Pre 2014 Blogs

MWH Soft Announces Second Quarter 2011 Release of IWLive: Real Time Forecasting and Operation of Water Distribution Systems

Revolutionary New Product to Equip Water System Control Rooms with Unprecedented Decision-Making Capability

Broomfield, Colorado USA, November 9, 2010 — MWH Soft, a leading global innovator of wet infrastructure modeling and simulation software and technologies, today announced the second quarter 2011 release of IWLivefor real time water distribution hydraulic modeling, forecasting and SCADA integration. The groundbreaking release will give InfoWorks WS and InfoWater users worldwide the ability to move their hydraulic modeling and simulation applications from planning and design to operation and control. The product builds on the success of MWH Soft’s Floodworks product line for real-time flood and collection system forecasting. This latest debut reflects MWH Soft’s vanguard position in the water industry and its continuing commitment to delivering pioneering technology for enhancing the safety and reliability of the world’s water supply.

Intended for use in the water distribution control room, IWLive will give operators unprecedented decision making ability. They will be able to run accurate hydraulic simulations that factor in energy costs, weather, real time (or delayed) SCADA telemetry, demand history, valve and pumping control scenarios. Beyond increasing efficiency and reducing energy consumption, IWLive can help control room operators understand the effects of main breaks, pump shutdowns, or other scheduled maintenance.

IWLive equips the control room with tools that are both more predictive and more reactive. It issues regularly updated warnings to draw the operator’s attention to problems that may occur in the coming minutes, hours, or days. The control room operator can see the predicted severity of problems and the time of onset in one easy to use interface. Beyond automatic prediction, it can also enable the control room operator to evaluate problem-solving approaches by simulating the closure of valves or a change in a pump’s operating schedule. IWLivequickly produces a second simulation that can be compared with the first to determine the level of improvement, the problems that remain, and the costs of the change.

The IWLive interface is fully optimized for operator use. It allows operators to see a map of all water infrastructures for which they are responsible, including appropriate background maps. Highlighted color coding shows predicted problem areas; a single click produces a detailed map showing pipes, valves, pumps, reservoirs and other water assets. Animation of the map shows the development of the problem; graphs show simulated pressures and reservoir levels. IWLive can be accessed remotely over a VPN. It can also be configured to send critical warning messages via SMS or email.

“Hydraulic modeling is an invaluable tool for water utility planning and engineering departments,” said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D, Hon.D.WRE, F.ASCE, President and Chief Operating Officer of MWH Soft. “However, translating these benefits to real time utility operations has proven difficult. With IWLive, MWH Soft has changed the paradigm for how and where hydraulic models can be applied. This innovative milestone solution will allow the entire organization to improve system performance and reliability, enhance customer service, save money, safeguard critical infrastructures and maximize their ability to protect public health.”