Keypro blog

Smart water project

Keypro is participating in a joint project (SWIM) coordinated by FWF and VTT with a focus on improving Smart Water analysis tools.

The project includes various system suppliers, research institutes and representatives of water utilities. Keypro’s perspective in the project is to focus on developing data transfer between different applications and improving Smart Water analysis tools. Analytical tools play an important role in identifying the most leaking areas and enable the classification of pipes. In addition we are implementing an important and expected tool to help with renovation planning. The tool will become a tool for prioritizing renovations. This will help in the decision-making, prioritization of renovations and negotiations with municipalities, for example, on common projects.

Integrations, especially in terms of sensors and remote meters, hydraulic modeling and data processing, will play a particularly important role in this joint project. It is important to ensure that data flows smoothly from the field to analyses. The value of information lies in its utilization.

So we started the project in the spring. I’m Keypro’s contact person, so I’ve been following closely, both at the top level and at the concrete level, where to go. I think it is great that the original objectives and priorities have been maintained, and in addition, they have been given meat around the bones with various concrete refinements and means. The concrete steps for summer and early autumn are now clear. We first focus on developing our own tools to make them more prepared to implement integrations. In practice, with the project, our product has even better online data support, we are even more compatible with other systems, and we are also taking information management and network management in a more holistic direction.

In addition, we have already devised further steps with the project participants. Some of these still require brainstorming in order to realize concrete paths of progress. But that, too, is a good thing: it is not always worthwhile to immediately implement, but it is good to ideate, brainstorm and compare different options first. It was also clear to us from the beginning that we wanted to test and pilot technical solutions and usability also in the real environment of the water utility and with the real end users. 

The project is especially inspiring to me because I have struggled with leak water and prioritizing  renovations for several years while working at the water utility. It is really great to be able to advance nationally and globally important issues in the industry. I am glad that, with the help of the funding and the partners, we will be able to take this important issue forward better than we could have succeeded alone.

Thank you already to the partners for their co-operation and thank you to the water utilities for helping to ensure the real benefits of the end result. 

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