Attacking the Big Data Challenge: Integrating Annual ... · Attacking the Big Data Challenge:...

Attacking the Big Data Challenge: Integrating Collection System Flow Monitoring and Modeling into Financial Billing

2017 Michigan Section AWWA Annual Conference

Mel Meng, Black & VeatchChuck Schroeder, City of Grand Rapids, MI

Ben Whitehead, Black & Veatch

Agenda

• Annual Sewer Rate Update

• Customer Satisfaction

• Improve Billing Accuracy

• Challenges and Lessons

• Conclusions

• 1ST week of November distributed for customer

communities review

• Revise based on feedback

• Effective January 1st the following year

3

City of Grand Rapids Annual Sewer Rate Update

Wholesale Communities:• City of East Grand Rapids• Ada Township• Caledonia Township• Gaines Charter Township

Retail customers:• City of Grand Rapids• City of Walker• City of Kentwood• Cascade Charter Township• Grand Rapids Charter Township• Tallmadge Charter Township• Wright Township

• Matching cost record

• 151 Flow Segments

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S-9

S-3

S-1

S-6

S-4

S-5

S-7

S-8

S-2

S-60

S-44

S-43

S-94

S-17

S-11

S-77

S-52

S-21

S-22

S-81S-73

S-49

S-50S-35

S-23

S-9A

S-38

S-34

S-76

S-36

S-14S-13

S-45

S-27

S-95

S-59

S-37

S-71

S-97

S-15

S-44

S-66

S-25

S-41

S-12

S-54

S-74

S-40

S-26

S-89S-86

S-85

S-10

S-53

S-90

S-91

S-61

S-79

S-24

S-51S-58

S-18

S-33

S-46

S-55

S-19

S-56

S-16

S-20

S-47

S-63

S-88

S-72S-68

S-39

S-93

S-32

S-64

S-108S-126

S-12A

S-118

S-20A

S-101

S-135

S-129

S-133

S-112

S-128

S-134

S-106

S-111

S-125S-115

S-107

S-40A

S-13A

S-132

S-100

S-55B

S-120

S-105

S-22A

S-130

S-121

S-136

S-113

S-103

S-122

S-131

S-109

S-127

S-110

S-11A

S-108A

City of Grand Rapids

City of Walker

Cascade Township

Ada Township

City of Kentwood

Grand Rapids Township

Tallmadge Township

East Grand Rapids

Wright Township

City of Grand Rapids

ZonegatingFlow Segment: S-1Customer A: xx mgdCustomer B: xx mgdCustomer C: xx mgd…..

4

Zonegating Flow Segments Update

5

City of Grand Rapids Annual Sewer Rate Update

Annual Sewer Rate Update

Allocate cost based on Actual use of the pipes

Use = annual average flow

Total Spending: $100A: $100*25% = $25B: $100*75% = $75

Customer BAvg. Flow: 0.3 mgd

Customer AAvg. Flow: 0.1mgd

Total Spending: $100A: $100*100%=$100B: 0

Total Spending: $100A: 0B: $100*100%=$100

6

Customer loadings

haven’t been updated since

2003

• Customer loadings needed to be developed at 151 Flow Segments

• 37 Flow meters in 2003

7

Annual Sewer Rate Update

2016 Update

More than 100 Meters

Real-time Flow Monitoring Data

Since 2013

Augment Flow Data

All-pipe model calibrated under 2014 condition

developed in 2015

8

Why has my sewer rate increased more than my neighbors?

Concerned Customer

“

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•What has changed from last year?

• It doesn’t look right:

• Is the service area correct?

•Did you use the best available data?

• Is the calculation correct?

10

What Matters to a Customer?

Customer Comments

We found things we overlooked in previous study

The City of Grand Rapids Wastewater Collection System • 127 mi2 Service Area• 11 Customer Communities

Monitoring Network• 5 wholesale meters • 101 permanent flow meters • 7 SCADA runtime data feed

13

All-pipe InfoSWMM Model• Incorporated latest GIS• Calibrated using 2014 Flow

Data

> 24,000 Pipes

14

151 Flow Segments Vs

100 Flow Meters

The Problem

16

Dry Weather Hydrology

Metered BSF Flow: 0.32 mgdWater Bill: 0.1 + 0.3 = 0.4 mgd80% of water returning to sewer

Manhole BWater Bill: 0.3 mgd

Manhole AWater Bill: 0.1 mgd

A

B

Meter

Sewer Loadings: A: 0.1 x 80% = 0.08 mgdB: 0.3 x 80% = 0.24 mgd

17

Dry Weather Hydrology

Metered Flow: 0.32 mgdSimulated Flow: 0.1 + 0.3 = 0.4 mgd2016 Loading is 80% simulated loading

Manhole BSimulated Loading: 0.3 mgd

Manhole ASimulated Loading: 0.1 mgd

A

B

2016Meter

2016 Sewer Loadings: A: 0.1 x 80% = 0.08 mgdB: 0.3 x 80% = 0.24 mgd

18

Estimate 2016 Loadings

SWMM5 Zonegating Model• 254 junctions• 6 dividers• 264 conduits

Water Quality Module Enables Tracing of Flow Sources

19

Routing the Flow – 2016 SWMM Method

Challenges and

Lessons

• Data Quality• Big Data

20

Simulated Flow

Flow Meters

High Accuracy

Meters

• High accuracy flow meters

• At WWTP and MAPS

• High accuracy

• Permanent flow meter data

• Available at 100 locations

• Accurate under normal condition

• All-pipe model simulated flow

• Available at manhole level

• Least accurate

21

Data Quality Issues

• Explore more problems

• Focus on automation

• Stick with simple models

Veeramachaneni, K;2016;Why you are not getting value from your data Science, Harvard Business Review. 2016, Dec. 07, 2016

22

Big Data Principles

• 2016 Zonegating update greatly improved accuracy of the results by augmenting flow data with model simulation results

• Customer communities are satisfied with the results which are considered more accurate and transparent

• The significant improvement of the process directly benefited from the city’s continued investments in a modern digital asset

23

Conclusions

Learn more at bv.com

Mel Meng| Planning Engineermengym@bv.com

Chuck Schroeder| Assistant ESD Managercschroeder@grand-rapids.mi.us

24

Ben Whitehead| Project Managerwhiteheadbc@bv.com

Contact Us

GIS

> 10 years effort

Flow Data

Since 2013

Model

2015

25

Leadership – Digital Asset Investment

2017 Michigan Section AWWA Annual Conference

Mel Meng, Black & VeatchChuck Schroeder, City of Grand Rapids, MIBen Whitehead, Black & Veatch

Attacking the Big Data Challenge: Integrating Collection System Flow Monitoring and Modeling into Financial Billing