WATER & WASTE TREATMENT A UNIFIED PERSPECTIVE ON DATA
Mazhar Hussain, business unit manager,
SolutionsPT, explains what information silos are, and how contextualising data benefits the water/ wastewater industry
A
n information silo occurs when you have two (or more) different systems running side by side, but relating to the same
overall process or piece of equipment/asset. Each system is providing information relating to that process/asset independently but lacks the ability to contextualise information from the other system(s) in a meaningful way. A simple example of two systems running in
this way could be a CCTV system trained at a pumping station asset at a water/wastewater site, and an asset management software platform that provides a digital view of the same pumping station asset. Add in SCADA software that is used to control that pumping station remotely, and an analytics package that is carrying out predictive failure analysis for that pump, and you have silos number 3 and 4 respectively. In reality, there are many silos of information that exist within a typical industrial setting. This makes it difficult to contextualise information across the enterprise to improve decision making on efficiency, productivity or maintenance.
Information silos are not unique to the
water/wastewater industry but can be especially problematic when coupled with sector-specific challenges such as the geographical dispersal of high-cost assets and high-value people, extensive legacy plant and strict environmental regulations. At a time of a growing population and urbanisation across the country, the need for water/wastewater companies to streamline operations and reach new sustainability goals has never been more pressing. A common issue in water/wastewater is too
many systems, provided by a multitude of vendors and service providers, assembled over an extended period of time. Each system works independently of the others, making integration impossible and denying managers a view of operations that represents a single version of the truth. Any business owner will tell
NEXT FILTRATION AND ARGONIDE JOIN FORCES
Next Filtration Technologies, who produce the proven water treatment products Scale Stop and FOG STOP, has agreed an important partnership with the Argonide Corporation to provide a new microbiological removal system. In conjunction with Next’s Scale Stop TAC (Template Assisted Crystallisation) water treatment units,
Argonide’s advanced filtration technology will provide a first-class microbiological treatment that also removes scale and hardness. “Joining forces with Next Filtration is a win-win for industrial users requiring equipment protection,”
said Argonide President, Raymond Knispel. “Our pleated water filter cartridges are a technological step ahead of traditional sediment filters – and Next Filtration’s Scale Stop has all the advantages of a water softener – but is nowhere near as expensive to install and maintain – nor harmful to the environment. It’s a very powerful alliance.” Steve Fox, CEO at Next Filtration, added: “Argonide’s breakthrough water filtration technology is also
ideal for drinking water. The synergy of their pleated water filter cartridges and Scale Stop presents an optimum solution for those who want safer, better tasting, better quality water – as well as industry (including hydroponics) with all its many needs for top quality process water.” Requiring no salt or other regenerants, and with no water waste from backwashing or harmful brine
discharge, Next Scale Stop, now with Argonide’s pleated water filter cartridges, can also provide major benefits to numerous applications, including hotels, hospitals, care homes and laundries.
www.nextwatertreatment.com
www.argonide.com
you, without access to an accurate understanding of assets and their utilisation, it is impossible to make company-wide improvements. That is without mentioning the added stresses on operators of a multitude of complex systems that require them to master multiple operating protocols and work with several different user interfaces to complete some of the most basic tasks within their role. So, why don’t water/wastewater companies
solve this issue? Simply put, it’s a costly one. Ripping and replacing existing technologies, such as SCADA systems or telemetry systems, would require a large cost and time investment. And, while this approach would likely be effective if undertaken strategically, it’s not usually necessary while existing systems are operational and have life left in them. This is because in most instances the existing systems are doing what they should do, and the problem concerns extracting and contextualising the data already available in a timely and cost-effective way that allows for better decision making. Bringing end-to-end operational visibility
across water/wastewater enterprises without a rip-and-replace approach to legacy technologies is made possible through The Unified Operations Centre (UOC) from AVEVA. Based on a system of systems approach, the UOC addresses the converging worlds of IT and OT by bringing all the technology under each discipline into a single manageable location. With an overall perspective now possible, operators can visualise all data and turn it into actionable real-time intelligence. The workforce is now empowered with the ability to make faster and more informed decisions on all process and non-process functions. This includes all the sub-systems that can affect operations such as power, potable and
36 SEPTEMBER 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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