Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013 - (Page 64)
Thinking IT Through...
with Sparky Flamedrop
Sparky was out taking a stroll the other week with my wife, Sparkle,
and we got on the topic of where water comes from and where it goes
when you flush the toilet. We got on this topic because we observed
an open fire hydrant and were watching the water run down the road
and into the sewer. Sparkle is a great lady and wonderful wife, but her
understanding of technology and the technical underpinnings of modern
society are a little weak, at best…
SCADA vs.
DCS – It’s
a Process!
Where Does Water
Come From – and
Where Does It Go?
As far as Sparkle knows, water magically appears
at the kitchen faucet and disappears into another
universe or dimension once it goes down the drain.
By contrast, Sparky has spent a good deal of time
automating and modernizing water treatment facilities
and water distribution systems through the years as
well as installing computer-based automation systems
in more than a few sewage treatment plants and
collection systems. So naturally, I took it as my duty
to elucidate on the facts of water and wastewater
and impress Sparkle with my vast knowledge of the
subject. Not quite sure when she finally tuned me out,
but it was probably when I mentioned flocculation
or bar screens or dissolved oxygen. I felt it was a
teaching moment, but hey, some people just don’t
appreciate an educational opportunity, I guess.
Oddly enough, that very same week I was catching up
64 • UTILITY HORIZONS • Q2 - 2013
on my reading and looking through a series of ongoing
‘conversations’ on an online professional networking
site dedicated to the water and wastewater industry.
It seemed that there was a debate going on among a
group of process engineers about which automation
technology was superior for water and wastewater
applications: DCS or SCADA? Mixed in among the
points and counterpoints was a series of comments
and opinions about the differences and advantages of
RTUs versus PLCs. What I found most interesting was
the apparent lack of a historical perspective regarding
the evolution of automation technologies as applied
to the water/wastewater market and of the primary
drivers that have had the most influence over those
technology choices.
A Tough Row to Hoe
I should probably mention that water and wastewater
are not exactly Sparky’s favorite market areas. That’s
because Sparky had some bad experiences in his
prior life as a supplier of automation systems to those
two markets through the years, and there are still
some scars. Fact is, lots of DCS and SCADA suppliers
have walked away from those markets at various
points in time, not only because the vast majority of
the business is with municipalities, but mostly because
of municipal purchasing guidelines. Procurements
of just about anything municipalities buy are made
on a competitive bidding basis, with the lowest price
being the major factor in most purchasing decisions.
Therefore, on any major project, automation suppliers
usually have to jump through lots of hoops in the
bidding process – something that costs both time and
money. And after going through all of those gyrations,
you can still lose a project just because you didn’t cut
your price (and profit margin) enough to get in under
the lowest bidder.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013
Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013
Publisher’s Message
Contents
The Queue
Automation Rising!
Inside Tracks
Focal Point
Automation and Innovation at Epcor Water Services
BLeading Edge: Advanced Technology Perspectives
Consumer Engagement: The Future Goes Mobile
Demand Response: Why the Future Is in the Cloud
Building Paths to Smarter Water Management
Bullet-Proofing Your Scada System Against the Evil-Doers
Education Matters
Standard Bearings
Regulation De Rigueur
On the Horizon
Purviews
Intersections
Eventualities
Thinking It Through With Sparky Flamedrop
Loose Ends
Utility Horizons - Second Quarter 2013
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