Session 3 - Data-Driven Decision-Making

Many of us are concerned with rising labor costs and an increasing demand to monitor natural systems as climate change accelerates. In this session, we will discuss how advanced satellite and remote sensing methods can help to address these issues.

Presentations:

Managing our Largest and Most Valuable Public Asset; Our Roadways

Roadways are the largest and most valuable built asset around the world. The problem? Millions of miles of roadway have thousands of different owners, traffic amounts, and vehicle loads, requiring a comprehensive asset management tool. Stantec’s AtlasAM leverages decades of industry experience in pavement management expertise, tools, technology and software to meet this complex and very important challenge.

Time: 1:00 pm - 1:15 pm MT
Presenter: Allan Venema

Measurements with merit: Evolving data collection to enable integrated decision making

Ensuring dam safety is a critical issue, and information is paramount to preventing failures. But at dams across the country, the way data is being collected and stored is disparate, resulting in confusion. We’ve reimagined data collection to inform proactive decision making by amassing great amounts of data into a digital platform that allows for easier access, analysis and management of the most critical information.

Time: 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm MT
Presenter: Cory Bolen

Optimizing a Zero Cost Energy Future for the Water Industry

With distant water sources, SA Water’s energy needs are great and costly, leading to the development of the Zero Cost Energy Future Program. This integrated program involved seven initiatives to drive down costs and manage electricity into the future. We’ll discuss how we’re optimising operational schedules for assets while balancing the complexities behind the meter, driving down costs, and delivering an easy-to-use application.  

Time: 1:30 pm - 1:45 pm MT
Presenter: Alana Duncker

Operations of the Future: Using artificial intelligence to run a water treatment facility

Automated processes aren’t new at large facilities and utilities, but past efforts have shown limited success with automating controls of a treatment plant lifecycle. By developing a pilot plant automation scenario using Machine Learning techniques and accurate operational algorithms, our clients can run their assets reliably. See how our research and approach to automating the functions of a water treatment facility have potential to automate processes across industries.

Time: 1:45 pm - 2:00 pm MT
Presenter: John Abrera

The Benefits of Getting Your Head in the Cloud with FAMS

With rapidly changing environmental, economic, and societal conditions, it’s difficult to plan for our communities’ long-term needs. Using key assumptions and integrating various datasets to create and compare multiple scenarios in real time, our Financial Analysis and Management System can help you address rate increases, cost allocations, operations, and capital investment in the face of these changing conditions.

Time: 2:00 pm - 2:15 pm MT
Presenter: Andrew Burnham

How we’re using machine learning to deliver rapid probabilistic flood predictions

With catastrophic events growing, we need innovation. Flood Predictor uses Machine Learning trained with modeling and engineering studies to analyze flood hazards, project future climate scenarios, incorporate local adaptation, and validate against government records. Officials can quickly understand regional flood risks in near real time, and inform the public of high-risk areas and optimal routes to safety ahead of major storms.

Time: 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm MT
Presenter: Katherine Osborne