Wrocław’s water utility has received one of the international water sector’s major awards after bringing water losses across the city’s network down from more than 22% in 2009 to 4.04%.
Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji we Wrocławiu (MPWiK) received an IWA Project Innovation Award in Glasgow on 6 October, during the International Water Association’s global water industry congress.
The award recognises the company’s long-term programme for detecting and reducing leaks across Wrocław’s water supply network. The project was selected from 320 initiatives submitted from 65 countries.
From more than 22% to 4.04%
MPWiK produces almost 50 million cubic metres of water each year. In 2009, more than 22% of that water was being lost somewhere between treatment and delivery to customers.
For a city with more than 2,000 kilometres of water pipes, finding those losses is a substantial operational challenge. Some leaks are obvious, but others can remain underground and undetected for long periods.
Over the following years, MPWiK invested in monitoring equipment and data analysis, including around 1,500 noise loggers and acoustic sensors, geophones, flow meters and equipment used to pinpoint leaks.
The utility also developed the SmartFlow system with Polish technology company Future Processing. It brings together data from the network and helps identify unusual patterns that can indicate hidden leaks.
The result is a reported water-loss rate of 4.04%, a level comparable with leading water utilities internationally.
The IWA Project Innovation Award is an exceptional distinction for the entire MPWiK team. It shows that consistent work, the courage to implement new solutions and the use of data in everyday management bring results that are recognised not only in Wrocław, but also internationally. This is the success of all employees who work every day to ensure the reliability and efficiency of our water supply system,
said Witold Ziomek, President of MPWiK S.A. in Wrocław, while accepting the award in Glasgow.
A network managed through data
The project has changed how the utility approaches the city's water infrastructure.
Rather than relying primarily on responding when a pipe fails or a leak becomes visible, MPWiK uses data from across the network to identify potential problems earlier.
That involves engineers and field crews as well as diagnostics specialists, planners, dispatchers and IT teams. SmartFlow is one part of a wider system developed over many years rather than a standalone solution.
This award is not the result of one project or one technology. It is the result of several years of consistent work to change the way we think about network management. We have learned to measure, analyse and predict, rather than simply respond to failures. As a result, we can now share our experience with the best water companies in the world,
said Grzegorz Karlik, manager of the MPWiK Network Operations Department.
For Wrocław residents, much of this work is largely invisible. That is partly the point. The systems operate behind the scenes, helping the utility identify problems before they develop into larger failures or interruptions.
Wrocław recognised alongside international projects
The IWA Project Innovation Awards are presented every two years by the International Water Association, which brings together water-sector professionals, researchers and organisations from around the world.
This year's awards recognised projects across six categories. Other recipients included Beijing-based academic and water-sector organisations working on projects in China.
IWA President Prof. Hamanth Kasan said during the awards ceremony:
The challenges related to water security have never been as urgent as they are today. However, looking at this year’s finalists, I do not see doubt. I see the architects of our water future. The projects we are recognising represent the absolute pinnacle of innovation. Their authors have tackled complex problems and created solutions that are both sustainable and capable of being implemented on a large scale.
The Glasgow award gives Wrocław a place among a group of international utilities and organisations working on one of the increasingly important practical challenges facing cities: how to maintain reliable water supplies while reducing unnecessary losses.
For a city whose water network stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres, a reduction from over 22% to 4.04% represents a significant change in how that infrastructure is monitored and maintained.
See more: Food, Cities and the Choices We Make: Wrocław Forum Returns
