ABB and Wellington Water scoop Global Water Awards for ‘Smart Project of the Year’ after successful collaboration in New Zealand

ABB has been honoured with the esteemed 2023 Global Water Award in the category of "Smart Water Project of the Year." The accolade recognises ABB's successful partnership with Wellington Water, the prominent water services provider in New Zealand’s Wellington region. The award ceremony occurred during the renowned Global Water Summit in Berlin, Germany.

Expressing her elation, Amina Hamidi, Managing Director of ABB Instrumentation, remarked, "If there's a 'Water Oscar' out there, this is it, and we just won it. This is an incredible recognition. Innovation lies at the heart of everything we do, and the Global Water Summit stands as one of the most significant gatherings in the international water industry. This award is a testament to the unwavering dedication and hard work demonstrated by the ABB team in ensuring the provision of safe and healthy drinking water to communities worldwide."

With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, ensuring universal access to clean and safe water has emerged as a critical challenge. The escalating concerns over water scarcity have placed immense pressure on water operators, necessitating the adoption of intelligent and accurate network monitoring systems.

Wellington Water, responsible for managing the water infrastructure for six New Zealand councils, oversees a vast network of crucial facilities, including 105 water pump stations, 248 wastewater pump stations, 148 reservoirs, and 27 stormwater pump stations located across various sites.

"The award highlights the highly successful collaboration between Wellington Water and ABB," stated Paul Winstanley from Wellington Water. "We firmly believe that effective management requires accurate measurement. This is precisely why ABB's solutions hold immense importance for Wellington Water and our extensive network of water pipes. With ABB's cutting-edge technologies, we can ensure that every drop of water is meticulously accounted for."

Through close collaboration, Wellington Water and ABB have elevated the resilience of the drinking water infrastructure to unprecedented levels. The implementation of smart flow meters, enabling real-time water flow tracking, and variable frequency drives for enhanced efficiency gains, has been instrumental in achieving this feat. Considering that pumping constitutes a significant portion of a utility's energy consumption, ABB's intelligent drives deliver vital efficiency improvements, yielding substantial savings for one of the most energy-intensive stages in the water cycle.

Moreover, ABB's integrated verification tools and anomaly detection capabilities provide operators with enhanced device longevity. The recorded data can be effortlessly exported for further analysis and evaluation, facilitating the early identification of critical factors, and enabling prompt corrective actions.

The recognition bestowed upon ABB through the 2023 Global Water Award reinforces the company's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies in the pursuit of sustainable water management solutions.