What Do Production Control Systems Do?

Production control systems are automated and computerized systems which monitor processes such as water treatment.  These systems are frequently called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, or Distributed Control Systems (DCSs).  They collect and analyze data, and provide information to people operating the system to help them decide what process changes to make.  Some complex SCADA systems can even automatically control a process so that the final product meets or exceeds quality and performance expectations!

For instance, a SCADA system at a water treatment plant can monitor the quality of the water flowing through the plant, analyze the pH level, and automatically adjust the amount of  lime added to the treated water to keep the pH at the preferred "neutral" level.  SCADA systems can also track how much water is being used by residents and businesses, and turn pumps on and off to keep the pressure and flow levels adequate to meet the needs.

 Why Are Production Control Systems Important?

SCADA systems are very important to Norfolk Utilities because there are many different steps involved in getting water from lakes and rivers, analyzing it and adding chemicals when necessary so it exceeds Federal and State quality standards, sending clean, healthy, good-tasting water to houses and businesses, and then collecting the used water and sending it to a wastewater treatment plant.

  What Makes Up a Production Control System?

SCADA systems use computers and electronic instruments such as chemical analyzers and flow and pressure meters to monitor all of these processes, assist with quality control and assurance, collect, analyze and store data, and keep information required for Federal and State regulatory compliance reporting. 

SCADA systems include electronic, instrumentation, communication, hardware, and software components. 

Some examples of typical components are:

• electronic monitoring equipment and instrumentation

• digital and analog signaling components

• communications network and equipment

• distributed control units, remote terminal units, and programmable logic control units

• information control stations or servers

• universal operating stations or clients

• human-machine interface (HMI) programs or applications; third-party modules or programs for reporting or alarm notification

• network and client operating system software and utilities

• real-time, trending and historical databases

• graphics and graphical components

  What Production Control Systems Does Norfolk Utilities Have?

Norfolk Utilities has several SCADA systems to monitor and control the raw water collection, water treatment, water quality, water distribution and wastewater collection processes.  These include:

• Raw Water Monitoring SCADA systems at Western Branch Raw Water Pumping Station and both intermediate pumping stations in Simonsdale.

• Water Treatment and Dewatering SCADA systems at the Moores Bridges and 37th Street Water Treatment Plants.

• Water Distribution Monitoring SCADA systems for wholesale water customers.

• Wastewater Transfer Monitoring SCADA system for wastewater pumping stations.

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