HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 SCADA Project Completion rr - AGENDA ITEM 17
-�'TRUCKEE DONNE
1 Public Utility District
MEETING DATE: December 7, 2022
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Chad J. Reed, Water Utility Director
SUBJECT: Completion of the Water SCADA Replacement Project
APPROVED BY
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive this report and provide feedback to staff.
BACKGROUND:
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions (SCADA) systems are a distributed network
of computer systems, automated controls and operator interfaces utilized for operation
and process management in many industries. SCADA system technologies have made
significant advancements over the past several decades and have become critically
important assets for public water utility systems.
SCADA system process monitoring and automation capabilities enable public water
system operators to, among other things, set automated control parameters for water
production wells, distribution pumping systems, water treatment system controls, water
quality monitoring, and storage tank levels. The integrated network systems facilitate
operator control and adjustments remotely from any location with access to internet. The
process monitoring components of modern SCADA systems are capable of collecting and
archiving an endless array of water system performance data in real time, to be utilized
in data analytics, budgets, maintenance scheduling, regulatory reporting, trouble
shooting, security of critical infrastructure, and operator notifications.
A very basic overview of SCADA systems components include:
Page 1 of 4
• SCADA Supervisory Server— Central Server and Database
• Communication System — Internet, Phone, Microwave, Radio
• Remote Terminal Units (RTUs)- Distributed field connection between the SCADA
system programming logic and the physical automated components of the water
system
• Graphical Human-Machine Interface (HMI)- Provides graphical interface for
system operators to view and manipulate programming logic and system data on-
site or remotely.
Depending on the needs of the organization and the characteristics of the water system,
each of these core components can be developed to a wide range of capabilities and
complexities, from basic supervisory controls, to fully integrated complex controls and
analytics.
In 2009, the District began the process of evaluating the performance and capabilities of
its existing water SCADA systems. At that point in time the District had completed the
connections of the Glenshire Mutual and Donner Lake Water distribution systems to the
Truckee Main System, however each were operating on three separate SCADA systems.
Recognizing that each of these systems were incompatible with each other and were no
longer in alignment with current industry standards, the District began the process of
developing a water SCADA replacement plan.
In July, 2009 the District approved an engineering services contract with Carollo Systems,
LLC to prepare a proposal for the Water SCADA Replacement Project. Carollo Systems
identified three phases in their scope of the project. Phase 1 was a system assessments,
evaluating the existing hardware and communication systems as well as the District's
desired capabilities in a new water SCADA system. Phase 2 designed and prepared
specifications with cost estimates for the first 10 of 45 RTUs. Phase 3 would have
included project management and installation. Staff and the Board of Directors chose not
to pursue Phase 3 of Carollo's proposal and opted to utilize internal staff for both the final
design and installation of the system.
A project of this scope and magnitude is a relatively sizeable undertaking for an
organization to take on internally. The District's philosophy in taking on the project
internally was to preserve quality control, system customization to District needs, build
internal capacity and skillsets, and retain the institutional knowledge gained during the
project. The project included water SCADA system design and installations at 46 facilities
throughout the water system. The original scoping study detailed 45 different RTUs,
however additional sites and stations have been added bringing the total RTU count upon
completion to 49. To take on this challenge, the District hired a full time SCADA systems
engineer to work directly with water system operations and electricians staff in the design,
development and implementation of programming logic to meet the needs of the District.
Throughout the course of the project the District faced several challenges including
changes in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) radio bandwidth access,
changes in specifications of key components such as programming logic controllers
Page 2 of 4
(PLC), communication cards and power supply modules, supply chain issues and
limitations in staffing resources. The Water SCADA Replacement Project would also
require additional planning and design to align with other capital projects underway such
as new pump station construction, and the SCADA Reliability Project (fiber
communications).
In 2010, the District began the process of procuring and installing the central SCADA
servers and RTU cabinet assemblies at each of the water utility facilities. In 2012 the
District hired an automated controls engineer to begin the process of development and
integration of programming logic with automated controls in the field. The project was
divided into multiple phases, ensuring installation and testing of each phase prior to
moving to the next:
• Donne Lake/Armstrong
• Glenshire
• Sierra Meadows
• Prosser Heights/Prosser Lakeview
• Truckee Main System (Groundwater Wells, 6170 Tank)
• Tahoe Donner Phase 1
• Tahoe Donner Phase 2
• Tahoe Donner Phase 3
ANALYSIS/BODY:
The District's previous SCADA systems were designed and constructed by third party
engineers with proprietary programming logic and hardware, in many cases hard coding
automation control logic into motherboards and SCADA packs. These systems were
advanced and innovative for their time but left the District highly dependent on the
availability of the original design engineers for troubleshooting and programming
changes, as well as an inability to upgrade or integrate with other systems. The District's
approach in developing the new water SCADA system was to identify a commercially
available operating platform and hardware components to be standardized across the
entire water system, offering a robust, fully customizable and upgradeable system, with
an emphasis on reliability and security.
With the completion of the Water SCADA Replacement Project in FY22, the District's
Water System has been fully equipped with a state of the art SCADA system to
significantly improve the District's ability to provide safe and reliable potable water
service. Here are just a few of the significant improvements the project has provided:
• Fully customizable and upgradeable SCADA system allowing operators to quickly
troubleshoot, repair or replace and re-program key components;
• Remote real-time access for water system operators with secured and multi-
layered communication redundancy (fiber, radio, wireless);
• Comprehensive data collection and performance analytics for regulatory
compliance reporting, groundwater basin management, system improvements,
Page 3 of 4
and capital maintenance planning; and
• Real-time process monitoring and notification systems to ensure water supply and
water quality 24-hours per day
In November of 2022 District staff officially completed the Water SCADA Replacement
Project with the switch-over of the final facility from the previous SCADA system.
Goals and Objectives:
This item is in support of the following goals and objectives:
District Code1.05.020 Objectives:
1. Responsibly serve the public.
3. Provide reliable and high quality water supply and distribution system to meet current
and future needs
5. Manage the District in an environmentally sound manner
6. Manage the District in an effective, efficient and fiscally responsible manner.
Strategic Goals:
1. Manage for Financial Stability and Resiliency
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Water SCADA Replacement Project has been included in the annual Board approved
Water Utility and IT capital budgets with an average annual expenditure of $650,000.
This includes capital infrastructure procurement and District labor (engineering,
electricians and water system operators).
With completion of the 2022 subject project, the District will continue to need annual
maintenance capital to systematically address aging Water SCADA system. The 2023
Budget included $108,160 for Water SCADA maintenance capital, and is deemed
sufficient for 2023. The 10-year water capital improvement plan included in the Financial
Master Plan as part of the 2022/2023 Budget cycle included $112,486 in FY24, escalating
+4% each year thereafter; which is currently deemed sufficient.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Page 4 of 4