Software Helps Utilities Optimize Operational Efficiency

Bentley’s WaterCAD and WaterGEMS V8i (SELECTseries 4), water distribution system analysis and design software programs are now available. New operations-related capabilities help utilities optimize the efficiency of water distribution systems, minimizing operational costs. For example, utilities can now aggregate energy costs across pumping stations and factor in complex tariffs as well as non-model-related energy costs, such as energy used for HVAC and SCADA systems, to perform net present value analyses of their operating scenarios. This enables modelers to determine the most cost-efficient strategy.

Flushing studies can now be performed with multiple flushing runs and areas. Moreover, new reports showing the location of valves and hydrants that field staff need to operate when carrying out flushing programs can be automatically generated. Modelers need no longer create these reports manually.

Forthcoming releases of these products will also provide the ability to bring hydraulic modeling results into utility control rooms, increasing information mobility across engineering and operations departments and improving decision-making capabilities.

Model results will be published to the utility’s existing SCADA system control screen using the industry-standard OPC communication protocol, allowing system operators to visualize model results in an interface with which they are familiar.

SCADAConnect Simulator is currently available as a technology preview for WaterGEMS users who would like to test it and provide the development team with feedback related to the needs of their organizations.

Additional new features include a new SQLite database format that solves existing limitations of the MDB format and stores data more efficiently, decreasing database file size by, on average, 50%. Also, 64-bit support, which is already available in WaterCAD and WaterGEMS to increase addressable memory and performance, now enables users to run WaterCAD for AutoCAD/WaterGEMS within AutoCAD 2013, 64-bit.

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Bentley Systems Intl.
Exton, PA
610.458.6171
www.bentley.com
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