Working smarter at South Staffs Water
Wallingford Software, a leading developer of hydraulic modeling and network data management software for the worldwide water industry, today announced that South Staffs Water has replaced its existing modelling solution with InfoWorks WS, the hydraulic modeling solution for water supply and distribution. South Staffs is one of the UK’s original private water supply companies, formed in 1853 to provide water to 1.23 million residents within a 1490km2 area of South Staffordshire, in the Midlands.
South Staffs Water’s water supply comes from two major surface water sources and 27 boreholes, which together put around 331MLD of potable water into 5722km of mains via 25 service reservoirs. The company’s biggest treatment works has an output of 215MLD.
The five-strong South Staffs network analysis team had been experiencing difficulties operating their existing hydraulic software package, which led them to consider purchasing an alternative system. South Staffs networks unit Senior Engineer Dave Martin says: ‘We principally wanted a branded product that other consultants and water companies were using. We spoke to a lot of users before we purchased a package and went to one of Wallingford Software’s user groups to assess the company.
‘One of the key drivers for the purchase was that they were very focused on business users – water companies and modellers – they knew what the modellers wanted, and developed the package according to what modellers were looking for. Other companies were diversifying into other areas and we felt the concentration and focus were not there. We wanted someone well-known for being a reputable software package provider and giving support.’
South Staffs selected one of Wallingford Software’s InfoWorks products, Infoworks WS, as the best way to update its IT capabilities and enable it to expand its water supply planning and asset management activities. InfoWorks WS supports planning and operations in water distribution and supply, providing model building tools and results interpretation, enabling workgroup modelling and providing powerful hydraulic simulation.
South Staffs’ decision to buy InfoWorks was aided by a number of key advantages that the package enjoys:
• The availability of online help
• Frequently updated manuals and software
• Comprehensive customer support
• A 100,000 node limit with unique node numbering, which enables the whole of the South Staffs pipe network to be modelled
• An ability to start and stop the modelling process at user-identified time steps
• Faster simulation, reducing the amount of time needed to undertake tasks by up to two thirds
• Fast graphic regeneration capability
• Recommendation from a number of other users
Another advantage of the package is that it is able to directly accept flow and pressure survey information from most commonly-used dataloggers using a standard logger interface format, rather than requiring data to be translated into a specific niche format. Users are able to integrate existing model libraries from any data source using the InfoWorks CSV data gateway, as well as developing new ones, and can exchange data with MapInfo Professional and ArcView GIS.
South Staffs has decided to transfer its existing models to the InfoWorks package as well as using the software to create new models. Wallingford Software is also providing ongoing training and advice in using the system.
