On January 13th, 2017 at 10.30 am, "Towards the Digital Water Utility: Role of Intelligent Water Networks and Big Data Informatics" seminar will take place at DEIB Conference Room, as new appointment of HIL Seminars.
The recent advent of a range of intelligent water monitoring sensors coupled with advancements in big data analytics provides an opportunity to transform the conservative water industry. However, the uptake of these technologies has been slow due to a number of impediments; many of which can be overcome with evidence-based research, pilot trials, and effective knowledge transfer. Professor Stewart will discuss research and pilot trials undertaken in the Australian context that demonstrate the role of intelligent water meters for enhanced water utility management, including: enhanced water end use studies for urban water planning; advanced water demand forecasting and distribution network modelling; post-meter water loss management; big data analytics for the autonomous reporting of water consumption information to utility and customers; optimising infrastructure asset life cycle management; technology for engaging customers with water conservation practices; and using lake diagnostic sensors for enhanced water reservoir treatment management. Professor Stewart will also showcase some intelligent metering studies that enabled the unpacking of a number of water-energy nexus issues, and the implications for pumped rainwater tanks, domestic heating systems and water distribution pumping stations.

Rodney Stewart is a Professor in the School of Engineering based at Griffith University, Gold Coast City, Queensland Australia. He is a specialist in engineering and environmental management research, particularly related to intelligent water and energy networks and digital utility sector transformation. He is currently leading or completed water end use studies covering potable-only water supply schemes, dual supply schemes and internally plumbed rain tank schemes. He was appointed as a National Water Commission Fellow in 2011 to verify the end use potable water savings achievable from a range of contemporary water supply schemes.  More recently, his work is exploring the residential end use water-energy nexus as well as the development of intelligent algorithms for managing distributed battery storages in smart electricity grid networks. Professor Stewart has published over 200 research articles and received over AUD$5 million in competitive research funding as first chief investigator.