Despite it’s growing economy, the Philippines faces significant challenges providing universal access to safe drinking water, with those in remote communities impacted the most. Hosting a population of 115 million people, 52% of the population (60 million people) lack access to safe water, posing serious and preventable public health risks. The Philippines government is actively working towards universal water and sanitation services by 2028.
About the Pilot
In 2023, TracWater technology was selected to be used in a Philippines remote water quality monitoring pilot. The pilot is supported by Imagine H2O in an association with Coca Cola Foundation’s Sustainable Access Solution Fund, a fund created to help scale entrepreneurial solutions for water-stressed and climate impacted communities.
Using TracWater’s cloud based, real-time, water quality IaaS (information-as-a-service) data visualisation portal, coupled with our TWP-3A portable water quality robots, the program provides two utilities in the Philippines (Ilo Ilo and Camiguin) with remote network monitoring of pipelines and water sources at key locations. The primary goal of the trial is to transform the way utilities are currently monitoring their water network and to optimise operations and ensure constant supply of water within safe drinking standards to consumers. The utilities will also benefit from capital and operational expenditure savings, as they use the collected data to manage existing infrastructure as well as plan for the future.
TracWater Technician Training Program
In preparation for the roll out of the program, TracWater conducted in-person training sessions to strengthen local Filipino expertise in water management and systems maintenance. With support from Imagine H2O and the Coca Cola Foundation, TracWater hosted three water quality technicians from the Philippines who underwent a comprehensive 5-day water quality analyser technician training course at our Gold Coast factory. The training program was designed to provide these technicians with hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge of our water quality robots. Over the course of 5 days, they learned about the intricacies of our technology, including how to install, maintain, service and troubleshoot the analysers. This was a unique opportunity for an Australian manufacturing company capturing the attention of the local news press.
Installation of TracWater Portable Water Quality Robots
In March 2024, TracWater trained technicians traveled to the Philippines to provide onsite support and assistance with the installation of the TracWater water quality robots. The selected locations were remote areas of low network pressure which had traditionally made it difficult for the utilities to measure and monitor water quality in real-time. Additionally, the previous reliance on manual lab testing methods resulted in delayed action when contamination events occur. Using the TracWater IaaS cloud-based monitoring solution in these remote areas will increase the sampling rate from once or twice a week to 2000 samples per day.
TracWater continues its support of the Philippines project maintaining regular communications with local technicians and providing additional insight on how to use TracWater IaaS data analytics to its full advantage. By taking the time to provide this on-going training and support, TracWater seeks to reinforce the skills and confidence of the local technicians, enabling them to manage the technology independently and ensure continued long-term success of the project.
TracWater IaaS Solution Delivers Immediate Results
Minutes after the first TracWater water quality robots were installed in the Philippines, utility operators and technicians were able to see real-time water quality measurements at those remote parts of the network. After just one week of operation, utility managers used the TracWater IaaS data to adjust their current disinfection schedule to optimise the disinfection levels and ensure adequate water quality during peak usage times.
TracWater IaaS data analysis from a connected water meter was able to quickly identify previously unknown water losses (non-revenue water), alerting the local utility to initiate an investigation to identify the source.
These early successes highlight the value that TracWater technology offers in driving meaningful improvements in current water management processes, optimising operational efficiency, and aiding in the delivery of safe drinking water to all parts of the network.
Sources (Water.org, Coca Cola Foundation, Imagine H2O)
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