Skip to main content

Smart water road water drainage management

A new software called SmartWater offers predictive capabilities for gully management. It has been developed by software specialist InTouch with support from Lancaster University, Innovate UK and the Department of Transport. In a Smart City demonstration project in Bristol, it has achieved savings of 50% and reduced problem gullies from 25% to just 8%. The system uses a combination of IoT sensors and predictive software to boost efficiency over conventional methods of checking gullies by rota. Research fo
February 27, 2019 Read time: 1 min

A new software called SmartWater offers predictive capabilities for gully management. It has been developed by software specialist InTouch with support from Lancaster University, Innovate UK and the Department of Transport.

In a Smart City demonstration project in Bristol, it has achieved savings of 50% and reduced problem gullies from 25% to just 8%. The system uses a combination of IoT sensors and predictive software to boost efficiency over conventional methods of checking gullies by rota.

Research found that 80% of gullies inspected by rota are actually working correctly. But using SmartWater's managed service, highway authorities can receive alerts when gullies require cleansing and the system also provides flood alerts.

The system delivers risk-based evidence for maintenance and improvement of gullies and the firm claims that the system can cut cleansing costs by up to 30%.

Related Content

  • Rural Roads for Development: a chat with Dr Michael Burrow
    October 8, 2019
    For the last seven years the University of Birmingham has been organising – together with IRF (Geneva) the Rural Roads for Development course in Birmingham. The week-long course is very much a hands-on course delivered by experts from around the world on a topic of relevance to the sustainable provision of rural roads. Ahead of this year course edition which will be hosted on 9-13 September, Dr Michael Burrow from Birmingham University answered key questions about rural transport. Q: How can improved rur
  • Nottingham study of smart scanning detects early pothole signs
    May 11, 2015
    Researchers at Nottingham Trent University in the UK are developing smart scanning technology using existing cameras to detect early signs of pothole development The technology scans roads for ravelling - the loss of aggregates from the asphalt which leads to potholes and cracks. Combined with 2D and 3D scanners on a pavement monitoring vehicle, a computer vision algorithm can examine the road with accuracy at traffic speed during day or night. The system works by detecting different textures of th
  • Gothenburg to collect road condition data
    July 2, 2021
    The Swedish municipality of Gothenburg is working with ViaPM, NIRA Dynamics and Luleå University of Technology to gather data on road friction during the next two winters.
  • UK universities' research shows potholes can be fixed better
    February 14, 2013
    Academic research by two UK universities shows that patch repairs on potholes could be far more durable if a few simple techniques were consistently used. An initial study - undertaken by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham in central England– found that the application of a coat of bitumen emulsion between two layers of asphalt in a clean, dry repair, greatly improved its resistance to further cracks. It was also confirmed that a hot mix repair – in which asphalt is heated to 140°C