Investigation of water consumption used from the drinking water distribution network at Akdeniz University campus with smart meters and savings

By preventing water losses and excessive/uncontrolled water consumption in water supply systems, primarily the pressures on water resources are reduced, and significant economic and environmental gains are achieved simultaneously with energy savings. Water losses can also occur after the meters. Post meter leakages mean wasted water. Even though the leaks are the water that is not actively used, the accrual fee must be paid because it occurs after the meters. Post meter leakages commonly occur at taps, toilets, and connections in domestic piping. Within the scope of the current study, studies were carried out to detect post-meter leaks and to analyse water consumption values by transmitting water consumption data via GSM/GPRS communication technology. Intelligent water meters were installed in four toilets on four separate floors in the Akdeniz University Faculty of Engineering building, and a real-time monitoring program was followed via a website interface to measure flow rates at 15-minute intervals. Smart water meters were installed in the toilets in Yakut Bazaar and Olbia Bazaar, which are also on the Akdeniz University Campus, and the flow rates were measured at 15-minute intervals and monitored in real time. To make a more accurate measurement within the scope of the study, preliminary experiments were carried out in the laboratory environment. It has been determined that the hours with the lowest consumption are 00:00-05:00 during the Minimum Night Flow monitoring in the detection of leaks after the meter. The studies were analysed as the first monitoring period (first six-month period) and the second monitoring period (second six-month period) to evaluate the gains obtained with the use of smart meters and software. During the first monitoring period of the project, no intervention was made in terms of reducing and controlling leaks. Quantities were calculated by performing accrual-consumption-leakage analyses only by making analyses. In the second six-month monitoring period of the project, leakage and excessive/uncontrolled water consumption were determined for many subscribers by analysing the warning messages (leakage and excessive consumption) and short-time water accrual data received from the developed software. For the detected cases, the water usage areas of the subscribers in the field were examined and the failures and problems that caused the leakage were tried to be determined. The results of the research show that the leakage occurred in the four main toilets of the faculty in the first monitoring period was 55%, while the leakage occurred in the toilets in the campus area was 64%. In the second six-month active intervention period of the study, it shows that the leakage in the four main toilets in the faculty decreased to an average of 50%, while it decreased to an average of 56% in the toilets in the campus area. It has been determined that the causes of leakage observed by monitoring smart water meters are due to stuck toilet cisterns that need to be repaired, and water that continues to flow due to negligence in the faucets. As a result of these determinations, an online survey of 11 questions was conducted to determine the students' approach to the issue of water leaks and their level of awareness in the campus area. With this survey, it was aimed to observe the knowledge level of the students about leakage and their evaluation of the relationship between the use of smart water meters and leakage. The survey also aims to identify students' perspectives for the most appropriate response to the leak. According to the results of the survey, it was deduced that the leak was known by the majority and a platform was needed to intervene in the leak. The lack of sufficient public awareness about protecting water resources and increasing efficiency leads to excessive consumption of water in public areas, and innovative technologies are needed to detect and prevent excessive/uncontrolled water consumption. As a result of the observations made at the end of the study, it was concluded that in some cases, the taps are left open deliberately (for example, in order to prevent the formation of odour in the toilets), and the source of the visible leaks in the toilets is not repaired. However, it has shown that leaks that cause high water loss can be solved with low budget and little effort. The gains obtained were evaluated in three main categories as water saving, energy saving and carbon dioxide emission reduction.