Improved Water & Wastewater Systems Monitoring and Automation with SCADA

Utilizing efficient and precise water and wastewater monitoring systems is critical to providing your community with clean, affordable water. From source to tap, and from your drain back to the source, the water we use every day goes through scrupulous monitoring to ensure that overall water quality is consistent and in compliance with state and federal regulations. 

Older wastewater and water monitoring systems required a lot of staff, time and resources to keep operations running. Now, it is common to see digital networks that monitor each step of the treatment process. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is the standard term for these digital networks and computer systems that gather and analyze real-time data.

Water and wastewater management companies, utilities departments and other manufacturers use SCADA for the control it allows system operators and the consistent automated data it provides. Key personnel in these sectors can see where real-time problems are occurring in their systems through various data logging points. 

SCADA has steadily improved over the last several decades, but it took many years of technological evolution to get the current data integration and analysis systems we see today.

SCADA’s Development

Before SCADA, industrial, utility and manufacturing operations were limited to the workers they had available to monitor and operate the equipment. As these operations grew in scale, the need for networking capabilities began to drive water and wastewater treatment companies to use industrial control computers and telemetry in the 50s and 60s. As computer technology advanced, its application to the industrial fields grew as well. Microprocessors and programmable logic controllers led to better automated systems.

Automated monitoring processes became more sophisticated in the 80s and 90s as utilities implemented local area networks (LAN) and as updated human-machine interface software became easier to read. While these systems were superior to the older tech, third-party software was often difficult or impossible to integrate into existing water and wastewater management systems. 

Open-source SCADA systems finally became the norm in the 2000s and adopted modern information technology like structured query language (SQL). Now, advanced systems can be connected through secure servers to smart devices, like tablets in remote locations. These improvements make 24/7 data integration and flow possible from across the globe. These advancements have had massive implications for public services and utilities. 

SCADA in Water and Wastewater Monitoring Operations

Instant access to information allows operators to make decisions and analyze data regularly rather than in segments. Digital monitoring makes the data they receive more accurate and up-to-date. 

Up-to-Date Information for Predictive Analysis and Security

Flowmeters are data loggers that are installed in strategic locations to send data to remote terminal units, then send their collected data to the treatment plant operators. With this data, the operators have an opportunity to see problems like leaks, overflows or chemical imbalance. Access to up-to-date information on these potential problems gives water operations a chance to fix these issues in advance, reducing downtime for machinery. 

Security is also an ongoing priority for utility companies. For vulnerable parts of the water utilities infrastructure, the SCADA network allows for connected camera systems, which are remotely accessible to give more peace of mind and security to these areas. This kind of supervision allows management staff the resources to be more efficiently distributed throughout the system for repairs or support.

Automate Systems with SCADA

Some SCADA systems allow for automation, which helps alleviate many of the problems water and wastewater operators have dealt with throughout their history. While water facilities still need excellent field and plant operators, SCADA helps detect the smallest of inconsistencies in day-to-day operations. In addition to advanced problem solving, water and wastewater systems are also now more energy-efficient with automated systems. 

Efficient and accurate automated monitoring is crucial to wastewater treatment facilities as problems such as overflows can result in EPA regulation violations and costly fines. In this scenario, an automated or cloud-connected SCADA system can alert operators to make repairs or changes to manage the flow of wastewater that needs to be treated. 

Reduced Costs for Water Utilities and Consumers

SCADA can also help reduce the cost of operating a community’s water distribution or treatment plant by allowing operators to see what critical systems need to be further optimized and prioritized. SCADA has changed the way that utilities operate by vastly improving the way operators absorb and interact with system data. Now, water and wastewater treatment plants in every industry can have a detailed understanding of where and when to utilize their available workforce

Want to learn more about water and wastewater operations management for your community? Are you looking for professional operators who know the ins and outs of the latest SCADA systems and modern methods of water treatment? Contact Alliance Water Resources today to see how we can help your community gain more control of management, operations, automation.