IBM using big data to set up monitoring system for Bangalore water supply

Global IT major IBM's big data and predictive analytics will create systems to monitor and manage water supply in Bangalore by the state-run Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

"Our intelligent operations centre-based solution, developed at our India software lab, has the GIS (geo information system) for real-time view of flow meters across the city and identify a specific flow meter," the company said in a statement on Thursday.

As the city's main source of water are the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers in the Mysore region, the doubling of its population to 10 million from 5.4 million in 2000 has put the city's water supply and distribution system to tremendous strain.

When a flow meter is selected, a user can have a view of the key performance indicators such as latest flow rate, total flow in 24 hours and average total flow in a week and its location.

"As 45 percent of the water supplied goes unaccounted, implementing the solution helps us to minimise the loss by detecting large changes in the flow, through real-time monitoring," BWSSB executive engineer P.N. Ravindra said in the statement.

To ensure equitable distribution of water across the city, IBM has created an operational dashboard to serve as a command centre to monitor, administer and manage the supply networks.

The command centre will also monitor the water flow in 284 of 784 bulk flow meters across the city and provide a view of their functioning, including the amount of water transmitted, supplied to individual parts of the distribution system, level of water in each reservoir or tank.

"As the country is facing a serious water crisis in view of its rapid population growth and economic development, the need of the hour is to invest in water distribution systems by upgrading the old infrastructure and setting up a new one to conserve the scarce resource. Our analytics-based solutions provide smarter water management and better control over the resources for water boards," IBM India executive director Sriram Rajan said.

The solution will also enable BWSSB engineers to modify settings of the control valves and get real-time feedback on changes to the water supply.

"By setting and adjusting thresholds at key points, engineers can ensure that supply meets the demand," Ravindra added.