1Spatial Enables Northumbrian Water to Save £8.75m

Cambridge, UK, 10th March 2017, (www.1spatial.com) An industry-leading, innovative partnership between Northumbrian Water and data management specialists 1Spatial, will help to enhance response times for customers who experience problems with the sewer network in and around their properties.

Key benefits are:

• £8.75 million saved on survey costs for transferred networks, representing an 87% saving
• Mapping completed in 1/8 of the time originally planned
• Better data ensures better customer service and asset investment plans

Northumbrian Water (NWL) assumed responsibility for an estimated 13,500km of private drains and sewers when the law changed to transfer ownership from property owners to local water companies. However, only 5% of the inherited network was mapped.

1Spatial proposed an approach built on its 1Integrate solution. Working with subject-matter experts at Northumbrian Water, the team developed a series of rules to infer the missing information, based on limited records available and the expertise of staff.

Northumbrian Water estimated that using a traditional surveying process would have cost £10m in the first five years alone. Choosing 1Spatial’s rules-based approach dramatically reduced both the time and cost of the project. By configuring 1Spatial’s unique software using Northumbrian Water’s expert engineering knowledge, a new model of the network was created. Head of Wastewater Networks and Developer Services, Mike Madine, explains:

“The cost difference is quite significant. Our original plan was to physically map just one third of the transferred network. That would have cost £10 million. Working with 1Spatial, we’re able to deliver a map of the whole transferred network in just two years, for £1.25 million. Our partnership with 1Spatial has led to the development of an industry-leading process that combines our expertise and traditional surveying with state of the art mapping technology. ”

Bob Chell, Head of Consultancy Services at 1Spatial, said:
“The transferred network was a big unknown for Northumbrian Water. However, working collaboratively to understand their data and business challenges we were able to achieve a significant reduction in costs and improvement in process. We were delighted to partner with Northumbrian on such an innovative and industry leading solution.”

Watch the video or read the full case study at: www.1spatial.com/northumbrian-water

Northumbrian Water Group and 1Spatial have been shortlisted for the upcoming Water Industry Achievement Awards in the Most Innovative Use of an Existing Technology category. Find out more at: http://www.waterindustryachievementawards.info/2017/en/page/finalists

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