March 28, 2017: Thames Water is the largest water and wastewater service provider in the UK with in excess of 15 million customers. In partnership with the eight2o alliance, Thames Water initiated a project to manage all of its asset information created in the current AMP6 cycle, the UK government’s process of tendering asset management contracts to private firms to maintain the country’s water infrastructure. The primary goal of the project is to enhance Thames Water’s processes involving its asset data, and to improve water efficiency and effluent quality. As a result of efficiencies gained, Thames Water hopes to reduce the TOTEX (total expenditure) of the project by 20 percent using Bentley’s applications.

To reduce TOTEX, the eight2o alliance needed to improve collaboration between architects, engineering firms, consultants and the client. But, Thames Water had to ensure uninterrupted service to its customers during this project. Significant government legislation also had to be factored in, as these initiatives were driving change and innovation in the water industry in the UK. One requirement was for Thames Water to be BIM Level 2 compliant, providing rigor and consistency by enforcing collaborative 3D technology to the project.

Previously, Thames Water’s asset management system did not support engineering drawings. For the project to be a success, the alliance needed a federated approach to managing its engineering designs and documents. It required a connected data environment to house all its designs (including 3D and 4D construction simulation data), geospatial data, hydraulic models, technical documents, and legal and regulatory compliance documents. This connected data environment would need to interoperate with other existing applications seamlessly to align with the AMP6 goals in order to deliver compliance.

Thames Water selected Bentley’s ProjectWise CONNECT Edition as the preferred platform, providing the connected data environment in a cloud environment. This hosted solution seamlessly integrated its people, process, and asset information, and improved information mobility through the use of i-models. As a result, Thames Water is now BIM Level 2 compliant, with the entire supply chain working in a common format, sharing a connected data environment. Thames Water is well on its way to being BIM Level 3 compliant as it strives for better asset performance.

Kevin Bezant, BIM manager, eight2o, said, “We combined Bentley’s ProjectWise CONNECT Edition with the provision of a hybrid cloud environment to securely host and manage eight2o design information. This has driven efficiency into the AMP6 capital program and provided Thames Water’s asset management teams with enriched asset information that can be reused time and time again throughout the life of the asset.”