SCADA Applications & Uses
Water quality and preservation efforts are major headlines in the daily news today. Protecting this precious natural resource requires a variety of efforts that range from mindful consumers to companies dedicated to the wastewater industry. New technologies are making the process easier, but there is still much work to be done and few companies that are motivated to improve or streamline their business processes in order to advance and make the necessary upgrades.
SCADA Applications in Wastewater Management
Perhaps the first question to be answered here is quite simple. What is SCADA used for? The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) provides a universal industrial control system for wastewater, energy, manufacturing, and other energy-related industries. SCADA uses integrated technology to monitor, compile, and report pertinent data about specific treatment facilities. In the event of an emergency, essential personnel can be notified immediately of the problem at hand.
Common Benefits of SCADA
One of the most obvious benefits of SCADA has already been briefly mentioned – alarm notifications. Any physical plant or facilities foreman will attest that the success rate of any emergency preparedness plan is having ample forewarning. Alarms, gauges, and other built-in equipment to provide advance notifications can easily underperform or fail completely. Advance monitoring allows essential personnel to quickly diagnose a problem before it becomes too grand in scale to isolate. The quick response time can prevent system damage or worse.
A system that provides real-time monitoring and easy access to comprehensive data can save companies money and potentially avoid a costly disaster. The cost savings will continue as the future of SCADA evolves to a predominantly satellite or otherwise remote base that facilities operators can access from virtually anywhere at any time of the day or night. Upgrading to a SCADA platform and integrating applications now will save money in the long run because it is obvious that most industries are headed in this direction.
Choosing a SCADA Service Provider
There are many local and nationwide companies that operate as SCADA service providers in various industries. Wastewater management is a vital component of every urban and rural community in the country. The best SCADA solution for this industry is an end-to-end service option that provides cloud-based data monitoring services. These companies will ensure that the specialized conditions pertinent to wastewater management are met and kept current as best practices improve or when local or federal reporting guidelines change. Choosing a SCADA service provider is simple when a business has a clear goal in mind and an understanding of how to reach that goal. Scheduling a consultation with a SCADA company is a great way to get questions answered and bring employees on board with the new suggestions.
A SCADA company can train essential employees on the use of their products and services, giving them a basic understanding of what is SCADA used for and how it can help their business or industry. More advanced SCADA applications allow dedicated users the ability to create a complete SCADA solution that is personalized to their location and industry. This will include a comprehensive plan that takes into account all field units, satellite, cellular or Ethernet communications that currently operate in a physical plant. These will be integrated using the internet to automatically control building and system operations.
The Future of SCADA Applications
SCADA uses are certainly expected to change as the technology improves and the security of local communities is increased. The SCADA developments are expected to expand greatly over the next several years as technology advances and more industries come to rely on SCADA service providers. The future of SCADA will impact many major industries and provide exponential savings for businesses and services related to the oil and gas industries and wastewater management companies.
Currently, users can take advantage of real-time monitoring of their various locations with SCADA application technologies. Many companies are not utilizing these resources to the best of their ability, but a knowledgeable SCADA company representative can provide insight and useful tools to make the most out of each application available. As the future brings new opportunities, it is vital that current users have an understanding of the options available to them as well as how to operate the system to their greatest advantage.
Contact High Tide Technologies, or one of our distributors, to begin leveraging the most comprehensive and secure cloud-based SCADA package in the industry. We believe in the future of SCADA and will continue refining our products and services to meticulously meet every demand.