SCADA PLANNING PROVIDES INDIANAPOLIS WITH COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT TOOL

Due to an aging wastewater pump station alarm system and the need for more timely information, the City of Indianapolis (City) embarked on a planning study to evaluate and select a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for its wastewater collection system. The purpose of the planning study was to define the desired SCADA system capabilities and performance. To meet its objectives, the City obtained input from a diverse group of potential users, which included over 12 City departments and other organizations.To effectively involve the participants, the SCADA study was organized around a series of workshops. The workshops were organized into three major phases: Needs Assessment, Review of SCADA Technology, and Evaluation of Alternatives and Selection of the SCADA Solution.During each workshop, information was exchanged between workshop participants and direction was set. The end result of the planning study was a planning document that is serving as a roadmap for SCADA implementation of the City's wastewater collection system. This paper discusses the successful methodologies used to develop the SCADA architecture and will present this project's unique technical solution.