Water goes Digital...

The recent 'Doing more with Digital' conference was an opportunity for those in the water industry to explore how digital technology - most notably BIM - can help improve safety and efficiency within the sector.

Here's a few of my thoughts from the day...

BIM meets H20...

BIM as a process, standard and technology is transforming all areas of the construction industry - and none more so than the utilities and water sector.

As innovators in both BIM and Utilities surveying, it was exciting for Plowman Craven to support British Water at their ‘Doing More with Digital’ conference in Birmingham.

Along with my colleague Jim Gregory – our Head of BIM - this gathering brought together ‘digitally-minded’ leaders who design, build, operate and maintain these assets for a day of animated discussion and debate.

Representatives of water companies and the water industry supply chain considered how safety and operational efficiencies can be better managed by embracing digital technologies and how these technologies can be introduced to a sector with already well-established methods of operation.

As an expert in his field, Jim is well placed to observe that Plowman Craven has led the charge in the development and introduction of BIM in the surveying sector. He and I are both relishing the challenge of bringing more of that learning to the water industry.

For me, the benefits of a BIM platform in reducing TotEx for both new and existing water network assets are very clear. We now just need to bring this to the attention of even more people within water companies and their suppliers.

Whilst all of the pathways may not yet be defined, two things are certain, the digital evolution of water is inexorable, and the pace is accelerating.

Plowman Craven is delighted to be at the forefront of this transformation.