Chapter Ten: Application Software

1 Chapter Ten:APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1.1 APPLICATION SOFTWARE CONTEXTS

Application software¹⁵, or simply applications, are often called productivity programs or end-user programs because they enable the user to complete tasks, such as creating documents, spreadsheets, designing, analysis and modelling, doing online research, sending email, etc. The application software can be applied for many essential tasks like designing huge and small structures, for example, water supply systems, sanitation systems, water treatment plants, buildings, etc. Also, they can also be applied for virtual reality, predicting behaviour of engineering structures, solving equations for optimization of resources tender bidding, earth-work estimation, cost estimation, project management, structural drawing, predictive model making, aid in satellite surveying, data transfer; its interpretation, analysis and others.

The designers should use genuine application software with valid license or make use of open source/freely available software for Water supply and Sanitation project Designs, Analysis and Modelling. Basic design software are especially important because they facilitate tasks and enhance the quality of design, modelling and analysis process for engineering infrastructure. In addition, use of software make the work easier and faster, more accurate, time saving, as well as reducing the total cost, the workload and manpower compared to the work that is done manually. Recently, many commonly-used software are available on the market.

1.2 RECOMMENDED APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Common software being used in Water Supply and Sanitation Projects are:

1.2.1 Distribution Network Design Software

1.2.1.1 Epanet

Epanet - is a software application used throughout the world to model water distribution systems. It was developed as a tool for understanding the movement and fate of drinking water constituents within distribution systems, and can be used for many different types of applications in distribution systems analysis. EPANET is public domain software that can be freely copied and distributed. It is a Windows®-based program that will work with all versions of Windows. For more details, visit its website at https://www.epa.gov/water-research/epanet

1.2.1.2 AutoCAD

AutoCAD - is a computer-aided drafting tool that allows many different types of designers to create diverse kinds of drawings and designs. This program helps designers to create their designs much more quickly than by hand and offers many quick, easy, and useful features, such as copy and paste. AutoCAD can create any 2D drawing and 3D model or construction that can be drawn by hand. For more details, visit its website at https://autocad.en.softonic.com/download

1.2.1.3 WaterCAD

WaterCAD - is an easy-to-use hydraulic and water quality modelling application for water distribution systems. Utilities, municipalities, and engineering firms trust WaterCAD as a reliable, resource-saving, decision-support application for their water infrastructure. From fire flow and constituent concentration analyses, to energy cost management and pump modelling, WaterCAD helps engineers and utilities to analyze, design, and optimize water distribution systems. - https:// watercad.software.informer.com/

1.2.1.4 WaterGEMS

(d) WaterGEMS – is a Water Distribution Analysis and Design Software. WaterGEMS can also enable the running of a model from within ArcGIS and for optimization modules (calibration, design, pump scheduling, pipe assessment, SCADA integration, and network simplification). - https://bentley-watergems. software.informer.com/

1.2.1.5 KY PIPES

KY PIPES - Full-featured hydraulic analysis software package with the ability to design for rural and urban contexts. It includes full design capabilities, including pipe diameter, demand, fire flow, temperature variation, and pump optimization. It is compatible with AutoCAD and GIS. It uses EPANET for its water quality analysis. http://kypipe.com/downloads/

1.2.1.6 GeoNode

GeoNode - GeoNode is a web-based application and platform for developing geospatial information systems (GIS) and for deploying spatial data infrastructures (SDI). It is designed to be extended and modified and can be integrated into existing platforms. http://geonode.org/

1.2.1.7 InfoWater

InfoWater - InfoWater Pro modelling and management software enables users to design, plan and operate their water network with an easy-to-use, sophisticated solution. Hydraulic models in InfoWater bridge the gap between network modelling and ArcGIS, ensuring you get sound, cost-effective engineering solutions for designing, planning, and operating your systems. InfoWater is completely integrated within the ESRI ArcGIS environment.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P8fE0vaDhU5ul4SdKAg3qh1z7if16Q1uxXuH-VpPAc/edit

1.2.1.8 GIS Software

GIS Software - A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. GIS applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries (user-created searches), analyze spatial information, edit data in maps, and present the results of all these operations. https://www.qgis.org/en/site/

1.2.2 Operation and Maintenance Software

1.2.2.1 MS Project

MS Project - is a project management software product, developed and sold by Microsoft. It is designed to assist a project manager in developing a schedule, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and analyzing workloads. For more details visit https://products.office.com/en-us/project/project-management-software

1.2.2.2 Excel

Excel - Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program included in the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Spreadsheets present tables of values arranged in rows and columns that can be manipulated mathematically using both basic and complex arithmetic operations and functions. For more details visit website https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/excel/cfq7ttc0k7dx?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab

1.2.2.3 EDAMS

EDAMS is comprehensive technical information system that deals with Billing, Asset Maintenance of Utility, Municipal and Government assets, including Water, Sewer, Drainage, Groundwater (boreholes, aquifers), Meteorology (stations, etc.), surface water (catchments, rivers, dams, weirs, man-made structures, etc), Waste management & Recycling. For more details visit its website. https://www.edams.com/edams-products/edams-maintenance-management-systems/

1.2.3 Water Quality

1.2.3.1 WaterCAD

WaterCAD - is an easy-to-use water quality modelling application for water distribution systems. Utilities, municipalities, and engineering firms trust WaterCAD as a reliable, resource-saving, decision-support application for their water infrastructure. From fire flow and constituent concentration analyses, to energy cost management and pump modeling, WaterCAD helps engineers and utilities analyze, design, and optimize water distribution systems. For more details visit website https://watercad.software.informer.com/

Epanet-MSX (Multi-species Extension)
Epanet-MSX is a model that analyses water quality in distribution networks using a dynamic link library of EPANET 2, the hydraulic simulation model described in 10.2.1.1 above. It analyses multiple chemical substances simultaneously, accounts for any differences in the quality of water from different sources and provides a framework that permits the simulation of any chemical or biological constituent. For more details, visit its website at https://www.epa.gov/water-research/epanet

1.3 1.3 SUPERVISORY, CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION (SCADA) SYSTEMS

SCADA is a monitoring and control system architecture comprising computers networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level process supervisory management16. SCADA can control large-scale processes that can include multiple sites, and work over large distances as well as small distance.

To monitor a variety of water supply data like flows, pressures, temperatures, water levels (intakes, reservoirs and water tanks) etc, in various water supply and sanitation projects, SCADA can be used for data acquisitions, data communication, information/data presentation, monitoring and controlling. Principally, SCADA system gathers data (like leakage on a pipeline) from sensors and instruments located at remote area and sends to the computer, which processes this data and presents the processed information in logical and in a timely manner.

SCADA systems can be supplied in Tanzania. For example, in October 2019, was in the news that AREVA’s Transmission and Distribution division will deliver and implement a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Electricity Management System, or SCADA/EMS, to Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd. (TANESCO).Honeywell Company supplied their SCADA system named Technofab & Garmon Toddy Engineering to Bukoba Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority. Other known companies that are good in supplying SCADA systems include Edibon.

REFERENCES
Wikipedia (2019). SCADA. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:37, January 6, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SCADA&oldid=931783794

Previous Page: Chapter_Nine:_Design_of_Water_Structures << >> Next Page: Chapter_Eleven:_Metering