Evan Atkinson | David White Suez Smart Solutions | Melbourne Water

1. OPTIMISATION OF MELBOURNE’S WATER SUPPLY TRANSFER SYSTEM
Australian Smart Water Utilities
March 22nd 2023

2. Melbourne Water
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3. Melbourne Water
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4. System Diagram
Silvan-Greenvale sub system
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5. Optimising the Transfer System
Obtain Consistency in operation
Systematisation of network constraints
(To maximise benefits)
Reduce Energy Consumption
Optimise transfer of water around the network
(Control at a network level as opposed to siloed control at a site level)
Smooth flows out of treatment plants
(Better treatment plant control)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Project Conception
“THE DREAM”
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6. Optimising the Transfer System
1. Competitive RFP
- SUEZ engaged for Stage 1 desktop study.
2. Constraints workshop
- Winneke & Preston network focus
3. Data Gathering
- Energy consumption & Costs
- Network historical data June 2016-2018
4.Desktop assessment of Winneke – Preston
- Simulation of network operation under optimisation
5. Criteria for Success
- Identification of financial and operational benefits
- Identified from Study and Simulation Analysis
Stage One:
“Proof of Value
Study”
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7. The Business Case – Quantifiable Benefits
1. Increased Hydro Revenue
2. Reduced pumping (Gravity where possible)
3. Load shifting by using optimal times to pump
4. Energy efficiency (eg. Operating Winneke Clearwater higher)
Energy Savings
▪ Free up operator time for value add activities
Operator Time Benefits
▪ Reduction of C02 emissions by 820 metric tones per year
▪ (Based on a reduction of 770 MWh per year)
Environmental Benefits
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8. The Business Case – Operational Benefits
Improved network resilience
as AAE optimizes for any
available path of water
Increased reservoir
turnover for water quality
Streamlined coordination of
operations and maintenance
Smoothing of flows from
Treatment Plants (Chemical
savings…)
Consistent system
operations with automated
decision support.
Adaptive prediction of
water demand
Asset knowledge retention
and standardise operation
Asset performance data and
operational records
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9. AQUADVANCED®
, a real-time
software solution
covering the entire
water cycle for
service managers
GIS
Radar now
casting
CMMS
Workforce
management
AMR CRM
LIMS
Acoustic
loggers
SCADA
IOT
DATA
SOURCES
Advanced control
Predictive analytics
Monitoring
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10. August 2020 AQUADVANCED Energy - SUEZ Smart Solutions 10
AQUADVANCED ENERGY
WORLDWIDE DELIVERY EXPERIENCE

11. Multipath
Using the most
efficient way to move
water around
Transport
Dynamically selects most
efficient pumps and
pump combinations
based on flowrates
Tanks
Water sources
Water Utility Central Control
System (SCADA)
AQUADVANCED® Energy
Pump station
Forecast zonal
water demand and
schedule delivery at
lowest total cost
Demand zone
Use lowest production
and chemical cost
sources of water
Treatment plants
Minimise energy
consumption to deliver
the same volume of
water
Pump to storage to
shift kWh energy
use to lower cost
periods and avoid
peak kW charges
Demand Charge
Management
Producing the water
where it is cheaper to
do so
Tariff peaks
avoidance
(TRIADS,...)
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AQUADVANCED® Energy
A system-wide Decision Support tool

12. POINT-TO-POINT VS HOLISTIC SOLVERS
12
Holistic Solvers
Only considers each node individually - can
cause operational issues or forego
opportunities
Does not consider production capacity
or constraints
Takes into account upstream and downstream
conditions for each station
Has understanding of whole system, including
water supply sources
Typically achieves energy savings through
load-shifting only
Incorporates production cost, pump efficiency and
cheapest path in one combined optimisation
Point-to-point
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Confirm safe operation
with a real-time
hydraulic model
Water demand prediction
(per pressure zone)
Send commands and set-points via
SCADA to each controlled assets
Calculation of optimised
control strategies
(updated every 30 min.)
DATA ACQUISITION, ANALYSIS
AND FUTURE PREDICTION
1 2 3
REAL-TIME MODELLING AND
OPTIMISATION
ADVISORY AND/OR AUTOMATED
PUMP AND VALVE CONTROL
Real-time measurement
(flows, levels, status etc.)
Seek a better solution if required
AQUADVANCED ENERGY
ADVANCED CONTROL - HOW DOES IT WORK

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Operational alert
indicators
Demand and
tank level
predictions
Map zone
navigation
Time navigation
Facility
operational
status
Data analysis
module
Live Simulation
Flow and pump
schedules
AQUADVANCED ENERGY
NETWORK OPTIMISATION WITH AUTOMATED CONTROL

15. 15
AQUADVANCED ENERGY
SYSTM ADAPTATION TO CHANGES ON DEMAND
Machine Learning – demand prediction during COVID-19 crisis in Boise Idaho
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Implementation Project Methodology
1. Melbourne Water Ops (Key to success of adoption)
2. SUEZ (Delivery experience)
3. Control Systems Service Provider (Risk scope of work)
4. SCADA Service Provider (Integration with AAE)
1. Combined Project Team
▪ Joint Project plan managed by Melbourne Water PM
▪ Change Management was Key Focus – Dedicated Change Manager
▪ Operations being a part of the team – “Own the Change”!
▪ 50 Sites required PLC code and SCADA modifications – Early engagement of PLC coder.
▪ Each stage commissioned – “Site by site” - prior to AAE going live.
2. Melbourne Water Change Management

17. Implementation Project Methodology
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Infrastructure and Wire-frame optimisation models
~ 7 months
Winneke System: Calibration and Installation
~ 5 months
1.
2.
3.
Tarago-Cardinia System: Calibration and Installation
~ 6 months
4.
Silvan-Greenvale System: Calibration and Installation
~ 6 months
--------- HOLD POINT ---------

18. Project Outcomes
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1. Controlled offtakes – Now coordinated by AAE in an Efficient Way.
2. Instantaneous Flow rate out of Treatment Plants are smoothed
(Plant flows vary more often but in smaller increments.)
3. Network constraints are systematised.
4. Operations are consistent – human variation no longer present.
5. Energy savings are being realised.
6. Manual Operator intervention has been reduced.
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

19. Melbourne Water AAE Solution
System Overview
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20. Melbourne Water AAE Solution
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21. Melbourne Water AAE Solution
System Extensions
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• Tariff overlay for peak events
• Adjust operation in response
• Smart recovery from events
• Additional cost benefit
• There is cost in being prepared!
Demand Response
• Cost incentive to utilise
• Value of energy back into the grid
• Complex trade-off with operations
Solar Generation
• Medium term decision making
• When to harvest raw water ?
• Opportunistic on low energy cost ?
• Opportunity cost of missing water !
• Risk based strategy ?
Raw Water Management

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Take Home Lessons
• Deep and early involvement of operations
• It’s a whole business change project.
• Include stakeholders early
1. Bring the whole business along
• Suppliers included in project management
2. Combined team approach
• Roll forward lessons learned
• Build confidence within initial success
3. Phased delivery
• Water networks continually change
• New opportunities emerge
• SUEZ as a partner to maintain benefits going forward
4. Ongoing support & maintenance relationship
• Modification of Local controls / Automation
• Diversity between sites / standardisation
* Automation / Network preparedness
• You will find your data errors
• Network assets need to be brought up to scratch
• Optimisation is as good as the inputs going into it
* Sweat the Assets
THINGS TO DO THINGS TO BE AWARE OF

23. OFFICIAL
THANK YOU
evan.atkinson@suez.com
david.white3@melbournewater.com.au