From data to action: Getting the best out of water usage data

By Andy Smedley, Director at Utilities Manager

Utilities Manager Limited is delighted to join the Future Water Association.

Utilities Manager provides a user-friendly portal displaying water usage for thousands of non-domestic customers across the UK.

With very rich data and experience of working with a full range of customers across all sectors, we look forward to sharing knowledge, networking and learning from fellow members of FWA.

The focus on water use has never been higher. We are proud to work in such a critical sector and play our part in helping customers to monitor and manage water use in an effective manner.

Measuring water use at the revenue meter, and at sub-meters across larger estates we have built up extensive understanding of water profiles, and how to communicate and assist our customers, the end-users.

An example of this is our approach to benchmarking performance

All locations are classified which enables comparison or benchmarking across similar property types. The distribution of water use per resident bed across 873 residential care homes is shown below, using one of the many reports available within the Utilities Manager system.

With such statistically robust data, individual performance can be communicated to a care home, relative to a large peer group. With the data reflecting current performance it is possible to immediately identify high consuming, priority sites who are made aware of the situation promptly through automatically generated alarms.

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As water efficiency efforts gather pace, data of this nature is invaluable to prioritise in the right areas, and right locations to make the biggest difference.

We recognise that customers are very busy with many priorities as they operate their factories, schools, councils, stadiums, theatres etc. One of the challenges for our sector is ensuring that water gets the attention we all feel and know it deserves. One way we look to achieve this is to utilise our knowledge and insights in a number of areas;

• Frequency of increases in use
• Duration to resolve
• What causes the increase
• The volume of increase according to the cause –internal plumbing fittings (toilets, taps, urinals), leaking and burst pipes,even leaving water running after completing flushing exercises etc.

This knowledge, communicated to customers helps raise awareness and promotes a collaborative approach based on real data that is meaningful.

Utilities Manager looks forward to learning, networking and sharing knowledge with fellow members of Future Water Association.

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