In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we discussed how to measure and optimize pump station energy consumption using VFDs. In the case study, a water utility was able to realize an energy consumption decrease of 67%. It is important to note that your savings may be more or less, as every application is unique. … Read More →
Yesterday, in Part 1 of this series, we reported that a recent pump station upgrade resulted in a staggering energy cost reduction — reducing the average electricity charges from $345/month to less than $114/month! Since you have kindly returned today for Part 2, your consideration will be repaid with the details of how this feat was accomplished — and how … Read More →
A topic of continual concern for today’s water utility is Pumping Station Energy Efficiency. And to put this subject in laymen’s terms, how better than to relate it to fuel efficiency for the familiar automobile? First, let’s look at the work that each produces — With a car, the unit of work is expressed as a driven “Mile”; whereas in … Read More →
Extreme Cold and Pressure Sensors During extremely cold temperatures, it is important to keep in mind that the pressure sensing devices in your system — and the tubing that feeds them — should be prevented from freezing. These devices include pressure transducers, pressure switches, and pressure gauges. If the water in the sensor or sensing line freezes, the expanding … Read More →
One of the most compelling features of the Navionics Research SCADA System is its robust remote access capability — it’s ability to connect the Water Operator with the SCADA System so that he/she may check on the status of the water treatment and distribution system, review alarms, and make operational adjustments. The dawn of the Smart Phones … Read More →
The Sensaphone Model 400 is a telephone alarm dialer device that is capable of calling out (with a computer-generated voice) to one or more (up to four) telephone numbers to annunciate an alarm condition, as signaled by discrete contact inputs. The Model 400 features four (4) input channels, plus integral power monitoring. Channel #1 is pre-configured by default … Read More →
A topic of immense concern to Levee Districts is the tracking of pump flow rate (e.g.. gallons per minute), as well as the totalization of pumped volume (e.g.. total gallons, cubic feet, or acre-feet). Flow-rate is important, as the Districts are able to trend instantaneous pump performance in real-time, which provides a measure of the … Read More →
In the rural and municipal water industries, valve control of pressure and flow has often been accomplished using diaphragm-type valves. These types of valves can be tuned to provide altitude control at water towers, pumping stations, and custody-transfer valve stations. The valves offer a no-slam open/close actuation and can be tuned to sustain a desired … Read More →
A water utility SCADA system contains a wealth of historical data — data which is often needed for the completion of monthly EPA reports. Historically, these reports are prepared by hand with pen-and-paper — or by manually typing values into a computer form document. However, this article details a vastly-improved, semi-automated method of report generation in which the SCADA system … Read More →