Factoid : The industry refer to wipe blockages as 'sheep in the pipes' as they roll, degrade and mass, growing to a huge size. Oils and fats form 'fatbergs' which can grow to over time in the sewers...yuck!

It's very hard to see patterns of any significance and near impossible to predict occurrences....so we gave analytical agencies 1000's of files with terabytes of data from incidents, site operations, maintenance, network management, environmental, weather and social demographic data.

Participants came from Cambridge University and specialist agencies from across the UK including PAM Analytics, Lost Artifact, Hippo Digital, Enigma Analytics, and Wolf Group as well as some independents.

The results were astounding and the hack was a great success....

As a result Northumbrian Water are progressing 2 digital innovation projects as a result. The first uses correlated sensor 'tremors' to specially predict drain blockages by type, and another more broadly using metadata, fuzzy logic and an Artificial intelligence engine to forewarn of upcoming risks. (Well done to the winners Wolf Consulting and Li Yanger).

True impact, REAL innovation....

The APA was developed by NWL as a result of the Hack.  The project extracted and processed three years of historic SCADA ‘big data’ readings from sewerage network.  Using a subset of SCADA pump performance data an algorithm based on the Hack work by Li Yanger.  The algorithm was developed to dynamically calculate the inflow/outflow rates of wet wells, independently identifying pump performance information where no flow meter is installed. This enabled predictive modelling of pump deterioration rates, which would otherwise have necessitated investment in new monitoring equipment.  With readings taken at 15 minute intervals at over 1000 of our SPS, this approximated to 35 million rows of data per annum

 AWARD success!....

The Utility Week data demon award celebrates the contribution of data scientists and analysts to empowering modern utilities in the information age.

This is a team award which recognises the impact a particular data initiative has had to business efficiency, effectiveness and customer experience. As connected devices proliferate – both in the arena of consumer technology and in industrial systems – the success of the modern utility increasingly relies on the insight and intelligence which data professionals extract from the sea of information they capture.

The APA project successfully delivered on the following twin objectives:

Improve pumping performance - by predicting failures, allowing preventative maintenance (thereby reducing risk of downtime/escapes resulting from soft blockages);

Demonstrate the business value - rapidly realisable through low-cost application of data science and analytics.

So how can we help YOU?...

+ADD Strategy is actively looking for challenges to support.  As a fusion agency we use design thinking and agile innovation, insight and strategic rationale to solve complex problems, and to create / commercialise new value propositions.

Our open innovation processes involve a range of agencies and can enable funding even for large organisations.  We are currently also helping to design subsea robots, healthcare services and new hi-tech consumer furniture products.

If you think you can help or have a challenge to discuss ... email us :) paul@addstrategy.co.uk

P.S. ....don't put wipes down the loo!!!