A wide variety of companies will be exhibiting products and services for the water industry.As many water utilities across the country consider adopting technology to accomplish a host of objectives — reduce costs, improve customer service, reduce non-revenue water loss, increase energy efficiency, promote water conservation — the need for access to the latest information and products is integral. With its over 300 exhibitors, 14 conference tracks, and 78 conference sessions, DistribuTECH offers just that.
As in year's past, this year's Water Track at DistribuTECH will explore many of the technologies being considered by water utilities across the country. Here's a sneak peek at what you can expect to learn.
The Emerging Smart Grid for Water
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 1:00 pm
As population growth, urbanization, and climate change are depleting global fresh water supplies, there is a critical need for a reduction in our global water footprint. Smart metering and communication networking technologies associated with the smart grid make this goal attainable. In this panel presentation, representatives from three water utilities will discuss why they have chosen to invest in the emerging smart grid for water and the benefits such as improved system efficiency and reliability, cost reductions, leak detection, and improved customer service.
Funding and Implementing Energy Efficiency in Water
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 3:00 pm
As the largest collective users of energy, water utilities are increasingly looking to operate more efficiently. In this session, presenters will discuss the water sustainability landscape, ways to fund water efficiency initiatives, and how one water utility was able to use hourly load reduction strategies to drastically curb energy usage.
Smart Water Metering: From Theory to Practice
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 9:30 am
Advanced Metering Infrastructure is changing the landscape of water utility management by giving water utilities better visibility into critical operational data. In this session, presenters will look at smart water metering from three perspectives: the potential of proactive analytics, innovative implementation strategies, and a real-world example of how smart metering helped one utility boost water conservation efforts.
Stabilizing and Protecting Your SCADA and Control Systems
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 1:30 pm
In most water utilities today, SCADA and control systems are the backbone of the operation, the eyes and ears of the water utility. Such a critical piece of technology deserves careful consideration, from selection of a radio network to protecting network infrastructure from malicious threats. Presenters in this session will discuss those issues as well as one utility's experiences — good and bad — with implementing a SCADA network.
