Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority
Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority improves customer satisfaction with the AVEVA solution
The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) relies on AVEVA System Platform to meet the growing water demand of an expanding population and a thriving tourism industry. With more than 120 different platforms to integrate, rugged terrain limiting radio and DSL communications, and the need to deploy new facilities quickly, PRASA needed a solution capable of unifying 1,500 sites across the island. AVEVA provides advanced cybersecurity, high-speed historical data collection and a centralized industrial monitoring platform that improves operational efficiency, ensures compliance with EPA standards, increases production capacity and provides better visibility and easier troubleshooting across the entire network.
FAQ
How can 1,500 distributed sites be managed across rugged terrain?
Puerto Rico's rugged terrain makes traditional radio and DSL communications unavailable in some areas. PRASA deployed AVEVA System Platform to integrate more than 1,500 sites with a resilient architecture combining different communication protocols. Island-wide standardization enables fast installations, simplifies maintenance and gives operators a unified view of the entire water network, despite the geographic complexity.
How can EPA compliance be ensured through industrial supervision?
AVEVA System Platform enables PRASA to maintain high quality standards for compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). High-speed historical data collection traces every step of water treatment, documents critical parameters and facilitates regulatory audits. This automated traceability guarantees clean, compliant water while reducing the administrative burden on teams. It is an essential standard for any water operator subject to strict regulatory controls.
What savings does centralized supervision bring?
PRASA estimated the savings generated over seven years thanks to AVEVA System Platform at $15 million. These gains come from fewer unplanned shutdowns, optimized maintenance interventions, standardized facilities and shorter troubleshooting times. Centralizing industrial supervision also makes better use of operators' skills and pools expertise across all 1,500 sites on the island.
How can production be increased without expanding infrastructure?
PRASA saw its water production rise from 12 million to 20-30 million gallons thanks to the AVEVA solution, without any major infrastructure expansion. This performance is explained by better visibility of equipment, proactive troubleshooting that reduces losses and continuous optimization of operations based on real-time data. It is a concrete case showing that digital transformation can deliver capacity gains comparable to heavy physical investments.
Why is cybersecurity critical for a water operator?
Drinking water is critical national infrastructure exposed to cyber threats. PRASA relies on the advanced cybersecurity system built into AVEVA System Platform to protect its 1,500 sites against intrusions, sabotage and tampering with treatment parameters. A breach could compromise the public health of millions of residents and tourists. That is why the digital transformation of the water sector natively incorporates IEC 62443 security standards and defense-in-depth best practices.