Network improvements
When it comes to optimizing your water network operations, small changes can unlock powerful insights. At Qatium, we encourage you to enrich your network model with additional data—going beyond basic asset properties. These improvements enable more accurate simulations and open the door to advanced plugins and monitoring features.
Here’s how you can upgrade your network data to get more out of Qatium:
Add warning thresholds to monitor network health in real time
This trigger visual warnings directly on the map, helping you catch issues like high pressures, low tank levels, or excessive flows as they happen.
Learn more in our warning thresholds guide.
Define emitter coefficients to estimate and reduce leakage
Having a network calibrated with emitter coefficients enables the Estimated leakage plugin. This tool shows how pressure changes impact water losses—helping you optimize pressure reduction strategies and minimize leakage in different zones.
Track water quality with the water age plugin
By including water age properties to all your nodes, you can use the water age plugin to simulate how long water has been flowing through your network. This is key for identifying areas where water may become stagnant, which can affect quality.
More details in the water age plugin article.
Provide base demand and demand patterns for accurate results
If base demand and demand patterns aren’t defined, Qatium will estimate them, but specifying these values yourself ensures your simulations reflect real-world consumption patterns and help you test operational changes reliably.
You can do that by providing either:
- Base demand + demand pattern—if you use an EPANET.inp file
- Base demand (junction layer) + Demand pattern (zone layer)—if you use GIS data
- Readings (AMI)
Define customer points to better understand service impact
Customer points represent actual points of consumption, like homes or buildings. Defining them allows you to see how scenarios—like pipe closures—affect your end users.
Learn how to define customer points.
Specify which pipes are laterals to improve asset visibility
Lateral pipes often have different hydraulic behavior than mains. When defined in the model, Qatium will label them accordingly, making it easier to analyze the system and plan interventions.
Upload background layers for better context and navigation
You can enhance the map view by uploading custom background layers, such as AutoCAD files or satellite imagery. These layers help you visually align your network with the physical environment and make asset identification easier.
Check the guide to uploading background layers for supported formats and tips.
By enhancing your network with these key data points, you’ll unlock the full potential of Qatium. You’ll gain more accurate insights, benefit from advanced plugins, and build a stronger foundation for decision-making.