Turku Region Water Supply

Knowledge management is at the core of Turku Region Water Supply Ltd.’s strategy, and it refers to the systematic analysis and use of data in improving both decision-making and proactivity. A significant step on the journey is the utilization of the LabkoNet Infra remote monitoring system and getting reliable measurements from the most important data source, the water supply network.

Turku Region Water Supply’s operations include the distribution of treated water and receiving wastewater and directing it to the wastewater treatment plant. The company takes care of the maintenance of the city’s water supply and wastewater network, contracts, invoicing, info, and other related services. The operating environment produces a lot of data, and better utilization of this data has been set as the main goal of the renewed strategy.

Niko Lindström, development engineer at Turku Region Water Supply, says “Implementing a digital strategy requires persistence and a clear vision of the future, but it can provide significant customer and business benefits. In this work, Labkotec has proven to be a capable partner.” 

From the field to the heart of the strategy

The city of Turku’s water supply network has numerous utility chambers equipped by different manufacturers, which are used to monitor water consumption and locate disturbances. When the measurements of one of the chambers connected to LabkoNet showed incorrect readings, we investigated the situation and performed meter maintenance. Concurrently, we decided to renew the network’s other measurement points. As a result of our inspections and maintenance, we replaced some of the old flow meters and installed meters in the pressure boosting stations and for monitoring leaks in the sewage chambers.

Also, we realized how Turku Region Water Supply could utilize their LabkoNet Infra remote monitoring system even better. In certain locations, due to the structure of the water supply network, the pressure differences vary in both directions. The flow must thus also be measured correspondingly. This is possible when the flow rate is measured by calculating the spreading time of an ultrasonic wave in a liquid. After completing the tests successfully, we updated the LabkoNet service, made the interconnections and programmed the meters. Since it’s possible to install our flow meters on top of the pipes, the installation did not require cutting the pipes or stopping the water supply process. Also, as LabkoNet’s open APIs allow the use of any manufacturers’ measuring devices, no unnecessary hardware purchases were needed, and there is no binding to a specific manufacturer.

Tommi Santanen, foreman at Turku Region Water Supply, says “Labkotec’s experts do more than what’s agreed — they identify development needs and suggest functional solutions. Also, their products are reliable and easy to use.”