Smart water supply system soon

Civic body adopts Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

Technicians monitoring pumping of drinking water to overhead tanks through theSCADA system at Tiruchirapalli City Corporation office. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

The drinking water supply network, from their sources on the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers to the overhead drinking water tanks in the city, would soon come under an automated control and monitoring system.

The advanced system, known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), will allow technicians to remotely operate and monitor pumping of water to the overhead tanks from the collector wells. The system covering the pumping network of the Rs. 221.42-crore drinking water supply augmentation scheme, currently under execution, has been installed at the corporation main office. The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to bring the existing drinking water supply network under a similar system.

Through GPRS-based system, the corporation will be able to operate and control the water distribution system right from the collector wells to the sumps and then on to the overhead drinking water tanks. Control devices such as valves and flow pressure monitoring and regulating facilities are in place.

The pumping mechanism, including the motors that pump water to each of the 33 overhead drinking water tanks (OHT) built under the new water scheme and the controlling valves, can be operated and monitored through the system established at the cCorporation main office, substantially reducing manpower requirement.

One of the main advantages of the system is prevention and easy detection of leaks. Any leak in the pumping mains can be identified and located immediately. The corporation will be able to regulate the system to ensure equitable supply to all parts of the city. It will help eliminate complaints of excess or short supply to specific areas, sources said.

The new system will generate daily and monthly reports of the quantum of water supplied to each OHT and other operational details. The SCADA will be maintained by IVRCL Ltd which has installed it under the new scheme for a year and subsequently taken over by the company that has been vested with the task of commissioning a similar system for the existing drinking water network.