Integrating IoT and assembly technology in rural water supply projects is helping to address the unique challenges faced by mountainous and remote areas in China. By leveraging these technologies, local governments can improve the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of water supply infrastructure, all while ensuring that the specific needs of each village or town are met. The “one village, one policy” approach is crucial in this context, as it allows for tailored solutions that optimize water supply quality, control costs, and ensure long-term operational success. By continuing to innovate and refine these methods, China can make significant strides in improving access to safe, reliable drinking water for its rural populations, ultimately contributing to the broader goals of rural revitalization and sustainable development.
The demand for pipeline infrastructure is growing steadily across China, with particular emphasis on water supply systems. As part of the country’s long-term investment plans, it was announced at a press conference by the State Council Information Office on October 8, 2024, that nearly 600,000 kilometers of urban gas, water supply, drainage, and heating pipelines will need renovation over the next five years, with an investment of around 4 trillion yuan. This initiative aligns with China’s broader goals in the 15th Five-Year Plan, which prioritizes the upgrading of municipal infrastructure—especially underground pipelines.
One of the critical areas of focus is the renewal and expansion of water supply systems, both in urban and rural regions. The importance of improving water quality has also grown, highlighted by the recent enforcement of updated water safety standards (“GB 5749-2022”) in urban areas, set to be fully implemented by 2025. As China tackles the dual challenge of upgrading aging infrastructure and ensuring safe, high-quality water for all citizens, there is a pressing need to explore advanced technical solutions that enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly in rural regions.
Rural water supply projects present unique challenges. Unlike the more centralized urban networks, rural projects are dispersed, often located in mountainous or remote areas, making construction and maintenance more complex. At the same time, the push for rural revitalization means that these projects are now receiving significant attention. As rural water supply systems are modernized, there is an urgent need for innovative technical solutions that can drive down costs and boost efficiency.
In this context, new technologies—particularly prefabrication and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled systems—hold great promise. This article explores the potential of applying these technologies to rural water supply networks, drawing on the example of mountain water supply projects to propose solutions that can streamline construction and operation in challenging environments.
The Rise of Prefabricated Municipal Pipe Networks
Prefabricated technologies are already well-established in the construction and interior design industries. These methods are now making their way into the municipal infrastructure sector, offering solutions for faster, more efficient pipeline construction and renovation. The key benefit of prefabrication lies in its ability to produce standardized, modular components that can be quickly assembled on-site, saving time and reducing costs.
An excellent example of the application of prefabrication in municipal infrastructure is the use of composite panel pipe corridors. In the Xiamen Xiang’an Airport Comprehensive Pipe Corridor Project, prefabricated composite panels were used to create underground pipe corridors. These panels were manufactured in a factory, transported to the site, and assembled quickly, resulting in a highly efficient, cost-effective infrastructure solution.
The same principle of prefabrication can be applied to water supply networks, particularly in rural and mountainous areas. Rather than constructing complex underground pipe corridors, prefabricated pipeline components can be designed to meet local needs, and optimized for transportation and installation in difficult terrains. This approach can streamline the construction process, reduce labor costs, and improve overall efficiency.
Tackling the Challenges of Mountain Water Supply Projects
Let’s consider a typical example of a rural water supply project in Zhejiang Province, which faces two significant challenges:
Complex Terrain and Logistics: Mountainous regions often involve steep slopes and difficult terrain, which complicate the transportation of materials and increase installation time. These logistical challenges lead to high costs and project delays.
Fragmented Project Management: Traditional construction projects often suffer from a lack of coordination between different phases, such as design, procurement, and installation. This fragmentation can result in inefficiencies, delays, and cost overruns.
By applying lessons from the prefabrication industry, we can address these pain points more integrated and efficiently. One key advantage of prefabricated municipal pipe networks is the ability to streamline the entire process from design to installation, ensuring smoother project flow.
Integrating Design, Procurement, and Construction
One of the core benefits of prefabrication is its ability to unify disparate stages of the construction process. In a traditional project, the design, procurement, and installation phases are often disconnected, leading to delays and inefficiencies. In contrast, a prefabricated approach integrates these stages, creating a more cohesive and streamlined workflow.
For example, in a water supply project, once the design team completes the plans, they can specify all the necessary components—such as pipelines, valve wells, and water meter pits—as prefabricated components (PC parts). These components are then easily procured, prefabricated in the factory, and delivered to the construction site with precise measurements and details. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, the entire process can be tracked and coordinated in real-time, ensuring that all elements are aligned and ready for installation.
The use of BIM not only improves coordination but also provides pre-construction services, helping to ensure that the design, procurement, and construction teams are aligned in their understanding of the project’s requirements. This allows for more accurate budgeting, faster decision-making, and less risk of errors during the construction phase.
Customization and Efficiency through Advanced Technologies
Another major advantage of prefabricated components is the ability to customize them to meet the specific needs of a project. With the help of 3D printing and other advanced manufacturing techniques, it is possible to create highly tailored components that fit the exact specifications of the site. This can help improve the adaptability of materials and ensure that the water supply system is optimized for local conditions.
In the procurement phase, customization allows for more targeted purchases, reducing the likelihood of oversupply or mismatched materials. Prefabricated components can be produced in batches that are specifically designed for each project, reducing waste and ensuring that all components fit together seamlessly.
Streamlined Construction and Reduced On-Site Chaos
In rural mountain projects, site preparation and logistics are often challenging. The use of prefabricated materials significantly reduces the amount of on-site construction and minimizes the need for large stockpiles of materials. Prefabricated components can be delivered in a controlled manner, in the exact quantities needed at the right time. This approach reduces the congestion of materials at the site and allows construction teams to focus on installation rather than stockpiling and organizing materials.
Additionally, the use of BIM and pre-construction planning ensures that the installation process is efficient. Excavation and trenching for pipes can be carried out with precise planning, reducing delays and minimizing the need for rework. By using prefabricated components, the construction timeline is shortened, and costs are kept under control.
Harnessing IoT and “One Village, One Policy” for Rural Water Supply Upgrades in China
In recent years, the drive to improve rural infrastructure has gained momentum across China, especially in the realm of water supply. With the country’s ongoing push for rural revitalization, ensuring access to clean, reliable drinking water for rural communities is a growing priority. At the heart of this transformation lies the integration of advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and the adoption of region-specific strategies such as “one village, one policy” to meet the diverse needs of rural areas.
This article explores how these innovative approaches can revolutionize the construction, management, and maintenance of rural water supply systems while addressing the unique challenges of mountainous terrains, remote locations, and varied community needs.
IoT Technology: A Game Changer for Rural Water Supply Management
The Internet of Things (IoT) has already made significant strides in urban infrastructure management, and its application to rural water supply systems offers immense potential. The key advantage of IoT lies in its ability to provide real-time data collection, monitoring, and communication, creating smarter, more responsive systems.
In Shandong Province’s Dongying City, for example, the comprehensive management and intelligent construction of urban and rural municipal pipe networks has been enhanced by IoT technology. Through an online monitoring system, the water supply network is continuously tracked, with real-time data and video feeds enabling water utility companies to monitor operations remotely.
This approach is primarily used in the operational and maintenance phases of water supply networks, but what if this technology could also be applied during the construction and acceptance stages? The answer is yes. With the support of cloud-based project management systems, IoT can extend beyond operation and maintenance to encompass the entire lifecycle of a project—from design to installation and final acceptance.
IoT in the Construction and Acceptance Phases
IoT applications in water supply projects go beyond day-to-day operations and can significantly enhance the efficiency of construction and acceptance stages. During construction, all project stakeholders—designers, contractors, procurement teams, and more—can access a centralized online platform to track real-time progress. This ensures greater coordination and transparency across all phases of the project.
One particularly innovative use of IoT technology is in the quality monitoring of water supply components. Using unique QR codes, each finished product, such as pipes and fittings, can be traced and tracked. Scanning the code provides detailed information about the component’s manufacturing, quality control, and installation stages, allowing stakeholders to verify and record each step. This creates a robust data trail for each component, ensuring that the construction quality is transparent and verifiable.
On-site acceptance—often a challenge in mountainous or rural areas—can also be streamlined with IoT. For instance, pressure tests and tightness tests of water supply pipelines can be monitored remotely through IoT-enabled sensors. Video footage of these tests can be uploaded to a cloud platform, where it is linked with the relevant data for each section of the pipe. Remote acceptance personnel can then view the footage, confirm the results, and sign off on the tests electronically. This removes geographical barriers, enabling faster and more efficient acceptance procedures.
“One Village, One Policy”: Tailoring Water Supply Solutions to Local Needs
One of the most compelling strategies for rural water supply is the “one village, one policy” approach. Given the geographical, economic, and demographic differences between villages, a one-size-fits-all solution is often inadequate. By customizing water supply solutions to meet the specific conditions of each village, this strategy aims to maximize efficiency, control costs, and address local needs.
A prime example of this approach is in Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province. There, the integration of urban and rural water supply systems has been achieved through a mix of large-scale centralized water projects and smaller, localized supply systems. Yangcheng County has made great strides in improving its water supply infrastructure, with nearly 500 rural water supply guarantee projects that provide potable water to over 200,000 people. The county has adopted standardized construction for rural water supply projects, ensuring consistency and reliability across diverse locations.
However, there are common challenges that rural water supply projects face, particularly in mountainous areas. These include high construction costs, complex terrain, and the difficulty of ensuring ongoing operation and maintenance. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in customizing the water supply solutions to the unique needs of each village or town.
Cost Control and Efficiency: Assembly Technology and IoT Integration
When it comes to controlling construction costs, particularly in mountainous regions, prefabricated components (assembly technology) and IoT systems can offer significant savings. As discussed previously, prefabricated materials—such as pre-assembled pipes, valves, and water meter boxes—can be transported more easily to remote areas and installed quickly, reducing labor costs and on-site construction time.
Additionally, the integration of IoT allows for better tracking and monitoring of materials throughout the construction phase. For example, water meter boxes, which are often prone to water damage in outdoor installations, can be redesigned using IoT-enabled cabinets that are either mounted on walls or placed above ground. These cabinets are less susceptible to environmental damage, and IoT sensors can track their condition in real-time, ensuring that any maintenance issues are addressed quickly.
Moreover, in the case of mountainous villages with single-family, multi-story homes, water meters are often installed outdoors for convenience. However, traditional underground water meter boxes can be problematic, as rainwater can seep into the system, affecting water quality. IoT solutions can address this issue by enabling remote monitoring of water quality and meter readings, ensuring that any issues are flagged for maintenance before they become major problems.
Sustainable Operation and Maintenance
When it comes to operating and maintaining rural water supply networks, one size doesn’t fit all. The economic conditions, infrastructure, and technical capabilities of rural areas vary significantly, so it’s essential to implement a phased approach to digitalization. For example, while large-scale remote monitoring and intelligent management systems might be feasible in more developed regions, in less economically advanced areas, basic systems that monitor key metrics—such as water meters and outdoor hydrants—might be more appropriate.
Yangcheng County’s experience shows that rural water supply upgrades should be viewed as a long-term project that can evolve gradually over time. Through standardized construction methods and the phased introduction of IoT technologies, rural water supply systems can be enhanced step-by-step. The key is to remain adaptable to local needs, ensuring that each village receives the right level of infrastructure and digitalization.