Real-Time Operational Forecasting of Urban and Rural Catchments

ICMLive offers state-of-the-art in real-time operational forecasting of urban and rural catchments. ICMLive provides water utilities and river authorities timely, accurate and reliable forecasts of what will happen within a catchment, based on past and current observations of a multitude of parameters along with future rainfall predictions. ICMLive combines the comprehensive integrated catchment modeling capabilities of InfoWorks ICM with sophisticated real-time operational forecasting, early warning, and emergency management.

Advances in computer simulation and hardware have made real-time operation of stormwater, wastewater, river and combined systems a reality. ICMLive allows both large and small utilities and water authorities to manage their systems more efficiently and effectively than ever before. A powerful risk assessment and real-time decision making tool, it enables managers and operators to consider the influence of a full range of catchment factors in the management of flooding and the reduction of unregulated discharges; the optimization of storage and existing infrastructure, leading to savings on capital works; and the optimization of pumps to lower energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions.

ICMLive is designed to work automatically. Once a system is configured, real-time data is continually and automatically harvested and quality checked. This data can be defined by a number of parameters, including observed and forecast radar rainfall, online water quality measurements, and ancillary structure and pump operation time series. Simulations are run automatically at a user-defined frequency using the full hydrodynamic and technological capabilities of InfoWorks ICM, including one- and two-dimensional modeling techniques, real-time control, dynamic water quality analysis, and GPU-enhanced and remote simulation. Simulation frequency can change in response to user-defined conditions. For example, increased rainfall intensity can trigger a reduction in the interval between simulations.

Warnings or alerts triggered during the forecast period are instantly displayed via the rich ICMLive user interface, allowing system operators to see at a glance which areas need attention and what options might be taken. Comparison alerts can be used to highlight differences between observed and modeled results, enabling users to refine their models — creating unprecedented confidence in simulation results.

ICMLive also allows operators to perform additional scenario analysis simulations, exploring alternative real time control scenarios, such as the impact of switching on a pump earlier than planned, and quickly seeing the effect of these changes on the system. The wide range of capabilities available in ICMLive allow it to be used as a key tool in the decision making process, enabling operators to take action to avoid system issues, release timely alerts, and quickly deploy response teams if necessary.