COMPLETED: Full Replacement of Water Monitoring and Operation System

The City of Rawlins is proud to announce the successful completion of a full replacement of its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for our water collection, treatment, storage, and distribution systems. The project was funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), managed by Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA), at a cost of over $960,000.00.

“Completing the installation of our new SCADA system was vital for all aspects of our water and wastewater treatment. SCADA is a main staple of our water infrastructure. We now have a state-of-the-art system, instead of one that is outdated and failing,” said Cody Dill, Public Works Director. “SCADA is like the nervous system that runs our water and wastewater systems. Our pumps and filters are like the muscles and bones doing the work, while SCADA tells them to get the job done. With this new system, we can see what’s happening and have more control over our water system.”

The upgrade replaces equipment that had served the community since the 1980s and was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain—sometimes requiring staff to track down replacement parts from secondary markets. The new system is American-made, not reliant on outside proprietary platforms, and backed by a plan for ongoing maintenance and upgrades.  

The new SCADA system dramatically improves reliability and provides in-depth, real-time remote monitoring and control across the network, from treatment plants to water storage tanks to distribution valves. Our water system now has over a dozen SCADA locations spread from our transmission system south of town to the North Platte River to the east. Each of these SCADA locations can represent 1000s of single data and control points, making the whole system function better. For example, in the Water Treatment Plant alone, there were 1200 physical and 3000 digital connections. This allows our operators to quickly address issues, fine-tune operations, and maintain consistent service from anywhere.

Work was completed by Dorsett Controls of Layton, Utah, following a competitive bidding process that met all federal and state requirements. The City of Rawlins thanks the WCDA staff who oversee the CDBG, Dorsett Controls staff, and all City staff who contributed to making this project a success.