Global urbanization poses a number of water-related challenges– chief among them supplying clean drinking water and disposing of waste water. In many parts of our country, there is not enough water near cities. It has to be brought into the city with long-distance pipelines, or desalinated from sea water. Supplying millions of citizens every day with water is a task that requires much planning and the help of a large number of electrical and electronic water management systems and technologies. Millions of electric motors, pumps, valves, sensors and controls are supposed to be relied on SGI solutions to work safely and efficiently in sometimes harsh conditions and environments.
It starts at the water utility, where instrumentation keeps a close watch on water consumption and the data sent back from individual water meters. Water extraction pumps are used to pump water from wells or through pipelines to purification, filtration or desalination systems. Automated valves, automatic shutoffs and controllers turn water on and off as needed.
A myriad of sensors control the start and stop of water flow for example at an individual bathroom tap. They also help control timing and length of flush in toilets, avoid overflow in boilers and storage towers or sense soil water content or freezing temperatures in irrigation systems.