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Glossary

A

Alternative supply

A backup supply for an area that doesn’t provide enough pressure during certain periods (e.g., peak hours or summer). Opening the alternative supply helps restore pressure.

AMI

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is an integrated system of water meters, communication networks, and data management systems that enables two-way communication between meter endpoints and utilities. Consumer meter readings are automatically sent to the utility system without human intervention.

AMR

Automated Meter Reading (AMR) is the communication technology water utilities use to automatically collect water consumption and status data from water meters. AMR systems can be either walk-by or drive-by, and it requires human intervention to be collected.

Analysis (work mode)

A work mode inside Qatium that allows checking the general state of the network, with a focus on pressures and flows.

Related to Work modes

API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a tool that helps different software systems connect and share information. It allows one program to send or receive data from another program smoothly.

The Qatium Ingest API makes it easy to upload sensor data into a network model so it can be displayed in the Qatium platform. It also lets you check the status of the data you’ve uploaded, ensuring everything is working as expected.

You’ll need a token to use the API. Request one by filling out this form.

Arterial

[Pipe] Large pipes bringing water from the source or water treatment plant to a town/city. From them, distribution pipes supply water to customers.

Related to Network levels

Asset

Any physical element existing in the network’s infrastructure (pipe, pump, valve, tank, etc.).

Asset ID

Name assigned to an asset when building the hydraulic model. IDs could be anything, every utility tends to have its own naming rules and templates. It is common practice to use asset initials or the default naming of specific tools in the industry (e.g. InfoWater or WaterGEMS presets).

Related to Asset

Asset status

The working state of certain elements (pipes, valves, pumps). In Qatium, its value can vary depending on the asset and the situation (open, closed, unsupplied…), and it is always shown in the asset information when clicking or hovering over an icon.

Assigned demand

The volume of water assigned to a junction, customer point or hydrant to satisfy the customers needs.

B

Backflow

An unforeseen event that arises when the flow is reversed or mixed with other liquids, gases, or other substances in the distribution system of public water systems from any source other than its intended origin.

Bearer token

A bearer token is a string, usually generated by the server in response to a login request. This is used for token authentication—HTTP authentication scheme that uses security tokens known as bearer tokens. The name "bearer authentication" can be understood as "grant access to the bearer of this token."

Boundary valves

Valves that define the limits of a district metered area (DMA). Operators may change these limits to improve zone definition or keep a stable supply during infrastructure malfunctions.

C

Catchment

An area of land where water collects and flows towards a common point, either as surface runoff or groundwater.

Check valve

A valve that allows fluid flow in only one direction and protects important hydraulic system components. When properly installed, a hydraulic check valve can prevent potentially contaminated fluid from mixing with the fluid of a reservoir, keep the system primed and relieve pressure.

In Qatium this is considered a pipe property.

CSV file

A Comma Separated Values (CSV) file is a plain text file that contains a list of data. These files are often used for exchanging data between different applications. For example, databases and contact managers often support CSV files.

Customer point

At Qatium we use this term to refer to the points supplied by the water distribution system (a building, for example). We use this data to know the number of consumers affected when making operations on the network.

Also used in Qatium as: customers

D

Data validation

Part of the data enhancement that Qatium performs during data import. It refers to ensuring that the layer attributes comply with the validation rules - otherwise their values are replaced by the established default values.

Related to GIS attribute

Demand (water)

The volume of water requested by users to satisfy their needs. There are two main types of demand: base - which is usually your average daily demand; and unit - which can be a per capita demand based on population, count or area.

Demand pattern

Average demand behavior over a given period of time. When demands are applied at junctions, they can be either “fixed” or vary over time.

Related to Demand, Demand pattern zone

Demand pattern zone

An area inside a network in which all nodes share the same demand pattern. This is defined by the user and it serves to estimate how much water is consumed in different sectors of a network, when there’s no real data from meters.

Related to Demand Pattern, Demand

Demand spike

Qatium functionality that allows to apply different demands (usually surges in consumption) to selected junctions and see the changes in the network.

Digital twin

A virtual model designed to accurately reflect a physical object. It is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making.

Discoloration risk

Water turbidity is an important parameter in drinking water quality control. It may indicate microbiological contamination, which promotes the adhesion of heavy metals and pesticides. Discoloration doesn't always mean the water is unsafe, but it can reduce disinfection effectiveness and indicate issues in the distribution system. Cloudy water affects public perception of drinking water safety.
In Qatium, we’ll warn you about discoloration risk when performing a demand spike and/or flushing scenario.

Distribution (pipe)

A network pipe that distributes water from arterial pipes to customer points.

Related to Network levels, Arterial

DMA (District metered area)

A special type of zone with identified inlets and outlets that are metered, so that it is possible to know how much water is actually being consumed inside that area.

Related to DMA sectorization

DMA sectorization

The division of a network into metered sub area(s) to monitor consumption, and track Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and leakage, which allows to identify issues and solve them more quickly.

Related to DMA

.DWG file (AutoCAD)

DraWinG (DWG) is a computer drawing file format used primarily by the AutoCAD program, a product of the AutoDesk company. DWG files store drawing information in three dimensions in vector form.

It’s used in Qatium to get a synoptic view.

Related to Synoptic

E

Efficiency score

[Qatium] The energy cost per cubic meter of water (kWh/m³). Calculated from the total energy supplied to the network versus the energy consumed by customers.

Element

All the objects presented in the network: assets (such as pipes, tanks, valves,…), but also junctions, zones, etc.

Emitter

Devices linked to junctions that simulate flow through a nozzle or orifice discharging to the atmosphere. In EPANET, emitters are a junction property, not a separate component.

Related to GIS fields

Energy efficiency

A Qatium Marketplace plugin to perform scenarios to understand how efficiently your network uses energy to deliver water. It provides efficiency scores (kWh/m³), highlights energy losses on the map, shows daily usage patterns, and flags inefficient assets like pipes, valves, and tanks, allowing you to test operational improvements.

Related to Plugin, Scenario, Efficiency score, Energy loss

Energy loss

The energy wasted as water moves through pipes, valves, or tanks. In Qatium, high energy loss assets are highlighted to help improve efficiency.

EPANET

Software developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to model water distribution systems.

F

Fire flow

The rate of water available from hydrants or other approved sources for firefighting. This can also be supplied with another approved source such as a static water supply like a tank or pond, or even using a fire department tanker shuttle service.

Related to Tank, Supply source

Flow

The volume or quantity of water that circulates inside a pipe in a specific time interval.

Flow control valve (FCV)

A hydraulic valve used to regulate flow or pressure, often responding to signals from flow meters or pressure gauges.

Flowmeter

Flowmeters are instruments that monitor, measure or record the flow rate, volume or mass of a gas or liquid. Flowmeters provide accurate monitoring and/or control of what moves through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, oil, gases and other liquids.

Flow sensor

Often used interchangeably with ‘flowmeter,’ though it technically refers to the part of the device that detects and converts flow into signals.

Flushing

A process to remove sediment or stagnant water from pipes. In Qatium, flushing scenarios help identify water quality issues, such as discoloration risk or high water age.

G

GeoJSON

GeoJSON is an easy-to-use GIS file format. It supports the following geometry types: Point, LineString, Polygon, MultiPoint, MultiLineString, and MultiPolygon. Geometric objects with additional properties are Feature objects. Sets of features are contained by FeatureCollection objects.

GIS

Geographical information system (GIS): a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface.

GIS attribute

Nonspatial information about a geographic feature in a GIS, is usually stored in a table and linked to the feature by a unique identifier.

Related to GIS

GIS field

[Qatium] In a GIS file, fields are the titles in the columns. During the import of network data, Qatium processes this information according to standard specifications, and displays these fields as properties in the asset information.

Related to GIS

H

Headloss

Reduction in head, or pressure, of the flow due to friction, turbulence or other factors. It depends on the flow velocity, the pipe diameter, the pipe length and a friction factor based on the roughness and Reynolds number of the flow.

Hydrant

A vertical pipe, usually at the side of the road, that is connected to the main water system of a town and can supply water, especially for dealing with fires: a fire hydrant.

Hydraulic head

It represents the mechanical energy per unit weight of the fluid in the system. Knowledge of the hydraulic head distribution in an area allows one to estimate the direction and rate of flow.

Related to Supply source

Hydraulic model

A collection of mathematical equations that give a simple representation of reality. They estimate: flow, water level and velocity in river channels, pipe networks, tidal systems, or floodplains. Hydraulic models are used to study and analyze the water system behavior now and/or in the near future.

I

.inp file

EPANET input file: the native format for EPANET.

Related to EPANET

InfoWater Pro

Engineers use Autodesk InfoWater® Pro software to model water distribution systems in an easy-to-use GIS interface.

Related to GIS, Hydraulic model

Inlet < > Outlet (asset)

Points or assets that allow water to flow into and out of the network (e.g. inlet/outlet pipes) or controls the rate at which water flows along and out of it (e.g. inlet/outlet valves). This can apply to zones, DMAs, tanks, or other system boundaries.

Insights & results

Key information about the network’s current state or from scenario results, displayed directly in Qatium once the simulation finishes.

Related to Scenarios

Integration

[Qatium] A connection that allows Qatium to work with other software, services, or data sources. Integrations can automate data imports, link external tools (such as AMI/AMR systems, SCADA, or GIS), or extend Qatium’s capabilities through Marketplace plugins. They help utilities streamline workflows and keep their network models up to date.

Related to: API, Plugin, Qatium Marketplace

Internet of water (IoT)

Use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to connect water system elements, allowing data exchange, remote monitoring, and interaction with autonomous or AI-based systems.

J

Junction

Points where links (pipes, valves or pumps) join together and where water enters or leaves the network. It is a component that you cannot find in physical networks, but junctions are needed to solve the mathematical graph model of system flows.

L

Labeling

In ArcGIS Pro, it refers specifically to the process of automatically generating and placing descriptive text for features in maps and scenes. A label is a piece of text on the map that is dynamically placed and whose text string is derived from one or more feature attributes.

Related to GIS

Lateral (pipe)

A pipe that connects the interior installation of the building and the corresponding shut-off valve to the distribution network.

Related to Shut-off valve, Main

Leakage

Water lost from a network due to physical leaks in pipes, joints, valves, or other infrastructure components before it reaches customers. Leakage is a major component of non-revenue water (NRW) and is often identified using indicators like minimum night flow (MNF).

Related to NRW, MNF, Water balance, DMA

Loop pipes

Pipes designed to loop back to their starting point, creating redundancy and increasing flow capacity.

M

Main (pipe)

Arterial and distribution pipes without laterals defined in the model.

Related to Arterial, Distribution, Lateral

Main conditioning

The process of gradually increasing flow in a pipe to clean its walls while monitoring water quality. The flow is increased in stages until the pipe is conditioned to run at higher rates without risking dirty water.

Related to Water age

Marketplace

[Qatium] An online hub within Qatium where users can discover, install, and manage plugins and integrations that enhance their water network management experience.

Related to Plugin, Integration

Minimum night flow (MNF)

The lowest recorded flow into a network or district metered area (DMA) during the night, when customer demand is at its minimum. MNF is often used to detect leaks or unauthorized consumption, as normal usage is typically low at night.

Related to Water balance, NRW, Leakage, DMA

Model accuracy

A percentage indicator calculated every hour from the various deviation values of the model. The lower the deviation value, the more accurate the model.

Related to Model deviation

Model deviation

The model deviation indicates the average difference between the sensor value and the model value assigned to the same asset. The smaller the model deviation, the closer the real data and the simulated values will be.

Related to Model accuracy

MultiPolygon or Polygon geometry or shape

[GIS] Closed shapes that represent areas on a map, ranging from natural features (lakes, forests, etc.), to man-made structures or areas (cities, districts, and property plots).

They are 1 of the 3 types of layers that can be imported in Qatium (as Shapefiles or GeoJSONs), and are categorized as “zones”.

N

Net flow

[Qatium] It represents all the water consumed in a zone including customer demand and leakage. Net flow is calculated as the sum of all the inflows in a zone minus all the outflows.

Related to Water balance, NRW, Readings

Network ID

[Qatium] The network ID is a unique identifier used by Qatium. It’s a long hexadecimal string (UUID) placed in the network URL.

Network levels

Water supply networks can be divided into three levels:

1. Transmission line: large pipes or channels transporting raw water from the source to the water supply treatment plant.

2. Arterial: the largest pipes transporting water from the treatment plant to major areas.

3. Distribution: the remaining network providing water to consumers.

Qatium categorizes all assets in the network as arterial or distribution.

Related to Arterial, Distribution

Network projection

The spatial location of the hydraulic model that generates the map view in Qatium. The user must establish this location through a coordinate system.

Node

Location within the water supply system where head, inflow, or outflow is known, and actions or measurements occur. A node can be used to represent things that actually happen over a large physical area but that, for modeling purposes, occur at a single point.

In Qatium, this can be a supply source, tank, pump, valve or junction.

Non-revenue water (NRW)

Water injected into the network but not billed due to authorized but unbilled consumption (firefighting, special events, etc.), apparent losses (like theft or metering errors), or real losses (like leaks in mains, service connections, or storage).

O

Orientation

An element’s position/direction regarding other elements of the network. More specifically, the orientation depends on another upstream element.

In Qatium, orientation can be inferred or defined by the user during import.

Orientable elements: all assets/elements for which orientation is important for a valid simulation, e.g. PRVs, pumps

Related to Upstream <> Downstream

P

Plugin

A software component that adds specific capabilities to the Qatium platform. Plugins available in the Qatium Marketplace can extend functionality, such as connecting to external data sources, adding analytics tools, or automating certain tasks.

Related to Qatium Marketplace, Integration, API.

Pressure

The force water exerts in a pipe, which determines how high or far it can travel. In Qatium, pressure values are shown for each junction based on simulation results.

Pressure gauge

A pressure gauge is tool used to measure the pressure to ensure there are no leaks or pressure changes that would affect the performance of the system.

Related to Pressure

Pressure reducing valve (PRV)

Used to reduce incoming water pressure to a safer constant predetermined downstream level. Depending on the type of valve, the downstream pressure is established by a pressure adjustment setting on the valve or by an external sensor.

Related to Pressure, Regulating valves

Pressure sustaining valve (PSV)

Used to maintain pressure by opening only as much as necessary to maintain the required pressure on its inlet port.

Related to Pressure, Regulating valves

R

Readings

The actual data received from telemetry systems that we incorporate into Qatium. It could be flow from a flow meter, level or pressure from a pressure sensor or the status of an asset (on, off, active, etc.).

Related to Telemetry, Flow meter

Regulating valves

Used to adjust and control the flow rate through a pipe. They provide more precise control and allow the flow rate to be adjusted to different levels, making them ideal for situations where precise regulation is required.

[Qatium] PRV (Pressure Reducing Valve), PSV (Pressure Sustaining Valve), FCV (Flow Control Valve).

Rezoning

Adjusting the boundaries of network zones. This is usually done to reach a minimum pressure in the network, and it could be part of a planning project or as a response to an emergency or unplanned event.

Related to Zone

Roughness

The resistance to water flow due to the walls’ state of channels and pipes, the sides or the bottom of a channel.

Related to Roughness coefficient

Roughness coefficient

A number that describes how smooth or rough a pipe's surface is. This coefficient is used by engineers (or software) to determine friction losses of fluids moving through the pipe. There are multiple equations used to define and simulate roughness (H-W: Hazen-Williams, C-W: Chezy-Manning, D-W: Darcy-Weisbach).

Related to Roughness

S

Satellite view

Feature in Qatium that allows you to switch the map background from the default simplified layout to a high-resolution satellite image of your service area. This view provides more geographical context, helping you locate network assets relative to streets, buildings, and terrain features.

Activate it using the globe icon in your map controls.

Also known as realistic or aerial map view.

SCADA

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are widely used in the water industry to monitor and control critical network infrastructure such as pumping stations, storage tanks and valves.

Scenario

[Qatium] Changes users make in the network to answer “What if…?” questions. These scenarios create different network versions to test the changes applied. Scenarios can be used for network operations and performance, as well as for planning.

Sensor

A device that detects changes in the physical world and can emit signals.

It's usually integrated into a meter to collect information such as water levels, air temperature, etc.; and transmit it to the cloud through a mobile network.

At Qatium, we refer to sensors as IoT devices that measure a specific critical parameter in the network.

Sensor data

A generic term that refers to any data collected by sensors and telemetry systems . It's also called live data, real-time data or near real-time data.
In general, live data comes from SCADA systems (the utilities telemetry system) and IoT devices (third-party sensors attached to the network).

Related to Sensor, Readings

Sensor signal

Raw data emitted by a sensor, representing variations of the measured physical quantity over time. It’s the basis for processed sensor readings in Qatium.

Related to Signal mapping, Sensor, Readings

Service level

The minimum water pressure guaranteed at each customer point, as defined by utility standards or regulations.

Shapefile

A digital vector storage format for storing geographic location and associated attribute information.

Shutdown

[Qatium] Scenario that allows you to see which valves need to operate in order to isolate the selected pipe, as well as the pipes that are impacted by the operation.

E.g.: When a pipe needs to be worked on – e.g. to fix a leak – operators will isolate the pipe by locating valves that surround it and close them, trying to minimize the impact (water quality, pressure, supply interruptions and duration) on customers.

Related to Scenarios

Shut-off valve

Used to regulate the flow through pipes, allowing complete interruption of the water supply when necessary, or adjustment of the flow rate. They are usually installed in strategic locations to isolate specific parts of a network, allowing repairs or replacements without the need to shut off the entire water supply.

[Qatium] TCV (Throttle Control Valve)

Signal mapping

The process of linking sensor signals or readings to the correct asset and property in Qatium.

Smart metering deployment

The installation of smart water meters that provide real-time readings and automatically transmit data to the utility’s management system.

Smart water

The inclusion of advanced technologies to achieve automation of processes within the integral water cycle and data analysis to achieve improvements in water services.

Status (asset)

The working state of certain elements (pipes, valves, pumps). Its value can vary depending on the asset and the situation, and it is always shown in the asset information when clicking or hovering over an icon.

Supply source

[Qatium] External sources of water in the network such as tanks or reservoirs, lakes, rivers, groundwater aquifers, etc.

[EPANET] “Reservoir”. Nodes that represent an infinite external source or sink of water to the network. Reservoirs can also serve as water quality source points.

Related to Tank, Hydraulic head

SWMM (Storm Water Management Model)

Created by EPA, it’s the most used simulation model for planning, analysis, and design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems.

Synoptic

[Qatium] A work mode with a high-level representation of your network. It represents only the major assets, their performance, and interconnections, reducing the noise and providing a simplified view particularly useful in large networks.

Related to Work modes

T

Tank

Tanks are nodes with storage capacity, where the volume of stored water can vary with time during a simulation.

Telemetry

The automatic measurement and wireless transmission of data from remote sources, through the use of sensors.

Related to Readings

Threshold

Minimum and/or maximum values that can be assigned to an asset during import to receive warnings. When the readings or the simulation exceed the defined threshold values, a warning appears in the App interface, and more information inside the asset details.

Related to Warnings, Readings, Asset

Timeline

The graphical representation inside Qatium of a 24-hour period when opening a network, it shows the current moment represented in the model. It is used to see how the network is operating at a certain time or to review historical live data and see past events (e.g. bursts or pipe closures).

Time step

The basic time unit in a model simulation. Qatium creates a 24h model starting at 00:00, with a 1h time-step.

Token

A unique identifier used to authenticate a user or application to access an API and must be included in every API request to authorize access to protected resources.

Related to Ingest API, Bearer token

U

Unidirectional flushing

Another flushing method consists of closing valves and opening hydrant(s) in a sequential manner in a particular section or loop, always starting from a clean water source (storage tank, pump station, previously flushed pipe sections…).

Related to Flushing

Upstream < > Downstream

It is used to specify the location of an asset in reference to another asset (e.g.: the tank is downstream of that valve). It can also be used for several assets or areas (e.g.: all the pumps downstream of that area are problematic).

V

Velocity (optimal - non-optimal)

Pipes velocity within a specific range will be considered optimal for flushing. In Qatium, these pipes will be shown in green color and the panel for flushing will indicate whether there are pipes with optimal velocity or not. The current range for optimal velocities is 1.5 m/s - 3 m/s, and anything outside that range is considered non-optimal velocity.

Volume

The space occupied by a fluid. Unlike gasses, the volume of a given amount of liquid hardly changes when it moves. In a hydraulic network, the amount of water supplied in a given time is measured by its volume. The usual unit is the cubic meter (m3) for large quantities, or the liter for smaller quantities.

W

Warnings

Notifications in Qatium indicating that an asset’s readings or simulation values exceed defined thresholds or that an issue needs user attention.

Related to Thresholds

Water 4.0

The adoption of advanced digital technologies in the water sector—such as AI, robotics, big data, automation, and augmented reality—aligned with the fourth industrial revolution.

Water age

[Water quality modeling] The time it takes for water to move through a given system or reach a specific point of interest within the system. It is a critical parameter because it helps determine the residence time of water and the extent to which it can be exposed to different pollutants or contaminants. Water age is a general indicator of water quality, with lower water age indicating better water quality.

Water balance

An analysis of water input and output in a zone to identify potential non-revenue water (NRW) issues and improve network efficiency.

Related to NRW, DMA

Water efficiency

[Qatium] The percentage of water reaching customers compared to the total supplied in a defined zone. Used to assess and improve water balance and reduce NRW.

Related to Water balance, NRW

WaterGEMS

A hydraulic modeling application that allows the analysis, design, and optimization of water distribution systems.

Water management model

A generic term that includes water resource management, stormwater management, water supply management, etc. It can be defined as a model - nowadays usually digital - that aims to replicate the behavior of the water in the environment (urban or rural), when water is going through pipes, catchments, etc.

Water supply (system)

The system and processes associated with the provision of water to end users. This includes the collection, treatment, distribution and storage of water. Water supply may come directly from the source of supply or through intermediate storage systems such as tanks or reservoirs.

Work modes

A panel inside the network that allows the user to focus on concrete tasks (e.g. perform a shutdown, flushing, etc.) or on the assets with warnings. Each work mode is a preset especially designed to help the user perform operations in the network easily and quickly.

Workspace

The digital space inside Qatium where the user has their networks to work on. It could be a personal workspace (My networks), or a shared one (any workspace created to have several members working together in the same network).

Z

Zone

An area of the network that makes sense to differentiate from other areas from an operational perspective. They may be used to identify district-metered areas, pressure-metered areas, areas with different timetables for water supply, or any other meaningful purpose.

Related to DMA, DMA sectorization

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W Z