Water & Wastewater Asia May/June 2019

50 | OPINION
Improvements in system and sensor
technology ease the pain of change
By Eric Robinson, Application Development Manager, In-Situ
Complete water monitoring solutions,
both inside and outside the fence,
are poised to undergo dramatic
simplification with new technology. In the
past, forcing disparate systems to work
together has been difficult to say the least.
Integrating data from SCADA, 4-20 and
SDI-12 to a unified visualisation system
has always been challenging for large, wellfunded
utilities, let alone smaller agencies.
To meet these challenges, facility staff have
had to spend an inordinate amount of time
learning to work with antiquated hardware
and software just to make sensors integrate
properly. Proper installation and integration
have required the expertise of programmers,
metal workers and technicians, and that’s
before the sensors are even operational and
collecting data.
Nonetheless, integration is a necessity,
and productivity in facilities has been
never been higher, as more integrated
data streams allow for monitoring of
real-time system performance. Operators
and technicians can evaluate system
performance and choose the appropriate
course of action on the fly. Facility
management can monitor the success of
processes and track issues within their
property, without having to wait for reports
or call in to operators. In fact, without proper
sensor arrays of some kind, it is nearly
impossible to run a modern reclamation
or drinking water facility. We rely on these
systems, because without them, what we
do and the efficiency with which we do it
wouldn’t be possible.
Changing sensor configurations or
manufacturers has also been difficult.
Technicians know their procedures, whether
for calibration or operation, and many have
resisted modifying them. In the past, changes
to data flows have forced operators to deal
with numerous parsing issues just to maintain
current visualisations. And in the unfortunate
event that a facility’s sensor network has
relied on a proprietary communication
protocol, operators may have found that
modifying systems with third-party sensors
was simply impossible. Taking the time to
modify programmes, even if a programmer is
not required, creates enough hassle around
facilities that managers may avoid the issue
entirely and stick with whatever they have
been doing. Resistance is natural. Technicians
who’ve taken comfort in established policies
and procedures may not want to take the time
to learn something new, even though it might
benefit them in the end.
Water & Wastewater Asia • May / June 2019
With interchangeable sensors, the Aqua TROLL 500 replaces multiple
instruments and saves time in the field to reduce overall monitoring costs