How Rugged Laptops Help Water Utility Field Service Technicians Stay Afloat

Water utility field service technicians must operate in some of the most unpredictable conditions found in any industry. They are called to handle burst mains and pipes, flooded streets, maintenance on underground valves, and much more, in all kinds of weather. In the middle of a repair job, the last thing these hard-working crews need is technology that can handle the rigors of the job.

Unlike standard consumer or business laptops, rugged laptops are purposefully designed to operate in chaotic fieldwork environments. When equipped with rugged laptops or 2-in-1s that have been engineered to handle exposure to water and humidity, mud, impacts and drops, dirt and dust, extreme temperatures and more, utility technicians maintain reliable access to system schematics, geographic information system (GIS) data, work orders and critical communications and instructions.

Service delays for water utilities can result in service interruptions, expensive fines, and even public safety risks. When water utility field service technicians go out on a call, it’s absolutely essential that they do so with the rugged equipment they need to stay safe, productive and efficient in the face of any obstacle.

Field Service Technicians Face Systemic Challenges

The field service technician is often the unsung hero of the water utility ecosystem. They get dispatched at all hours to fix a ruptured water main, clear a blocked sewer line, or clean up and restore service after flooding. The work they do doesn’t just maintain water infrastructure — it protects public health.

And that work isn’t easy. Water utilities today struggle with numerous systemic challenges, including:

• Aging infrastructure: There are more than 2 million miles of underground distribution and transmission lines for drinking water in the U.S., with some of that equipment dating back as far as the late 1800s, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Meanwhile, more than 17,500 wastewater treatment plants are in operation across the country. The ASCE gives drinking water infrastructure a C- grade in its most recent report, while wastewater infrastructure was rated a D+. 
• Labor shortages: Somewhere between 30% and 50% of the workforce will retire in the water sector over the next decade, and there aren’t enough incoming workers to replace them.
• Compliance demands: Compliance requirements have created additional work for water utilities, including directives for lead pipe replacement and PFAS detection.
• Water scarcity: Nearly nine out of 10 (88%) of water sector decision makers named water scarcity as an important issue, while 81% said the cost of the technological innovations needed to address the problem is also an important challenge.

The reality is that the demands on water utility field engineers never stop, and these field technicians need tools in their arsenal that are every bit as rugged and resilient as they are.

What Water Utility Field Service Technicians Need From Their Tech

When you think of a water utility field service technician on the job, you might think of them turning wrenches or welding pipes. While these activities are certainly part of the job, the job itself is also getting much more technical. Field workers must manage mountains of data, write and file digital reports and regularly interface with increasingly smarter infrastructure assets. As such, their mobile technology needs to support a variety of processes, such as:

• GIS mapping and asset location: When something breaks, it’s essential that those deployed to repair it can find it quickly. Real-time access to GIS systems and schematics can help field service technicians navigate underground infrastructure and save critical minutes when it counts most.
• Work order management: The days of paper work orders in a folder on the back seat of the truck are gone. Most utilities now rely on computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) platforms to ensure that work gets tracked, completed and reported in an accurate and timely manner, and field operators need access to these systems to provide real-time updates.
• Integration with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems: Field crews can easily interface with SCADA systems to check pressures, alarms, fluid volumes and more from their rugged laptop.
• Emergency communications: Emergency response is a core part of the job for water utility field service technicians. Whether responding to a broken water main or deployed proactively during a severe weather incident, field teams need the ability to tap into emergency channels like FirstNet® so they can communicate with other emergency response teams.

Effective field service management means providing field-deployed workers with the tools they need to get the job done. That’s why many water utilities choose TOUGHBOOK® solutions from Panasonic Connect. 

Why Field Service Technicians Trust TOUGHBOOK

TOUGHBOOK laptops and 2-in-1 tablets provide an ideal solution for field service professionals in a variety of industries, including water utilities. These aren’t like off-the-shelf laptops and tablets. They are purpose-built for reliable performance in mission-critical applications, featuring industry-leading reliability and performance.

Here are some of the features that make TOUGHBOOK perfectly suited for water utility field service operations:

Built for the Harshest Environments

TOUGHBOOK laptops and 2-in-1s are rated to:

• Tolerate drops
• Operate reliably in extreme heat or cold
• Handle exposure to water, moisture, mud, dust, dirt, grease, chemicals
• Run for up to 12 hours on a single battery, with hot-swappable batteries for virtually limitless operation
• Work with wet or gloved hands

Advanced Connectivity

TOUGHBOOK rugged laptops and 2-in-1s are configurable with a variety of connectivity options, such as:

• LTE
• 5G
• 4G
• Satellite GPS
• Dedicated GPS
• CBRS Band 48
• Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth®
• Dual-antenna pass-through
• Multi-carrier support (AT&T, Verizon, FirstNet®, etc.)

Seamless Software Integration

TOUGHBOOK is compatible with the systems that utilities are already using, such as SCADA, GIS, CMMS, asset management platforms, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and more. Our rugged laptops and 2-in-1s help your field crews read smart meters, record maintenance activities, respond more quickly to alarms and coordinate across departments in real time. 

Built-in Security

As more systems connect through the Internet of Things (IoT) and SCADA platforms, cybersecurity has become a growing concern for utilities. TOUGHBOOK computers offer secure boot, BIOS-level protections, encrypted solid-state drives and remote device monitoring and management to help your organization safeguard sensitive data and stay current with evolving standards. 

Support from Panasonic Connect Professional Services

In addition to the rugged hardware in our portfolio of TOUGHBOOK laptops and 2-in-1s, Panasonic Connect offers a comprehensive range of professional services to help you with everything from device configuration and deployment to ongoing security and remote management. Our ProServices help you optimize the lifecycle of your TOUGHBOOK investment to ensure long-term value and ROI. 

TOUGHBOOK Rugged Laptops for the Toughest Jobs

While field service technicians operate at the heart of all water utility operations, the reality is that they can no longer do their jobs effectively with outdated or fragile equipment. Whether responding to service outages or conducting routine maintenance, TOUGHBOOK rugged laptops and 2-in-1s let them do more — and do it faster and smarter.

Learn more about Panasonic Connect’s offerings for water utilities here.