When you upload your hydraulic data to Qatium, we begin by normalizing it—a behind-the-scenes process that makes sure your data is clean, consistent, and ready to simulate. Even if it's incomplete, inconsistently labeled, or comes from different sources. 

We organize everything, fill in the gaps, and remove anything that might cause trouble. This step helps Qatium turn your data into a working, operable network.

Here’s a closer look at what happens during normalization.

1. We identify and standardize your asset properties

We search for useful properties in your files—even if they’re labeled differently. For example, you might use “DI” or “Ductile Iron” to describe a pipe’s material. Qatium can recognize these aliases and link them to the correct property. We also clean up the values themselves (like converting “P.V.C.” to “PVC”) so the data works inside the platform.

2. We split complex pipe shapes into simpler ones

If your data includes pipe geometries described as multiPoint, we convert them into Point. This helps ensure that all pipe shapes are simple, consistent, and simulation-ready.

3. We classify certain assets into groups

If it's defined, we automatically classify nodes into hydrants, customer points, laterals, or junctions. Each asset is tagged with a group label, which helps Qatium know how it behaves in the network.

4. We filter out elements that shouldn’t be simulated

Assets that have no coordinates—or are marked as “abandoned” or “proposed”—are excluded from your simulation network to keep results clean and relevant.

5. We calculate tank diameters when needed

If you’ve provided maximum volume and maximum level, we use them to calculate the tank’s diameter. If those values are missing, we’ll use the diameter you provided—or apply a default if it’s not available.

6. We assign default values for missing information

If certain attributes are missing (like pipe roughness or valve settings), we fill them in with default values based on our best practices, so your network stays functional.

See how we infer values for each asset property

7. We calculate pipe lengths

If your files don’t include pipe lengths, we calculate them from the pipe geometry (based on the coordinates). Elevation isn’t considered for this—we use a flat projection and round the result to two decimal places.

8. We round coordinate values for precision

We slightly round all geometry coordinates. This helps avoid tiny precision mismatches that could cause issues later, especially when aligning elements in the network.

9. We assign unique IDs to each asset

Each element in your network gets a unique ID inside Qatium. This ensures everything is traceable and easy to manage within the simulation environment.

10. We merge demand data from different sources

If your dataset includes demand values both inside asset properties and in a separate demand table, we combine them. That way, no demand information gets lost, and it's correctly assigned to the matching junctions.

11. We merge pump and valve curves

If your dataset includes curves for pumps or valves, we merge those with the rest of your network data. This ensures your simulations reflect how these elements behave in the real world.

12. We complete zone information

If you’ve defined pressure zones or DMAs in your dataset, we identify and complete any missing zone information to make sure it's usable during simulation.

13. We complete control logic

If you’ve included control rules (for example, to turn a pump on or off), we validate and complete that information so that Qatium can simulate your system’s operational logic accurately.

Once your data is normalized, it’s ready for the next step: correcting geometries. With all asset properties cleaned up and completed, we can focus on how everything connects and behaves spatially in your network — getting it one step closer to being simulation-ready in Qatium.