Twelve-month SAP S/4HANA implementation helps the Council to build a more sustainable future
Christchurch, New Zealand, 24 October 2023 — SAP today announced Christchurch City Council has implemented SAP S/4HANA to better manage excess water demand and improve the long-term sustainability of the council’s water supply.
Christchurch City Council maintains a network of wells, reservoirs, pipes, pump stations, and aquifers to supply approximately 148,000 households with water. One of its most pressing concerns is excess water usage, with extreme seasonal demand placed on its water supply network, particularly in summer.
Water usage was also not spread evenly, with most excess water used by a small proportion of households. The Council identified the top 4% of household water users in Christchurch use more than 23% of the city’s entire residential water supply, primarily for outdoor irrigation and gardening, along with unidentified leaks.
It implemented a second instance of SAP S/4HANA to enable the creation of a new excess water rate. The rate will help manage water demand and mitigate the risk of pressure drops in its network over summer, as well as reduce the funds required to expand the network to meet demand and improve the long-term sustainability of its water supply.
The implementation has helped the Council drive a 13% reduction in water consumption across households, which it expects to increase to approximately 20% over the coming year. Furthermore, 25% of citizens with high water usage, consuming over 6,000 litres per day, have fixed water leaks. Importantly, the council has been able to educate residents on water sustainability with more than 444,000 visits to its water reporter page to view property water usage.
Leah Scales, General Manager of Resources and Chief Financial Officer, Christchurch City Council says, “Christchurch City Council is focused on driving sustainable outcomes for our district and meeting our climate change goals. In order to achieve them, we knew we needed a best-in-class solution, which is why we selected SAP.
“Through the implementation of SAP S/4HANA we have been able to effectively reduce demand on the water network and save on the cost of building and maintaining our wells, pumping stations, reservoirs, and other network infrastructure.
“As Christchurch residents become increasingly engaged with water preservation and sustainability, we’re starting to see them modify their water usage behaviour and more leaks are being discovered and fixed to prevent water wastage.”
Nick Quin, Director of Public Sector, SAP New Zealand says, “At SAP, we believe technology has a critical role to play in helping the world run better and improving people’s lives and Christchurch City Council is a testament to this. Only by recording, reporting, and acting on actual sustainability data can organisations deliver tangible sustainability outcomes. By using SAP S/4HANA, the council can drive meaningful long-term impact for its residents and create a more sustainable future for its people.”
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