Webinar: From Digital Twins to Decision Intelligence

Water utilities are on a path to transformation. How can the digital twin fast-track progress?

Around the world, water utilities are embracing data analytics and digital technologies to deliver transformative outcomes for their communities. Digital solutions, many powered by digital twins, are helping water operators and managers solve their most pressing challenges:

• Minimizing water and revenue losses
• Reducing capital spend to lower costs to communities
• Decreasing the impact of climate events
• Bringing down the costs of safely reclaiming wastewater
• Optimizing the total life cycle of water assets

But every innovation brings a learning curve – and digital twins are no different. In many cases, a lack of frameworks to connect digital twins to holistic decision intelligence solutions makes it challenging for utilities to unlock their full value. Drawing on the experience of the pacesetters, this 45-minute, on-demand webinar explores how digital twin technology can be maximized to deliver the most powerful operational and environmental outcomes – and steps utilities can take to start achieving better results, today.

This webinar aims to help utilities answer three key questions:

• What role can digital twin technology play in optimizing operations?
• How can utilities apply this technology to maximum effect?
• What can we learn from those utilities leading the way?

Speakers:

Michele Samuels - Moderator
Global Practice Manager, Asset Performance
Xylem

Michele is the Global Practice Manager, Asset Performance as part of Xylem’s Digital Solutions team. Michele is passionate about innovation and the role that digital technologies can play in driving operational and financial resiliency for customers across the water cycle. With more than 20 years of experience, she has seen the powerful impact that smart solutions, combined with consultative partnerships, can have on transforming the operation of utilities. By adopting a collaborative approach, her team can help utilities turn data into insight, allowing them to optimize their networks in practical ways, leading to better decision making and cost savings.

Throughout her career, Michele has held various roles within the water industry ranging from Utility Management at the Regional Municipality of York, through Consulting at various organizations including CH2M Hill, Stantec, and EMA. Her expertise includes process design and optimization, strategic planning and capital delivery, regulatory compliance and environmental management systems, and policy development.

Michele joined Xylem from AECOM, where she was the Asset Management Practice Lead for Eastern Canada. Michele is a certified Asset Management Professional (IAM), a Professional Engineer (PEO), and holds master’s degrees in both Engineering and Business.

Bryant E. McDonnell, MS, PE
Senior Manager, Hydroinformatics and Process Control
Xylem

Bryant serves his team as the Senior Manager of Hydroinformatics and Process Control for Xylem. He is a Professional Engineer (OH, KY, NE, MO) and has degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University of Cincinnati. He is an autodidactic analytical software programmer and has been working in the hydroinformatics space for over 10 years. He was the original author behind OpenWaterAnalytics-PySWMM (Python Programming Interface to Stormwater Management Model) open source software library. He is passionate about solving old problems in new ways to save money for public utilities and their ratepayers.

Nicole Pasch
Client Solutions Manager
Xylem

Nicole partners with utilities in the Great Lakes region to find digital solutions to the most pressing of utility challenges. Prior to Xylem, Nicole worked for the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan for 14 years and completed her tenure there in the role of Acting Assistant Environmental Services Manager over the areas of wastewater, stormwater, air quality, energy, lighting, and communications. Nicole’s work inside the utility was focused on driving an integrated, advanced and innovative utility, by utilizing real-time digital solutions to advance the way the utility worked today and into the future, under the vision that a connected utility builds a connected community. Nicole holds an MBA from Cornerstone University and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology and Zoology from Michigan State University.

Mike W. Otten
Director, Enterprise Digital Success
Xylem

Mike is Director of Enterprise Digital Success at Xylem, setting the pace for digital transformation in the water industry. In his global role, and Xylem’s commitment to creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customer to optimize water, the team he works with orchestrates and architects’ solutions to unlock valuable business outcomes.

His professional journey includes various corporate leadership roles in the OEM water tech business and the launch of two Internet of Things start ups before joining Xylem. By living and working in multiple countries during his career across Europe, Africa, Middle East regions and the Americas has made him obsessed about customer needs and distributing intelligence at the Edge.