Atkins accelerates water network planning in Nepal

Atkins has used its NetCreate digital tool to accelerate water network planning in Nepal for Anglian Water and WaterAid.

The engineering and design consultant has automatically generated layout plans for more than 170km of new water network in Nepal, improving supply and hygiene for thousands of people.

The work was carried out by Atkins as part of charitable support provided by Anglian Water for WaterAid’s Beacon Project, which aims to provide a clean water supply in Lahan - a fast-growing town with a population of approximately 100,000 in south-eastern Nepal.

Central to its support, Atkins deployed its NetCreate digital tool to accelerate the network planning process. 

NetCreate is an innovative digital process which draws on global open source or client-specific GIS (Geographic Information System) datasets to automatically create outline water networks on a repeatable basis, devising the shortest route from water sources to demand points.

Evita Widjaja, Atkins project manager, said: “The project was broken down into two stages. Stage 1 was to develop high-level water supply networks in three wards that do not currently have any pipework, served by three water towers. Stage 2 was to review the water supply layout for urban Lahan for an increased customer coverage.

“NetCreate was adapted to use the existing network as a starting point for the pipe routing to show which parts may need to be upgraded or extended to allow water supply to more customers. 

“Key considerations including pipe routing optimisation pressure management and actual / required storage capacities were highlighted as recommendations in further design stages.

“The final result was that four scenarios with different assumptions were processed through NetCreate, showing its flexibility with standardized data. By using NetCreate we were able to generate more than 170km of high level water network in just three months.”

Andy Taylor, digital transformation director at Atkins, added: “This is a really important project for the people of Lahan and it’s a great example of collaborative working with Anglian Water and WaterAid to help deliver high-level water network layout plans for the most essential services, by using our latest digital tools. 

“The Beacon Project will make a huge difference to peoples’ lives in Lahan, and Atkins is extremely pleased to be able to support it in this way.”

WaterAid’s Beacon Project was established in 2017 to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone living in Lahan by 2030 - in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6).