM and STDM temporal data mining technique to support clinical research studies. In most scenarios both real-time and retrospective analytics have been performed. Results reveal that most of the research study has been performed within small and medium sized urban hospitals so there is wide scope for research within rural and remote hospitals with NICU set ups. Results have shown creating a HAaaS approach where data acquisition and data analytics are not tightly coupled remains an open research area. Reviewed articles have described architecture and base technologies for neonatal health monitoring with an IoT approach. CONCLUSIONS The current work supports implementation of the expanded Artemis cloud as a commercial offering to healthcare facilities in Canada and worldwide to provide cloud computing services to critical care. However, no work till date has been completed for low resource setting environment within healthcare facilities in India which results in scope for research. It is observed that all the big data analytics frameworks which have been reviewed in this study have tight coupling of components within the framework, so there is a need for a framework with functional decoupling of components.

Socio economic influences on the restoration and maintenance of the water environment

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Peter Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Water Environment ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Economic Issue ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Political Thinking ◽  
The Public ◽  
Economic Influences ◽  
Mind Set

Protection of the water environment has become a modern socio economic issue in which the sociological pressures for a healthy water environment must be balanced with affordability. Reconciliation of these aspects requires clear political thinking and rigorous methodologies. It also requires a shift in mind-set which considers members of the public as customers. Water utilities are the major users of the water environment and potentially its greatest threat – so good delivery of water services is very important. The presentation addresses the topic through the experience of Anglian Water, a privatised water utility serving Eastern England.

scholarly journals How Perceptions of Trust, Risk, Tap Water Quality, and Salience Characterize Drinking Water Choices

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Madeline A. Grupper ◽  
Madeline E. Schreiber ◽  
Michael G. Sorice
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
The Public ◽  
Water Behavior

Provision of safe drinking water by water utilities is challenged by disturbances to water quality that have become increasingly frequent due to global changes and anthropogenic impacts. Many water utilities are turning to adaptable and flexible strategies to allow for resilient management of drinking water supplies. The success of resilience-based management depends on, and is enabled by, positive relationships with the public. To understand how relationships between managers and communities spill over to in-home drinking water behavior, we examined the role of trust, risk perceptions, salience of drinking water, and water quality evaluations in the choice of in-home drinking water sources for a population in Roanoke Virginia. Using survey data, our study characterized patterns of in-home drinking water behavior and explored related perceptions to determine if residents’ perceptions of their water and the municipal water utility could be intuited from this behavior. We characterized drinking water behavior using a hierarchical cluster analysis and highlighted the importance of studying a range of drinking water patterns. Through analyses of variance, we found that people who drink more tap water have higher trust in their water managers, evaluate water quality more favorably, have lower risk perceptions, and pay less attention to changes in their tap water. Utility managers may gauge information about aspects of their relationships with communities by examining drinking water behavior, which can be used to inform their future interactions with the public, with the goal of increasing resilience and adaptability to external water supply threats.

Strategic issues of big data analytics applications for managing health-care sector: a systematic literature review and future research agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Singh ◽  
Saurabh Agrawal ◽  
Abhishek Sahu ◽  
Yigit Kazancoglu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe proposed article is aimed at exploring the opportunities, challenges and possible outcomes of incorporating big data analytics (BDA) into health-care sector. The purpose of this study is to find the research gaps in the literature and to investigate the scope of incorporating new strategies in the health-care sector for increasing the efficiency of the system.Design/methodology/approachFora state-of-the-art literature review, a systematic literature review has been carried out to find out research gaps in the field of healthcare using big data (BD) applications. A detailed research methodology including material collection, descriptive analysis and categorization is utilized to carry out the literature review.FindingsBD analysis is rapidly being adopted in health-care sector for utilizing precious information available in terms of BD. However, it puts forth certain challenges that need to be focused upon. The article identifies and explains the challenges thoroughly.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed study will provide useful guidance to the health-care sector professionals for managing health-care system. It will help academicians and physicians for evaluating, improving and benchmarking the health-care strategies through BDA in the health-care sector. One of the limitations of the study is that it is based on literature review and more in-depth studies may be carried out for the generalization of results.Originality/valueThere are certain effective tools available in the market today that are currently being used by both small and large businesses and corporations. One of them is BD, which may be very useful for health-care sector. A comprehensive literature review is carried out for research papers published between 1974 and 2021.

The same deep water as you? The impact of alternative governance arrangements of water service delivery on efficiency

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Rodrigues ◽  
António F Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Authority ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Switching Regression ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Utility Systems ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Switching Regression Models ◽  
Governance Arrangements

This work contributes to the literature on water governance by attempting to provide an answer to the question of what are the differences in efficiency of alternative governance arrangements of water utilities. We test hypotheses derived from property rights, principal–agent, and transaction costs theories using a comprehensive database of 260 water utility systems provided by the Portuguese Regulatory Authority of Water and Waste Services. Using endogenous switching regression models estimated through maximum likelihood, the study is designed in two steps. First, we investigate differences in efficiency between in-house options and externalization and find that in-house solutions as a set (direct provision and municipal companies) are more efficient than externalization options (mixed companies and concessions). Second, we test differences in efficiency within both in-house and externalization solutions, and fail to find statistically significant differences in efficiency between in-house bureaucracies and municipal companies and between mixed companies and concessions.

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