Over the years many users have contributed to the development of AQUIS.
However, a British colleague, John Machell, is a winner hands down in terms of
leaving a distinctive mark on the product. The development of AQUIS is ongoing
and John predicts that in the future AQUIS will play a more prominent role in an
operational environment.
In the late 1980s the British water industry was privatized and that promoted
industry modernization process noticeably, John explains. At that time he worked
with IT and distribution at Yorkshire Water Services.
Senior management at Yorkshire Water wanted to improve the efficiency of many
business processes so John started to think in terms of more advanced modeling
issues that could provide continuous information about flow and pressure data
from distribution networks. Management realized the potential of the modeling
project, and John started looking for competent collaboration partners.
Danish willingness to cooperate
"On a worldwide basis at that time
there were only three modeling solutions with potential to do the job. However,
it was only the people behind LICwater, the current AQUIS, who really wanted to
listen to our demands and requirements," says John. Today, John works with
network modeling and other water supply system challenges at the University of
Sheffield.
The close development cooperation between John and 7-Technologies (7T) began
in 1991, and continues today. "The cooperation has always been comfortable
thanks to the Danes having a relaxed and competent work attitude. This generates
a great atmosphere and I always feel that I can speak freely. The cooperation
has had quiet periods but also very intense periods. This was the situation for
example in the period from 1994 to 2000 during which time I also did my PhD on
”Water Modelling in Distribution Networks”, which was based on AQUIS."
A proactive future
The result of the AQUIS development was an
advanced real-time software solution that would enable water utilities to make
the step from reactive to proactive management of water supply systems. The development moves fast, however, and John is very
optimistic about the future of AQUIS. He currently works in collaboration with
7T on an EPSRC funded project called Neptune.
"AQUIS has gone from being an application for domain experts to a very
user-friendly and stable application that can be embraced by operational users
in the field and thereby pave the way for more efficient operational
practice.
The industry is poised to make use of these advanced hydraulic modeling
capabilities. The improved user-friendliness and parallel advances in wireless
communications technologies have now made it possible for non-experts to render
a very proactive management of the water supply network.
The bottom line is that in the future tools like AQUIS will not only be used
for design and planning, but also for proactive real time management of the
water supply network."