Water Utility SCADA Modernization: Connecting Plant Operations and Citywide Decision-Making
How Tamazari helped Lynchburg deploy Ignition into 10 active projects supporting operations, maintenance, reporting and administration
SUMMARY
The City of Lynchburg Department of Water Resources needed more from its operational technology. Two aging SCADA systems were becoming difficult to maintain, connecting new equipment was challenging, and limited access to data and automation slowed everyday work.
By adopting Ignition, the department improved plant visibility and control while extending operational information to maintenance teams, administrative staff and leadership. At the time of the source case study, Lynchburg had 10 active Ignition projects, with additional applications in development. The department reported time savings, improved response times and better information for allocating resources.
CLIENT BACKGROUND
Lynchburg’s Department of Water Resources provides water, wastewater and stormwater services to the Virginia community. Its responsibilities require coordination across plant operations, maintenance, administration and public service. Teams need timely information to manage treatment processes, monitor overflow conditions and direct personnel and funding where they are needed.
CHALLENGE
The department’s two existing SCADA systems were increasingly difficult to upgrade and maintain. Connecting new programmable logic controllers (PLCs) created problems, and the systems did not provide enough data or automation to support the department’s efficiency goals.
These limitations affected work beyond the control room. Leadership depended on employees to gather information that could support planning and operational decisions. Operators had to move around the plant to make routine adjustments, while administrative data entry relied on a separate Microsoft Access workflow.
Lynchburg needed a platform that could improve plant operations and make the same underlying information useful across the department.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Address legacy SCADA maintenance, upgrade and connectivity limitations.
Improve visibility into plant conditions, alarms and overflow events.
Expand centralized control of plant equipment.
Provide mobile access to operational data and performance indicators.
Connect maintenance, administrative and third-party information with SCADA.
Support additional applications as departmental needs evolved.
SOLUTION
The department adopted Ignition by Inductive Automation as a shared platform for SCADA, visualization, reporting and data access. Applications supported the main plant and dewatering process, alongside maintenance views, status boards and alarm notifications beyond the control room.
The platform also supported administrative monitoring of combined sewer overflow (CSO) events, database entry and mobile reporting. SQL connectivity allowed the department to bring third-party remote monitoring information into its SCADA environment, expanding visibility beyond directly connected plant equipment.
IMPLEMENTATION
The department developed applications around the needs of different users. Operators gained a more comprehensive plant view and control of more pumps through Ignition. Administrative staff began entering data through an Ignition interface, while leadership accessed operational information and performance indicators on mobile devices.
For remote monitoring, the department connected to a third-party provider’s SQL Server to incorporate its data into SCADA. This made external monitoring information available within the environment employees already used.
Operator adoption was also part of the work. Some employees were initially skeptical of high-performance graphics. Side-by-side demonstrations helped them see the difference, and the department reported that operators embraced the approach.
RESULTS
At the time of publication, Lynchburg reported benefits across its 10 active Ignition projects:
More efficient plant adjustments: Operators could adjust more pumps through the interface, reducing the need to move around the facility for routine changes.
Better situational awareness: A comprehensive plant view and advance warning of overflow events helped teams understand conditions and respond.
Faster access to information: Leadership could retrieve data directly on mobile devices, reducing dependence on staff to assemble updates.
Improved resource decisions: Accessible operational data supported decisions about personnel, spending and daily priorities.
Broader data integration: Third-party monitoring and administrative workflows became accessible through Ignition.
Stronger operator acceptance: Demonstrations helped employees adopt the new visualization approach.
LONG-TERM VALUE
Lynchburg established a platform it could extend as new needs emerged. Further work described in the source included dashboards tailored to operations, laboratory and administrative teams, along with public CSO notifications and integration with the city’s emergency-alert software.
The broader value was an operational data environment that supported both immediate response and longer-term planning. Information from the plant could inform decisions throughout the department, giving the city more ways to improve service delivery.
KEY LEARNINGS
SCADA modernization can support administrative and leadership workflows alongside plant operations.
Mobile access can reduce the staff effort required to provide routine updates.
Database connectivity can make third-party information useful within existing operational workflows.
Demonstrating interface changes helps build operator acceptance.
A flexible platform creates opportunities to expand beyond the initial modernization need.
Ready to put your operational data to work across your utility? Tamazari helps organizations modernize legacy SCADA, connect operational systems and develop dashboards and reporting that support daily decisions.
About Tamazari
Tamazari is a Washington-based professional services firm and execution consultancy serving utilities, fleet operators, public agencies and critical infrastructure organizations across the U.S. Our work spans energy IT, SCADA, GIS, ERP/SAP, enterprise modernization, telecom infrastructure, data centers and fleet telematics.
