‘Code-A-Thon' Attempts To Make Use Of Water Data

The computer system for the Edwards Aquifer Authority holds a treasure trove of unused information. Now, business leaders and officials are trying to tap that through a so-called “big data code-a-thon.”

“The datasets range from weather station information, rain gauges and even water quality,” San Antonio Business Journal reported.

A team of businesses brought in coding specialists and software developers to see what they might be able to do with the data and whether it could have some application.

“One idea about potential web applications is a mobile app that enables permit holders to more easily track water usage, something that impacts the bottom line of a company during a drought,” the report said.

“At its core, this is a civic-minded hack-a-thon, but the concept of looking at routinely collected data within a business or organization and conducting an internal code-a-thon is an option even for those outside of the technology industry,” the report said.

Participants include Codeup LLC, Geekdom LC, Filestack, Accenture, and Tech Bloc.

Experts say the water sector is behind other industries when it comes to efficient use of data.

“Water may be the most important item in our lives, our economy and our landscape about which we know the least. We not only don’t tabulate our water use every hour or every day, we don’t do it every month, or even every year,” Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water, wrote in a New York Times editorial.

The U.S., for instance, analyzes its water use every five years. This data is released by the U.S. Geological Survey, but there is a huge lag in releasing it. The 2014 report covers water used in 2010.

Industry officials say water leaks and water loss are one of the common utility challenges that could be eased through improved used of data by the water industry. Nina Meyers, chief information officer at Queensland Urban Utilities in Australia, is an advocate for greater use of data in the water industry.

“It used to be an industry of chemists and engineers,” she said. “Now, it’s as much about strength in intelligent systems, data capture and smart analytics.”

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