The City of Fresno (COF) operates an expansive drinking water system that serves approximately 142,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers spanning 114 square miles. The city’s Water Division manages and operates the water system consisting of various facilities for treating both ground and surface water as well as a distribution system that consists of a vast network of water mains, water service connections, fire hydrants, valves, and water meters. One unique aspect of the setup is that it solely utilizes pumping zones to maintain pressure rather than using elevated reservoirs and holding tanks. The T-3 Surface Water Treatment Facility and Water Storage Tank located in East Central Fresno receives water from the Kings Rivers and is permitted for the treatment of up to 4 million gallons per day (MGD).
For over 14 years, Enterprise Automation has partnered with the City of Fresno and has been contracted for over $5 million in projects ranging from routine maintenance and urgent on-call support to major SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system improvement.
The project’s focus was to address significant challenges within the City of Fresno’s existing SCADA system for the 4 MGD T-3 surface water treatment facility. The system consisted of four separate and non-standardized systems, resulting in a cumbersome and challenging operator experience. Operators needed help managing data, maintaining workflows, and providing training due to the fragmented nature of the system. Additionally, the operational technology (OT) hardware had become outdated and reached its end-of-life stage. Because this hardware was no longer under support, the City faced difficulty sourcing replacement parts and incurred higher costs. The City decided to transition to a solution that would provide new features, improve stability, and enhance overall performance.
Enterprise Automation (EA) took a comprehensive approach to modernizing and upgrading the City of Fresno’s SCADA system, focusing on efficiency, standardization, and future scalability. EA consolidated the four separate, unstandardized AVEVA Plant SCADA (formerly Citect SCADA) applications into a single, unified application. This application streamlined operations and simplified user interfaces for operators. EA also gave operators the ability to centrally manage the SCADA system by establishing a remote workstation at the City’s Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility.
With the discontinuation of the legacy data storage and reporting software, EA found an alternative that provided both advanced capabilities and ease of use. The conversion from Vijeo Historian to AVEVA Historian (formerly Wonderware Historian) enhanced data storage, retrieval, and analysis capabilities.
To enhance operational efficiency, EA implemented TopView alarm callout software. This software allowed for real-time monitoring and notification of critical system events. The added alarm notifications allowed operators to address problems promptly, resulting in faster response times to potential issues.
The facility’s hardware upgrade involved modernizing several plant PLCs to the latest version of EcoStruxure Control Expert (formerly Unity). This ensured compatibility with modern systems, improved stability, and incorporated new features.
EA’s efforts in modernizing and upgrading the City of Fresno’s SCADA system have significantly improved efficiency and standardization. By consolidating the separate SCADA systems into one consistent system, operators have an easier time navigating, running operations, and training others. The upgrade of plant PLCs ensured compatibility with modern systems and improved stability. To enhance data storage and analysis capabilities, the dated Vijeo Historian was replaced with an AVEVA Historian.
Throughout the project, EA proactively mitigated risks by submitting design and test documentation for review by the City of Fresno. EA was also deeply involved in the operations, maintenance, and management teams to gather valuable user input. The team minimized the need for field rework by conducting comprehensive testing before deployment, ensuring a seamless transition to the upgraded system.
EA’s successful consolidation and modernization of the City’s SCADA system and the implementation of improved Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and alarm reporting software played a critical role in creating a more robust and reliable water management system. This project’s unwavering focus on quality, reliability, and adherence to the city’s SCADA asset standards has positioned the system for sustainable performance and future scalability.
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