The City of Aurora, the third-largest city in Colorado, has chosen to use industry leader InfoMaster software in prioritising the maintenance and operations of its drinking water, sanitary sewage, and storm drainage systems, Innovyze announced. Innovyze is the global leader and innovator of business analytics software and technologies for smart wet infrastructure.
Currently, the City of Aurora serves over 360,000 customers within an area of about 145 square miles (375.5km²). Altogether, its sprawling distribution system is composed of 1,622 miles (2,610km) of pipes, ranging from 6 inches (15cm) to 72 inches (1.82m) in size; a sanitary sewage system made up of 1,050 miles (1,890km) of pipes with sizes starting at 6 inches (15cm) and growing to 48 inches (1.22m); as well as storm drainage systems running over 384 miles (618km) of pipeline, with the pipes themselves ranging from 6 inches (15cm) to 120 inches (3m) in width.
“InfoMaster helps us better understand the condition and performance of our drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage systems,” Sarah Young, Manager of the Aurora Water Planning Services, said. “It also enables us to solve our most critical infrastructure problems, reduce renewal and maintenance costs, and improve reliability and customer service.”
InfoMaster is the preeminent Arc-GIS-centric software choice for water utilities faced with the challenge of optimising, rehabilitating, and strengthening their water and wastewater infrastructures, and is certified by programmes such as the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) Lateral Assessment Certification Programme (LACP), Manhole Assessment Certification Programme (MACP), and Pipeline Assessment Certification Programme (PACP). The software is capable of accurately estimating the likelihood as well as consequence of failure for each individual pipe in the entire network, as well as their specific aging processes, service lifetimes, and functional and structural failure potential and distribution over a period of time. This vital information is of great help to utilities in assessing and analysing their pipes, allowing them to pinpoint each pipe’s propensity for failure and prioritising their inspection and determining the requirements of each pipe for rehabilitation.
Encouraging a proactive approach to singling out and managing the pipes at a high risk of failing, InfoMaster assists the utility in preserving the structural integrity of the pipes, as well as keeping the piping networks working well into the future. It also removes the need for reactive maintenance like waiting for the pipe to fail before repairing it. This “fix before break” approach can help water utilities in extending their assets’ lives and improving their performances while also maximising their savings.
Additionally, the software can also be used as a base platform for advanced asset management extensions including the InfoMaster LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis). InfoMaster LCCA gives utilities the opportunity to conduct a wide range of risk-based economic life cycle cost analyses to determine the best replacement date for each individual pipe in the network. This not only allows users to make sure the optimal amount of money is spent on the replacement and repair of their assets with the smartest, most efficient financial distribution, it also enables them to create cost-effective, reliable capital improvement plans based on risk that can improve operational efficiency and quality of services while also keeping their assets performing at tiptop condition. This is especially useful when on a limited monetary budget.
“Strong asset performance modelling and capital planning capabilities are critical components of a smart enterprise asset management strategy,” Paul F Boulos, CEO of Innovyze, said. “InfoMaster delivers detailed, accurate analyses and comprehensive custom reports that help utility managers make better, more informed decisions on when to repair, replace, or rehabilitate their critical water and sewer network assets; improve pipe inspection; reduce renewal and maintenance costs; and optimise efficiency as well as hydraulic and water quality performance. It also supports them in developing reliable long-term funding strategies for such projects. These advantages help utilities ensure the ongoing sustainability and resiliency of their infrastructures and their ability to deliver the required level of service at the lowest cost. As a key component of this complex synthesis, Innovyze is proud to be a part of Aurora’s success.”
