High Tide Technologies Delivers a Fully Configured SCADA System to East Dunkard Water Authority, Improving Water Quality and System Efficiency

Since 2012, East Dunkard Water Authority has relied on High Tide Technologies to help them efficiently treat and distribute clean water to a rural population scattered across southwestern Pennsylvania’s rocky terrain.

Faulty SCADA System & Other Obstacles

Before High Tide Technologies came into the picture, the East Dunkard Water Authority was facing several prohibitive operational obstacles. For one, they were relying on a radio telemetry system that required so much attention that it caused more inefficiencies than it eliminated. Maintaining the radio system was expensive and impractical. They needed to replace it but didn’t have a lot of room in the budget.

Further complicating matters was the fact their service area is spread out across mountainous terrain in southwestern Pennsylvania. This requires a network of booster stations and pump stations that all require monitoring. With nearly 230 miles of water line, the area is far too remote to have an operator visit each site every time the system needed preventative maintenance. Additionally, their system requires custom configurations that could get expensive in a hurry.

Lastly, the treatment plant itself was undersized and outdated. The clear well wasn’t optimized to handle the volume needed to efficiently distribute to their entire service area. Fortunately, the East Dunkard Water Authority received a grant in 2012 to upgrade their system. They allocated their budget wisely, updating pumps and controls while also using the opportunity to improve water monitoring and distribution.