Case study: Northumbrian Water

About the project:

Northumbrian Water is a water company in the United Kingdom, providing mains water and sewerage services in the English counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and also supplying water as Essex and Suffolk Water.

Spearhead Interactive were commissioned to create and deliver a engaging communications tool as part of an initial exploration into the benefits of data visualisation using 3D technologies.

Key Features:

ACCURATE TOPOLOGY

In order to ensure accuracy for the visualisation, we used topological survey data of the site to construct the base level terrain which was then populated with the necessary pipelines, water treatment works and reserviors. 

THREE-TIER NAVIGATION SYSTEM

A dedicated navigation system allows the user to move between a top down view of the terrain and a free flight mode.

Users can also teleport to the water treatment works and reserviors using dedicated buttons located on the interface.

ANIMATED WATER FLOW

With animated textures attached to the pipeline models, users are able to visualise the way the water flows across the network. Representative models of the water treatment works and four associated reservoirs provide information on the amount of water being dispersed and current reservoir levels - with the height of the water changing relative to reported values.

DATA IN CONTEXT

Using the dynamic timeline, users are able to automatically or manually navigate a 24 hour timeline and view the corresponding data - all values are located on the interface, with the 3D model enabling a deeper level of communication and engagement with the data.