Complete Controls and SCADA Upgrade for the Town of Salisbury Water System
Weston & Sampson planned and designed a complete Controls and SCADA Upgrade for the Town of Salisbury Water System. Prior to the upgrade, operators lost sleep during every storm worried that controls would fail or they would have to rob one panel of components to fix a more critical one. Our design included replacement of obsolete controllers, out-of-compliance radios, and aged SCADA software and PC.
The upgrade replaced obsolete equipment and controls with reliable PLC control panels and high speed Ethernet radio communications. All functions and components of the system were upgraded, including SCADA software and hardware, radio communications network, control panels, alarming and remote access. The design carefully considered sequencing of the work and operational concerns to provide a smooth transition from old systems to new systems.
The new system is reliable, with improved radio communication, standard controllers and an open easily expanded Ethernet network. Each station’s panel is similar in layout and functionality with similar graphics at local panel interfaces and the SCADA computer screens.
Remote access to entire network via a secured virtual private network allows operators to monitor systems during off hours through their PC or laptop, notepad, and even their smart phone.
Key design components included:
- Upgrade from obsolete Autocon controllers to PLC Control Panels at 10 sites including four well stations, one meter valve pit, two storage tanks, one pressure station, a booster station, and the main office.
- Replace radios with narrow-band FCC compliant Ethernet ready radios licensed in the more reliable municipal SCADA system bandwidth 173 frequency.
- Keep the old system running (including radio network) until the new system was installed and tested.
- Replace SCADA control station PCs and SCADA software. Update to VPN remote access via broadband cable internet with secure gateway firewall hardware.
Highlights:
- Autocon transition to Allen Bradley PLC
- Remote Water Sites
- Narrow Band Licensed Frequency
- CalAmp Viper SC Ethernet Radio
- Win911
- VPN remote connection