Rising main monitoring delivers actionable data

Keeping track of this vast infrastructure is a major challenge. It includes a higher percentage of the farmed land in the UK, and before monitoring, bursts could go unnoticed for long periods if a pipeline runs underneath a field which is lightly visited.

The utility’s initial priority was the early capture of burst mains to reduce the impact of pollution and achieve a better understanding of the condition of managed assets. Identifying failing assets such as non-return valves, air valves, degradation of pumps, and any assets which start to become troublesome and costly, increases efficiency, reduces operational activity and aids carbon and energy reduction.

Anglian Water embarked on a key monitoring programme in 2017, installing PIPEMINDER-ONE External monitors from Badger Meter at key locations throughout the utility’s service area. PIPEMINDER-ONE External uses pressure data to provide critical burst alarms on pumped mains, alongside valuable asset performance analysis.

Anglian Water embarked on a key monitoring programme in 2017, installing PIPEMINDER-ONE External monitors from Badger Meter at key locations

Data collected from these sensors is sent to RADAR, the associated cloud platform, which delivers burst alerts whenever anomalies in pressure fall outside the standard operating conditions. The alerts are automatically sent to the operational control room. Armed with this information, Anglian Water could rapidly dispatch technicians to the affected area to investigate and walk the length of the pipeline to detect the source of the burst.

Analysing the data revealed additional problems within the rising main, such as drain back on a partially open non-return valve, causing pumps to run more often and for longer, resulting in increased energy usage and the pumps wearing more quickly.

Once the valve was maintained with the debris removed, it could close fully, and the pumps resumed their standard run patterns, resulting in a meaningful reduction in energy consumption, reducing wear and tear on the pumps, valves and other impacted components.

Monitoring performance 

The engineering and software teams from Badger Meter worked together with the utility to develop a set of performance alerts to measure other key performance factors. This subsequent analysis revealed a range of performance issues requiring attention, from worn pump impellers to fouled valves and compromised control valves. These findings were confirmed using the existing telemetry data, providing a double-down view of asset performance.

Utilising this monitoring method, the utility quickly identified more than 50 issues, identifying poor performance and inefficiency in its process. This step was vital to prioritising repair work and necessary upgrades. Rectifying existing asset issues has already generated more than £30,000/$40,400 per year in energy savings, based on completing two-thirds of planned mitigations. The reduced costs associated with investigating bursts gave the utility a payback on the technology investment within just one year.

Modelling hydraulic transients 

Using advanced hydraulic modelling software, Anglian Water could obtain a deeper analysis of asset performance. Insights produced by modelling provide valuable guidance on a range of operational issues, such as how to control pumps to reduce surge and lessen negative pressures to maintain performance at optimal levels to minimise asset wear and tear. 

The modelling results helped the Anglian Water team identify the most critical projects for attention and perform less costly mitigation where appropriate, delivering maximum impact for capital expense.

The collaboration to understand the rising main networks has continued over the past 7 years. With SCADA data now integrated into RADAR, pump information alongside pressure data delivers enhanced insights and alarms on one screen, for a more robust view.

This strategy has led to the roll-out of more than 1,700 monitored pump stations to date. This data-driven approach to performance monitoring provides the Anglian Water team with visibility into their vast system that informs decisions with the power to improve the service to customers.

”As we transition from AMP7 to AMP8, our commitment to investing in people, processes, and infrastructure remains unwavering. Our focus is on enhancing the maintenance and monitoring of our wastewater rising mains to protect the environment and better serve our customers,” Paul Louth, Anglian Water’s Head of Water Recycling Networks, said.

In Year 5 of the current AMP7 investment cycle, Anglian Water undertook its most ambitious pressure monitoring programme to date, rolling out 830 new monitors across its wastewater network—a 104% increase in pressure monitoring coverage. This significant scale-up marks a step change in how the business manages risk associated with complex rising mains and demonstrates a proactive approach to pollution prevention.

In Year 5 of the current AMP7 investment cycle, Anglian Water undertook its most ambitious pressure monitoring programme to date

This expansion comes off the back of a major commitment from stakeholders in June 2024, who pledged an additional £100 million/$133 million in targeted funding to support Anglian Water’s zero-pollution goal. With increasing regulatory scrutiny and heavier penalties associated with pollution events, particularly those following burst rising mains, the ability to detect and respond quickly is now business-critical.

Anglian Water operates in a region unlike any other. With a quarter of the geography lying below sea level, the risk of flooding and pollution is amplified. This makes the monitoring of rising mains, particularly complex ones, not just beneficial, but essential. The transition from AMP7 to AMP8 will see this focus intensify, with performance monitoring, risk mitigation and incident response becoming central pillars of the asset management strategy.

At the heart of this progress is Anglian Water’s longstanding partnership with Syrinix (purchased by Badger Meter at the start of 2023). Over the past eight years, this collaboration has continuously improved how the business identifies rising main risk, installs pressure monitors, and interprets performance data. The company’s advanced pressure monitoring technology has played a pivotal role in enabling faster response times to burst events, allowing Anglian Water to reach sites before they escalate into major environmental incidents. This proactive capability has already helped reduce the impact of failures and is redefining how incident management is handled.

“The success of the monitoring programme has been driven by strong cross-business collaboration,” Jana De Villiers, Project Manager within the Programme Delivery Team at Anglian Water, said. “From the early identification of critical rising mains through to final installation, teams across operational, asset, and engineering disciplines have come together to ensure seamless deployment and meaningful insights. This end-to-end, collaborative approach has helped embed monitoring into the heart of the pollution reduction strategy.”

As AMP8 begins, Anglian Water is excited by the opportunities this new way of working unlocks. With improved visibility, faster responses, and a deeper understanding of network performance, the company is better positioned than ever to protect the environment and deliver long-term resilience across its wastewater infrastructure.

For more information about BlueEdge from Badger Meter and its solutions for the complete water cycle, visit BadgerMeter.com/Rising.