Emerson to help regional wastewater utility meet the needs of south-east Virginia

Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) is a regional wastewater utility in south-east Virginia that has a vast collection system serving approximately 1.7 million people. Emerson Process Management is replacing an outdated SCADA system and remote terminal units (RTUs) used throughout HRSD’s wastewater collection system. 

Emerson’s Ovation control and SCADA systems with ControlWave RTU technologies will help HRSD effectively manage its current remote assets and accommodate future expansion as the service area continues to grow. Currently, HRSD serves about 1.7 million people over an area of more than 7250 km² in 17 south-east Virginia cities and counties.

“The Interceptor SCADA System Upgrade project is an important part of our ongoing effort to protect public health and area waterways,” said Rick Raike, HRSD’s chief of electrical and energy management. “Emerson has been the successful bidder for a number of HRSD’s technology needs over the years, and we have found that they consistently provide the technology, technical expertise and project management necessary to support our efforts.”

As part of the Interceptor project, Ovation control systems will be installed at HRSD’s three operations centres. In addition, a new Ovation SCADA system with approximately 175 ControlWave RTUs will deliver comprehensive, real-time data — including flows, levels and pressures — to the operations centres from approximately 800 km of piping and 115 remote pump/lift stations in the HRSD collection system. This information will be used to determine the most efficient distribution of wastewater to HRSD’s nine major and four smaller wastewater treatment plants. The majority of the treatment plants, which have a combined capacity of 942 million litres per day, already utilise the Ovation platform for in-plant controls.

“HRSD is a forward-thinking organisation that always looks for innovative ways to adapt to future challenges, such as increasing capacity demand and cybersecurity concerns,” said Rob McBride, Interceptor project manager for Emerson Process Management’s Power & Water Solutions. “They should be commended for a proactive approach that leverages proven automation and control technologies as components of their overall strategy for providing safe, reliable service to area customers.”

To help HRSD protect against current and future cybersecurity threats, Emerson will also install its Ovation Security Center at each operations centre. This integrated security solution will allow HRSD to streamline management of critical cybersecurity protection functions, including software patch deployment, malware prevention, network intrusion detection, antivirus protection, and security incident and event management.

Using a single, integrated automation platform across its expansive wastewater collection system will also enable HRSD to realise cost advantages that include a reduced spare-parts inventory and more-efficient training of trades.

The Interceptor SCADA System Upgrade project will be implemented in four phases. During the RTU installations, Emerson will help coordinate organised cutovers to the new technology at each remote site. The final phase of the project is expected to be completed by March 2018.