Operators of a water / wastewater utility in North Carolina had long been interested in replacing the communication and controls system that had been installed several decades ago on their water pumps and tanks. While the antiquated system presented a real risk, it was still providing basic functions and the cost of the replacement SCADA systems the town evaluated were proposed at well north of $50,000 for the entire water system (over $12,000 per pump / tank).

The town had an established relationship with Covalen, a water and wastewater service provider and distributor. Recognizing the town’s interest, Covalen introduced Blue Pillar’s Industrial Internet of Things(Industrial IoT) solution. The system was a fraction of the cost of the SCADA systems and Blue Pillar’s breakthrough technology ensured the complete replacement could be installed quickly and simply to minimize risk during the transition. The entire design and proposal process was able to be achieved with a few emails being exchanged with photographs of the current installation.

The first round of upgrades was focused on the water system’s three well pumps and two storage tanks. In addition to monitoring and controlling the pumps, the town decided to take advantage of Blue Pillar’s ability to connect to a wide-variety equipment types to add the main facility generator and the control panel.  The entire replacement and upgrade project was started and completed within a few days. Upon completion, all of the water facilities were able to be securely monitored and controlled from a mobile device or browser. The wastewater side upgrade is planned for early 2022.