Integrated water asset management system (IWAMS)

As data proceeds through different levels of an organisation from its capture to its processing and refinement, it is reported as information relevant to a particular application. Data can be adversely influenced during this conversion process which can result in sub-optimal decisions being made. The collection and handling of information for a water authority must therefore be organised. Asset management systems generally consist of three major constituents: inventory, programmed action, and optimisation. The institutional capacity needs of water authorities in developing countries require greater emphasis on the first of these two constituents. A pragmatic and simple-to-use Integrated Water Asset Management System (IWAMS) has been developed comprising water meter, leakage control and incident management modules. A water audit and water balance module facilitates the determination of the levels of unaccounted for water, as well as the unit cost of leakage. Water mains rehabilitation priorities can be established through the representation of various data collected in the form of a common severity rating that aids decision making.