Ever increasing budget constraints and regulation pressures are forcing many organizations
to look for ever more efficient ways of operating their water and wastewater systems. Over
the past few decades, many facilities have incorporated Instrumentation & Control Systems
(I&C) into their operations, or SCADA systems for collection/distribution systems. These
automation efforts, combined with more advanced equipment, have resulted in a smaller,
more technically focused work force. But as budgets are tightened even more, the
opportunities to squeeze more efficiency from our organizations becomes ever more
complex.
In addition to automation, the information systems used in our facilities have evolved
and improved over the past 20 years. From main frame systems, to client/server networked
applications, to web-based and even remotely served programs, information systems have
changed greatly. This is both a financial burden, and a blessing in disguise, for most
organizations. The financial burden comes in the form of replacing these information
applications, and sometimes the hardware infrastructure on which it operates. These
applications range from the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) of a
plant, to the entire financial suite of applications for a municipality (commonly called
Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, systems). Many organizations have retained their
older applications to avoid the high costs of platform replacement and data translation.
However, the newer technologies offer many advantages. This, and the demise of older
main frame architecture, present organizations with the opportunity to integrate their
systems for increased performance.
The paper presents a case study where
the design of the Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thousand Oaks, California included
an updated distributed control system, using Rockwell's RSView Human Machine Interface
(HMI) software. Plant staff also requested electronic delivery of facility documentation,
including record drawings, O&M text, and vendor provided manual for equipment O&M.
This electronic delivery is part of CH2M HILL's typical Facility Information Management
(FIM) services. As the multi-phased project
progressed, plant staff expressed a desire to replace
their existing Computerized Maintenance
Management System (CMMS) with one that would
succeed, where the previous 3 systems had failed.
CH2M HILL proposed an innovative project task to
integrate the HMI with both the FIM and CMMS
information. The purpose of this integration is to
streamline access to the various information
resources, making operators and maintenance staff
more efficient. Includes figures.