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Use case
Qatium allows you to optimize your water main flushing procedures to ensure effective cleaning while minimizing water waste and service disruption. If you need to design efficient flushing sequences, identify optimal velocities, and assess discoloration risk, this functionality is for you!
With this tool, you can:
- Design efficient flushing sequences by assessing the pipe velocities and discoloration risk.
- Adapt flushing sequences to real-life conditions, like a broken hydrant or valves that are not operable.
- Plan unidirectional flushing by identifying the required valves to be closed.
Data requirements
Depending on the data you have available for your network, you will be able to test different scenarios and/or get better insights. Double-check below if your network meets the data requirements to perform a flushing scenario with Qatium.
The more information you have available, the better!
Minimum data requirements
With this data, you can perform a basic flushing scenario in Qatium:
- Basic assets (junctions, supply source(s), pipes, tanks, pumps, control valves if any)
Essential for deeper insights
Additionally to the minimum requirements, and as a best practice for deeper insights, we recommend your network to have the following data:
- Shut-off valves, Isolation valves and Hydrants
To perform unidirectional flushing, reduce water waste, and increase accuracy of results. -
Customer points
To minimize customer disturbance with efficient sequences. -
Zones
To understand how the DMAs are supplied for better operational planning/prioritization. -
SCADA and Pressure & Flow sensors
So you can identify areas with lower water quality, and perform real-time monitoring during flushing operations. -
AMI
For deeper insights on water usage so you can enhance planning and monitoring of systems and operations.
Tools
To test flushing scenarios in Qatium, you can use the following tools:
- Demand spike: to apply different demands to your junctions or hydrants.
- Flushing panel: to check and analyze optimal or non-optimal velocities for flushing, and possible discoloration risk.
- Flushing work mode: to remove unnecessary noise and focus on your scenario.
If the Flushing is not available on your subscription, you can buy it from the Marketplace or upgrade your plan.
How to perform flushing scenarios in Qatium
Design a flushing sequence using Demand spike
Video tutorial
Step-by-step guide
Follow these steps to design a flushing sequence using Demand spike:
- Go to Work Modes
and select Flushing
- Go to the timeline and select the time you want to test the scenario
- Select a junction
or hydrant
- To reach an optimal flushing velocity in the targeted pipes, click or move the slider to increase the demand or type the new value directly in the box.
In case you need it, you can also use the Pressure tab within the Demand spike panel to set a residual pressure at the selected junction or hydrant.
💡 Tip from Q: Need a hand with your flushing sequences? If you ask, I can help you apply or reset demands and pressure values in a particular junction, check for optimal velocities and identify discoloration risks.
⚠️ Important:
- Qatium applies the new demands from a specific time onwards. For example, applying the demand spike at 12 a.m. might not have the same impact to the state of the network as applying it at 4 p.m.
- You can close the Demand spike panel, losing no value or the selected junction. Qatium will remember your selection the next time you open the panel.
Insights & results
Whether you test a unidirectional flushing or you design a sequence using Demand spike, the Flushing panel will show:
- The analysis status
- If there are optimal
or non-optimal
velocities for flushing
- If there’s discoloration risk
If the pipes maintain a velocity between 1.5 m/s (5 ft/s) and 3 m/s (10 ft/s), Qatium will consider it optimal for flushing and highlight the pipes in green.
Qatium will also analyze and compare flow and velocities to find potential discoloration issues and show the affected pipes in orange. The discoloration risk indicator and the level of discoloration risk appear only when:
- The flow direction is reversed and the current velocity is >= 0.1m/s
- There’s an enormous increase in velocity
In the Demand spike panel, if you have selected a desired new demand,you’ll also see the resulting pressure for the selected hydrant in red, orange or green, depending on the pressure range:
If you have selected a desired new residual pressure within the Pressure tab, you will see the resulting outflow from the junction or hydrant.
⚠️ Important: Qatium considers both the results of the base network (My Network), and the scenario version (My scenario) in order to decide if the current pipe velocities would be optimal for flushing, or could cause discoloration risk, or none of the above. You can check the full list of conditions for pipe classification regarding their velocities in this article.
Plan a unidirectional flushing
Video tutorial
Step-by-step guide
You can optimize your flushing by making the flow unidirectional. This means to define the optimal flushing operation by closing valves and forcing the water to flow from a single direction toward your hydrant.
This allows you to reduce water waste by lowering the flow rate required and helps ensure you're meeting the correct velocity to clean the main.
To plan a unidirectional flushing:
- Follow the steps to design a flushing sequence first.
- Then, select a valve next to the main you target to flush and switch the toggle to Closed
- Increase or reduce the demand in the Demand spike panel up or down to the minimum value for which your targeted main maintains an optimal velocity.
- Repeat step 2 as many times as valves are neighboring the targeted main.
Insights & results
Whether you test a unidirectional flushing or you design a sequence using Demand spike, the Flushing panel will show:
- The analysis status
- If there are optimal
- If there’s discoloration risk
If the pipes maintain a velocity between 1.5 m/s (5 ft/s) and 3 m/s (10 ft/s), Qatium will consider it optimal for flushing and highlight the pipes in green.
Qatium will also analyze and compare flow and velocities to find potential discoloration issues and show the affected pipes in orange. The discoloration risk indicator and the level of discoloration risk appear only when:
- The flow direction is reversed and the current velocity is >= 0.1m/s
- There’s an enormous increase in velocity
In the Demand spike panel, you’ll also see the resulting pressure for the selected hydrant in red, orange or green, depending on the pressure range:
Alternatively, if you have selected a desired new residual pressure within the Pressure tab, you will see the resulting outflow from the junction or hydrant which would satisfy the residual pressure value set.
All done? You can press the Reset 
If you wish to start again and try new scenarios, click on the trash can 
FAQs & Troubleshooting
What is considered a discoloration risk in Qatium?
What is considered a discoloration risk?
During normal operations, to know if there is discoloration risk you have to look at the results of the whole day and look for the maximum velocity:
- <0.3 m/s or <0.984252 ft/s max velocity cause sedimentation
- From 0.3 to 0.8 m/s or 0.984252 to 2.62467 ft/s max velocity pipes are “self-cleansing”, they don’t accumulate sediments.
And if you are performing flushing events:
- From 0.8 to 1.5 m/s or 2.62 to 4.92 ft/s could be a good flushing velocity, but in some cases not enough to remove biofilm
- >3 m/s or 9.84 ft/s is considered too much speed, which can cause issues in the network
- If there’s a big increase in velocity: from less than 0.2 (max velocity during the day) to 0.8 m/s or 0.66 to 2.62 ft/s) in any direction, it will allow for particle resuspension and could affect discoloration
The flow direction is reversed and the current velocity is >= 0.1m/s or 0.33 ft/s
|
Before flushing (max velocity during the whole day, Base Scenario) |
After flushing (max velocity during flushing, Flushing Scenario) |
State |
Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
0 to 0.3 |
0 to 0.3 |
Sedimentation |
Velocities too slow, particles fall to the bottom |
0 to 0.3 |
0.3 to 1.5 |
Discoloration risk |
Sediments that were deposited are lifted and transported |
0 to 0.3 |
1.5 to 3 |
Ideal velocities for flushing |
Capacity to flush away both the sediments and biofilm |
0.3 to 1.5 |
0 to 1.5 |
Nothing happens |
Pipe is self-cleansing on normal operation |
0.3 to 1.5 |
1.5 to 3 |
Ideal velocities for flushing |
Capacity to flush away both the sediments and biofilm |
1.5 to 3 |
1.5 to 3 |
Ideal velocities for flushing |
Capacity to flush away both the sediments and biofilm |
Greater than 3 |
Excessive velocities |
Possible problems in the network (water hammer) |
How is the range in the Demand spike panel calculated?
How is the range in the demand spike panel calculated?
You can choose a demand to apply within a given range. The maximum flow of the range is estimated using the widest connected pipe diameter and the maximum flow range using a fixed velocity of 10 m/s or 32.8084 ft/s.