Generally, water treatment plant (WTP) supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems report many parameters, the vast majority of which are not utilized or viewed unless it is in response to a raised alarm. There is therefore clear benefit in developing a system that uses existing information for pro-active management of treatment plants. This paper outlines the development of a prototype system featuring real-time simulations, an alarm handling facility, an instrument analyzer and user defined simulations. The system offers benefits through proactive WTP operation, demanning, risk reduction, reduced maintenance and chemical costs and as a training tool. Also discussed are factors that may influence the implementationof such a system and also future development possibilities. Includes 2 references, figures.