Watermain shutdown

Available on

If you need to find the best option to isolate pipes and identify the valves that must be closed to carry out maintenance, this functionality is for you!

Performing a shutdown with Qatium allows you to simulate pipe isolation in a network, determine the valves involved, and visualize the impact on your customers.

Check out our tutorial to learn how to perform a shutdown with Qatium, and keep reading for more detailed instructions.

Shutdown panel

This is how the Shutdown panel looks like:

Perform a shutdown

To perform a shutdown:

1. Activate the Shutdown work mode to hide any unnecessary distractions and
   focus only on your scenario.
2. Select and close a pipe using the toggle bar  in the Shutdown panel .
   You can repeat this process to close other pipes as many times as you need.

Qatium will identify and close the valves near the selected pipes, from the current hour until the end of the day.

The Shutdown panel will show isolation valves, alternative supply valves, and the customer points affected by the shutdown. To quickly locate valves, click on the locate valve  icon in the panel and you’ll go directly to that valve in the map.

Broken and other non-operable valves

When a proposed valve is not being operated in real life because of failure, lack of access, or any other reasons, you can try other options to achieve pipe isolation.

Mark any valve affecting the shutdown as non-operable by clicking on the Exclude valve  icon from the Shutdown panel. Qatium will find suitable alternative valves and use them instead.

Alternative supply for affected customers

Sometimes, after performing a shutdown over a pipe, a collateral area could end up being isolated. In these cases, there can be options to supply water to that area without affecting the shutdown operation. If that's the case, you'll see a list of valves you can open to resupply the area and limit the number of consumers affected to a minimum.

1. Go to the list of alternative valves
2. Click on the toggle to open the valve

You’ll see information both in the map and the Shutdown panel about the impact of the closure, including:

• The number of isolated customers by the shutdown (highlighted in dark blue on the map)
• The customers that are collaterally affected by the shutdown, but cannot be resupplied (highlighted in dark gray on the map). I.e.: when performing a shutdown up from a cul-de-sac.
• The isolated customers that can be resupplied by opening an alternative supply valve (highlighted in soft gray on the map)

We recommend importing the customers or flow meter locations, so you see the correct amount of customers affected. Learn how to add customer points to your network by reading this article.