BERMAD Modernizes and Automates Water Supply in Karnataka, India

Background Drinking Water Control and Automation

Reliable Supply for Karnataka’s Cities

Twenty-four/seven access to drinking water is something that most of us take for granted. However, this is not the case in many countries around the world. In India for example, factors such as rapid development, a growing population, and uneven resource distribution have made it challenging to implement a reliable and sufficient drinking water infrastructure for the large population.

That said, by focusing on drinking water supply, the country has made significant progress in developing water resources and creating a drinking water infrastructure for its residents. As part of this focus, the Government of Karnataka (GoK), a state in south-western India, has invested in increasing and improving water supply coverage for its urban residents.

The Challenge Upgrading ESR Systems at Scale

Challenge of Urban Water Distribution

Two years ago, BERMAD was approached to supply flow control valves for the upgrade of existing elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs) and water distribution systems in Karnataka. However, what started off as a specific request for valves soon evolved into a full collaboration where BERMAD helped to develop and implement a comprehensive solution to modernize, automate, and improve the control of water supply to urban areas in the region.

The project involved three phases: Phase 1 – 250 ESRs; Phase 2 – 550 ESRs; Phase 3 – 126 ESRs.

BERMAD supplied the following components for each ESR water supply system:

A combined valve for altitude, flow and solenoid control
A flow meter
A Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) that connects the physical components of the water supply system to a central control center for the remote management of all systems.

The Solution Comprehensive BERMAD Solution

Smart Valves and Remote Control

Phase 1 and 2 of the water supply modernization project in Karnataka were successfully completed, and Phase 3 is currently in progress. By the end of the project, BERMAD will provide a water supply and control solution for approx. 1000 ESRs. As a result, the amount of water that enters the ESRs can be controlled based on a predefined budget. Ongoing water usage from each ESR can also be tracked and remotely monitored in real-time, and the valves can be opened and closed from a central control station. In addition, the solution sustains the pressure in the feeding pipeline and ensures equal water supply to all ESRs along the line, while also prevents water overflow caused by overfilling.