Spokane Water Department
Spokane Water Department grows with the AVEVA SCADA solution
The City of Spokane Water Department is growing with a new SCADA solution that delivers scalability, ease of use and higher-quality data collection and evaluation. The old SCADA system, limited to 48 sites and based on outdated telemetry, could not keep up with the city's growing needs and caused slow communications between the control center and remote stations. With AVEVA, operators can now make the necessary changes and additions themselves without external technical support, simplifying day-to-day operations and strengthening industrial monitoring of the distribution network. The solution prepares the department for future expansions while ensuring more efficient and reliable management of drinking water distribution.
FAQ
How does an AVEVA SCADA solution manage a drinking water network distributed across multiple sites?
Spokane Water Department's AVEVA SCADA solution supervises the entire distribution network from a single control center. Designed to scale beyond the 48-site limit of the previous system, it relies on an open architecture that consolidates data from pumps, reservoirs and stations in real time. Operators view the overall status through AVEVA InTouch HMI, which cuts field trips by two-thirds and ensures continuous industrial supervision of an essential public service.
Why is operator autonomy crucial in a water utility's industrial supervision?
Operator autonomy means being able to modify configurations, add new points or adapt screens without relying on external technical support. At Spokane Water, the AVEVA SCADA solution lets teams make these changes themselves, which reduces maintenance costs and speeds up operational response. This autonomy is strategic in the water sector, where needs are constantly evolving (new sensors, compliance, energy optimization) and where responsiveness directly determines the quality of service delivered to users.
How can you move from a limited SCADA system to a scalable platform without rebuilding everything?
The AVEVA SCADA solution offers an object-oriented architecture and open standards that enable gradual migration from a constrained system. The Spokane Water Department thus exceeded the 48-site limit without any service interruption, gradually integrating new equipment. The standardized object library approach avoids duplicated engineering and ensures system consistency. This scalability is essential for utilities that must keep pace with urban growth without a costly overhaul.
What operational gains does centralized SCADA supervision bring to a water operator?
Centralization through AVEVA SCADA allows Spokane Water to reduce trips to remote stations by two-thirds, freeing up time for higher-value tasks. Anomalies are detected and corrected remotely, preventive maintenance is better planned and regulatory reports are automated. For a water utility, these gains translate into better industrial performance, a smaller carbon footprint (fewer trips) and improved quality of service for users.
Why is SCADA reliability critical for drinking water distribution?
Drinking water is a vital service that tolerates no interruption. The AVEVA SCADA solution deployed in Spokane ensures continuous industrial supervision and detects pump failures, pressure drops or quality anomalies in real time. Prioritized alarms allow operators to intervene before an incident affects users. AVEVA's proven reliability, combined with a redundant architecture, makes SCADA a pillar of regulatory compliance and public health safety.