Jyväskylän Energia Group (nowadays Alva) has about 1950 kilometers of water, sewer and storm water network in maintenance. The oldest part of the network is from the 1910s. "The situation in all of Finland is the same, water networks are aging and there is a great need for pipeline rehabilitation. Our applications offer water utilities tools for making the right and economically reasonable decisions with a regional approach", describes Antti Nevas, segment director for Water and District Heating at Trimble. The approach means rehabilitation for selected areas in the network as an entity, instead of making singular repairs.
Jyväskylän Energia answers for the water supply for 120 000 people. "Our main tasks are taking care of the condition of the network so that we can supply clean and safe drinking water to our customers, as well as conducting the sewers to treatment plants without disturbances", underlines the Water Manager of the utility, Markku Hantunen.
In the city of Jyväskylä, the network repairs are mainly done as regional rehabilitations. "It is an economically reasonable option compared to repairing small portions at a time", states Hantunen.
Regional pipeline rehabilitation provides economic benefits, as the model allows for drawing up repair entities of reasonable sizes for contractors. "This way, the contractor is able to make a less expensive offer for the work."
Hantunen also adds to the benefits of the regional rehabilitations the fact that the condition of the water pipeline network is then known by each area. "It is great, considering the operability of the network as well as the maintenance planning.”
We know where to spend the money
In Jyväskylä, the pipe, material and condition data is managed in the Trimble NIS system. "We use the data in the network information system to calculate a condition estimate for the water pipeline network. The estimate indicates where the need for repairing is the highest", Hantunen explains.
Based on the condition estimate, it is defined where to start the regional rehabilitations. In the Trimble application, it’s also possible to calculate a cost estimate for each area to be renovated.
"We have a limited amount of money available, so the cost and condition estimates help us make the right decisions in selecting the regions for rehabilitation; we know where to spend the money. The condition estimate and the cost estimates for the repairs are also needed in drawing up long-term maintenance plans for the network."
Finally, Hantunen highlights the importance of a well-functioning utility GIS system. "Making cost calculations, long-term plans and regional rehabilitation plans require having all the data in the same system. Trimble NIS has served us well."
