Originally constructed in 1878, the 144-year-old Zagreb water supply system is one of the oldest functioning water networks in the world. At that time, Croatia’s capital of Zagreb had about 30,000 inhabitants, with 11,150 people connected to a 4-kilometer water supply network having a capacity of 53.2 liters per second. The population has since grown, requiring water services for more than 900,000 people covering 800 square kilometers via an expanded network spanning 3,500 kilometers and a daily water intake of 310,000 cubic meters. Because water losses grew significantly over the past two decades and sharply worsened after the occurrence of the 2020 earthquakes, ViO Zagreb, the public water supply and sewerage company, tasked Hidroing with digitalizing the system to better manage the network.

Developing a Digital Supply System

ViO expected Hidroing to deliver a detailed master plan and water loss program for the network’s next 30 years of operation. The EUR 1 million project required Hidroing to develop a detailed hydraulic model based on an updated GIS model that enabled water loss analysis and detailed diagnosis of the supply system, including district meter area (DMA) zoning and numerous measurement points. However, Hidroing faced significant data collection challenges and difficulties measuring flow, pressure, and chlorine levels. To meet the owner’s expectations digitalizing the water supply network, they realized that they needed an integrated hydraulic modeling solution to facilitate smart water management.

Bentley Applications Provide Hydraulic Modeling Solution

After considering their options, Hidroing selected Bentley’s OpenFlows and OpenUtilities applications for GIS development, 3D modeling, hydraulic modeling, and on-site operations and facility management. They modeled 3,000 measurement points, 144 DMA zones with individual scenarios, and 3,500 kilometers of pipeline, creating and calibrating a hydraulic model of the entire network. Using Bentley’s advanced technology, they shared statistical data between the model and the GIS platform, creating a seamless link for data integration. The hydraulic modeling solution facilitated development of one of the largest digital twin models in Eastern Europe.

Digital Twin Drives Smart Water Management

Using Bentley’s integrated modeling and analysis technology, Hidroing accelerated the generation and implementation of the calibrated hydraulic model for water loss reduction by 16 months.  They originally estimated 36 months to develop the GIS platform and create and calibrate the model. However, using OpenFlows and OpenUtilities, they delivered a finalized model and digital twin, pinpointing over 50 actions to reduce water loss, in just 20 months. The digital twin solution brings direct savings in water loss and minimizes environmental impact by reducing water intake and electricity usage. Using the digital twin, the owner can make their own decisions regarding network development, operational processes, and future planning, based on smart water system management.

Project Playbook: ContextCapture, MicroStation, OpenFlows HAMMER, OpenFlows WaterGEMS, OpenFlows WaterOPS, OpenUtilities