Agenda Packets - 2005/06/27 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Item No: 8L Meeting Date: June 27, 2005 Type of Business: CB City Administrator Review: _____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Tim Pittman, Public Works Supervisor Item Title/Subject: Resolution 6563 Approving the Purchase of the SCADA Upgrade Background SCADA (Supervisory, Control, and Data Acquisition) system upgrade This computer system is the control panel for operating the City's water system. (It was originally installed in 1989, and upgraded in 1998.) This system consists of a computer and software to monitor the levels of our storage capacity and also turning the wells on and off automatically by the software program. Staff purchased a laptop and installed new software to enable the Utility Lead Worker to monitor the levels from home in the evenings and weekends. The newer software and laptop require too much memory and the existing computer, located at the Public Works facility, do not communicate. Discussion Staff downgraded the laptop at home and the software in the computer at the shop so they will communicate. Unfortunately even with this downgrade the system is still experiencing communication problems and occasional lock-up of the SCADA system at the Public Works facility. When this occurs, the Utility Lead Worker is required to come in and reset the shop computer and check the water levels in the tower and ground reservoir. Example, in late summer 2003 after a long hot weekend, Staff checked and found the water tower and ground reservoir was very low. The potential of a major problem with the water supply and /or distribution was the catalyst as to why the City purchased the laptop and software. (This would enable Staff to communicate to the computer from home and avoid any water distribution or supply issues.) There are many instances like this where the water levels in the system are either low, or high, and the pump start and stop settings have to be changed. These changes are generally due to weather related issues, warmer / colder than predicted, receiving / not receiving predicted rainfall; pump failure or uncharacteristic water use. If these settings were not changed, the City would either run out of water, or overflow with water, with one being almost as bad as the other. Running out of water is obvious, loss of fire protection, and possibility of back siphoning contamination. But overflowing the system is almost as bad, and potentially worse because the well will start and stop causing the internal well controls to lock up the well, (Plant # 1) or the constant turn on and off of Plants 2 and 3, which in tern could lead to plant failure, or lead to water hammer out on the distribution system which can break water mains. Plant lock-up in tern