Osadki Automated Information System in St. Petersburg
Osadki (Precipitation) Automated Information System launched in St. Petersburg enables efficient monitoring of precipitation and operative managing of water disposal. With this system, the forecast error is reduced allowing developing the municipal system of surface runoff disposal and structures for the maximum accuracy and minimal costs.
Solution to which problem
Creation of an Osadki ('Precipitation') Automated Information System (AIS) is an important part of the project for creating and implementing a system for managing water disposal in Saint Petersburg that will allow secure regulation of effluent flows in the municipal water disposal systems. Osadki AIS enables efficient operative management of water disposal by continuously monitoring precipitation on the territory of Saint Petersburg.
For SUE "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg", an enterprise operating the water disposal systems of municipal surface runoff, Osadki AIS allows to have prepared operative services, incl. preparedness for intensive loads on the networks and engineering facilities in real time, as well as during intensive precipitation in order to prevent flooding of the city areas. One of the modules of Osadki AIS includes preparing the precipitation forecasts for the periods of up to 30 hours and 84 hours, which makes it possible to:
- minimize unjustified expenses when planning electricity and reagents consumption;
- control preparation and mobilization of water disposal systems during the forecasted increase in precipitation;
- optimize work schedules;
- optimize hydraulic conditions and flow regulation to save resources.
Technical conditions
Osadki AIS is the first credible, automated system of precipitation measurement with a high observations density launched in Russia.
Prior to 2016, the amount of precipitation was determined by the averaged data collected at 10 observation stations, the measurements on which was taken once in 6–12 hours.
The newly formed observation network covers entirely the territory of Saint Petersburg and its nearest suburbs (the distances between the precipitation gages were selected on the basis of the recommendations of the WMO – World Meteorological Organization). The Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) accommodated openning of 34 automatic meteorological stations as an additional network on the St. Petersburg territory and its nearest suburbs (hereinafter referred to as Osadki AIS, in accordance with the requirements of the methodological instructions developed by FSBI Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory (No.879/29 dated 27.05.2015)).
Implementation
The project was implemented in several stages:
- 2013 – investigation of territories and determination of installation sites for 34 precipitation gages and 7 weather stations (hereinafter referred to as meteorological equipment). Conclusion of contracts necessary for performing the works.
- 2014 – designing and installing meteorological equipment. Development of necessary documentation for creating Osadki AIS (design, implementation, work, methodology).
- 2015 – test operation of meteorological equipment.
- 2016 – industrial operation. Making the meteorological equipment part of the state observational network of the Russian Meteorological Service. Since 1 February 2016, organization of charging the Enterprise’s subscribers for surface runoff has been done following the new methodology. Software design was developed, including data visualization.
The observational density of Osadki AIS reaches 6 stations per city district. Precipitation gages are designed for continuous measurement of precipitation amounts (liquid, solid, mixed) and observations over their intensity. The rain gauge has a container for collecting and weighting all types of atmospheric precipitation (rain, snow etc.), moreover, the installed meteorological systems automatically measure atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity.
Operative data is continuously transmitted with an interval once per 5 minutes. Data from the observation points and weather stations is sent to the data register system, which is designed particularly for applying in meteorology and measuring of environmental parameters. Collected data is transmitted to the control rooms of the SUE “Vodokanal of St. Petersburg” and Roshydromet.
Result
On the basis of the research work conducted in 2012, FSBI Russian State Meteorological University submitted a report on a measurement error being 31% prior to 2016. Introduction of Osadki AIS allowed the measurement error to be reduced to 10% on account of: operative transmission of meteorological information, measurement process automation, increase in measurement accuracy and quality of precipitation accounting, ensuring necessary coverage of the city, remedial of the insufficient registration of precipitation for wetting and effects of weather conditions.
Obtaining more objective information on surface runoff amount allows:
- Enhancement of the comfort of the urban environment and improvement of the conditions of urban water bodies (incl. the work on forecasting the operation of emergency outlets, and possible overflow during rains and snow melting);
- Optimization of schedules/working conditions of the divisions of SUE "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg" operating the water disposal systems.
- Performance of precise calculations of the service cost for surface runoff disposal according to the actual data for subscribers of SUE "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg" for specific geographic coordinates, as the obtained data is legitimate (precipitation amount is calculated on the basis of the Methodological Guidelines developed and approved by FSBI Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory).
- In the long run, upon accumulation of information, designing the development of the municipal system for surface runoff disposal and their treatment plants with the maximum accuracy and minimal costs.