Does Automation Help Operations?

Abstract

This month's question concerns the benefits of using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and automatic meter reading (AMR) systems, especially for a small water system. The article suggests first deciding what the automation process needs to do, and then work with a designer to develop a SCADA or AMR system that suits your present needs and can also grow as your requirements change. Topics discussed include: regulatory and operational requirements; training; alarms and advantages; tracking data; collecting operational information; generating reports and graphs; security benefits; and, power savings.