H₂ONET VCM

Valve criticality assessment is required to identify which valves most crucially affect the scale of impact of any potential water distribution system failures. H₂ONET VCM was designed specifically to enable water utilities to automatically carry out a detailed, comprehensive assessment of the resulting hydraulic impact of valve operations on customer service levels. This information greatly improves system knowledge allowing water utilities to optimize future expenditure for maintaining the serviceability of key infrastructure assets.

A critical valve may only affect a small section of the network if it closes, but would impact a much wider area if it failed and additional valves in the wider network had to be shut instead. Pinpointing these valves requires a thorough understanding of the risk (probability and consequence) posed should the valve fail to shut. Consequence is measured in terms of the numbers of properties (and customers) that would be disconnected or experience unacceptable levels of service (e.g., low pressure or loss of supply).

Reasons for failing to close a valve include lack of maintenance (e.g., a seized valve or broken motor), inaccessibility (e.g., in a busy highway or intersection) or unsuitability for manual operation (e.g., large diameter valve). By identifying critical valves, water utilities can effectively prioritize expenditure on solutions (e.g., maintenance, replacement, relocation, SCADA motorization or control).

A typical water utility may have thousands of line valves in its water supply and distribution system and assessing each valve individually may not be manageable. H₂ONET VCM is designed to efficiently assess multiple valves in a network, enabling water utilities to accurately evaluate their entire water supply and distribution systems quickly and reliably.