November 24, 2021
It might be time for a SCADA upgrade… have you been feeling like you spend all your time chasing faults at your water treatment facility and can never find the time to make meaningful process improvements. SCADA and automated communications are crucial for monitoring your water asset network and will ensure you can operate effectively and safely, whilst quickly identifying and addressing errors and inefficiencies. Outdated SCADA and automation systems can create a host of problems for the asset owner. This article details 4 key signs that your SCADA system might need a replacement or upgrade.
1. Clunky user interface
Older SCADA systems are often overly complex or filled with noisy graphics that make it hard to discern which information is actually important. A modern SCADA interface facilitates clear process awareness through simple and consistent graphics, to help operators make informed decisions. Important information is highlighted sparingly to avoid confusion, resulting in maximum efficiency.
A modern SCADA system is highly optimised for creating situational awareness. Situational awareness allows operators to get useful information quicker and therefore make better and faster decisions. A modern SCADA system displays an overview of how the water treatment plant is running with the option to easily zoom into specific details. This allows the operator to easily identify problems at the water treatment plant, making the whole process more efficient. An easy colour coded system is put in place to clearly show faults and alarms. Overall, a modern SCADA system will provide operators with efficient monitoring and control of their processes.
2. Difficulty with water compliance and consents
Government water standards require sustainable and effective on-site domestic wastewater management. This requires the in-depth reporting and monitoring of assets to ensure that water facilities are being monitored and maintained appropriately. New SCADA systems capture in-depth asset data and can produce automatic reports on factors such as drinking water compliance analysis or daily effluent discharge.
Reports can be built automatically in the SCADA system, downloaded and shared, ensuring accurate visibility of water asset status to meet required standards. Your electrical engineering partners can ensure that this data capture and reporting is fit for purpose and compliant with the latest legislation. The data you are collecting needs to be accurate to ensure you are adhering to government water and wastewater standards. With a modern SCADA system data integrity and reliability is higher.
3. Cyber threat vulnerability
Cybersecurity is a crucial reason to upgrade or replace your SCADA system. Outdated SCADA systems that rely on older operating systems are a big target for cyber-attacks. This is because old operating systems do not receive security updates and are therefore susceptible to digital threats.
A newer SCADA software will enable greater compatibility across multiple platforms and devices as well as enabling you to seamlessly monitor multiple water treatment sites whilst reducing the risk of bugs and cyber-attacks.
4. Sub-optimal connectivity
Modern SCADA systems enable you to be connected beyond your water treatment plant. The option to access the system remotely comes available when replacing or upgrading your SCADA system. Your new system can be linked to a phone app, allowing you to operate your water treatment plant from your smartphone. You can also get up to date alerts on your phone, notifying you when changes occur within your water plant. This allows you to stay up to date wherever you may be. This can be important as a quick response may be the difference between correcting the situation and a disaster.
Although remoting into your SCADA system does have great benefits in some cases it is best to use the system onsite. When major alarms or faults are identified the operator will want to be present to fix any issue, as they occur.
Do these problems sound familiar? If you are experiencing any of the 4 symptoms of an aging SCADA system you may find this e-book helpful: Creating a SCADA solution that suits your water network.
