Electricity and Control January 2021

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

At a glance 

The SA government estimates that 44% of its water treatment works and 51% of wastewater treatment works are in poor or critical condition.  Alongside the upgrading of physical infrastructure, smart water management should encompass automation, digitalisation and connected monitoring of water plants and distribution networks.  Connecting existing plant processes and systems via one distributed control platform will enable operators to collect actionable intelligence on every aspect of the process.

The ABB Ability™ Symphony ® Plus distributed control system provides for visibility of the whole water supply network and control of operations from one central control room. connected monitoring of water plants, infrastructure, and networks. Successful solutions combine the best aspects of tech- nology by providing visibility, empowering utilities and mu- nicipalities with real-time information and access to ‘big data’ for higher-level strategic organisational decisions. The implementation of successful solutions supports over- all improved quality of life. However, there are barriers for operators adopting a smart water strategy, and chief among them is a fear of digitalisation. The water industry is yet to modernise completely, al- though it is clear that the traditional approach needs to change. Current challenges present an opportunity to do things differently in order to achieve the results sought in delivering safe, reliable and efficient water supply, and en- suring safe and effective wastewater treatment. The power of data in managing infrastructure Digitalisation enables water customers (municipalities and utilities) to use data to make decisions at a plant and en- terprise level. Put simply, operators can achieve big wins through the advanced analysis of data. Upgrading existing plant processes and systems by connecting them via one distributed control platform, op- erators can collect and analyse actionable intelligence re- lated to every aspect of the process. This enables them to review how entire operations are operating in real time. In the context of ageing infrastructure, it means utilities can make informed accurate decisions based on complete visibility of the plant or fleet operations. It also helps in iden- tifying trends and finding efficiency savings to optimise per- formance, reduce waste and ensure water availability and reliability. At a micro level, teams can review how each asset in a plant is performing. This information can be used to sup- port maintenance teams in identifying potential failings or threats before they occur, moving away from traditional

[Photographer: Dirk Bruniecki]

Digitalising its water supply services and implementing a SCADA system, the Saigon Water Company improved water supply and reduced water losses in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s biggest city. time-based maintenance models to condition-based pre- dictive maintenance programmes. A case study In Koppal, South West India, ABB has supplied end-to-end digital water management solutions that will help the local water authority to track, measure and optimise water use in the drought-stricken region. With a population of around one million people, the dis- trict is regularly challenged by water shortages. The mu- nicipality needed a solution that could effectively monitor

Electricity + Control JANUARY 2021

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