Sangamon Valley Public Water District Turns to FreeWave for Wireless M2M Technology
Company Size
11-200
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- FreeWave Technologies transmitters
- FreeWave Technologies receivers
- FreeWave Technologies transceivers
- Scadata software
- MM2T FreeWave radio
Tech Stack
- 900 MHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
- Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
- SCADA system
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Automation & Control - Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
- Networks & Connectivity - RF Transceivers
Applicable Industries
- Utilities
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
- Maintenance
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Asset Management
- Water Utility Management
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The Sangamon Valley Public Water District (SVPWD) serves the community of Mahomet, IL, the oldest community in Champaign County. Mahomet has a modest population of 7,955, which increases to 15,000 when including the surrounding area. The community has experienced significant growth in recent years, prompting substantial investments in infrastructure, including water, sewer, and fiber optic lines, to support both residential and commercial expansion. SVPWD is responsible for ensuring the efficient and reliable delivery of water services to this growing population, making it essential to adopt advanced technologies to meet the increasing demand and maintain high service standards.
The Challenge
The Sangamon Valley Public Water District (SVPWD) aimed to design a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a significant focus on improving operational efficiency. The community of Mahomet, IL, has experienced significant growth, necessitating substantial investments in water, sewer, and fiber optic lines to support commercial and industrial expansion. The challenge was to create a system that could handle the increased demand while providing reliable communication and control over remote assets. The existing infrastructure needed an upgrade to ensure seamless data access and control, which was critical for making informed decisions and maintaining operational efficiency.
The Solution
SVPWD implemented a wireless M2M network designed for long-range communications to connect remote assets. The solution included FreeWave Technologies transmitters, receivers, and transceivers that communicate using jam-resistant 900 MHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology. Each remote terminal unit (RTU) was connected to a MM2T FreeWave radio and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Scadata Input/Output (I/O) devices communicated with the central SCADA system, interfacing with Scadata software to provide critical data to operators. This setup allowed for fast data transmission and accurate communication between devices. The SCADA system was hosted on a PC at the WTP, enabling access from anywhere with an internet connection. The turnkey software package by Scadata offered an intuitive, user-friendly setup and navigation, eliminating the need for additional programming. The system was designed to be scalable for future expansion and continuously updated for compatibility with newer operating systems.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
Case Study missing?
Start adding your own!
Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
IoT Solutions for Smart City | Internet of Things Case Study
There were several challenges faced: It is challenging to build an appliance that can withstand a wide range of voltage fluctuations from as low at 90v to as high as 320v. Since the device would be installed in remote locations, its resilience was of paramount importance. The device would have to deal with poor network coverage and have the ability to store and re-transmit data if networks were not available, which is often the case in rural India. The device could store up to 30 days of data.
Case Study
Automation of the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline, Azerbaijan
The Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline project dates back to plans from the 1970’s. Baku’s growth was historically driven by the booming oil industry and required the import of drinking water from outside of the city. Before the construction of the pipeline, some 60 percent of the city’s households received water for only a few hours daily. After completion of the project, 75 percent of the two million Baku residents are now served around the clock with potable water, based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The 262-kilometer pipeline requires no pumping station, but uses the altitude differences between the Caucasian mountains and the capital to supply 432,000 m³/d to the Ceyranbatan water reservoir. To the people of Baku, the pipeline is “the most important project not only in 2010, but of the last 20 years.”
Case Study
GPRS Mobile Network for Smart Metering
Around the world, the electricity supply industry is turning to ‘smart’ meters to lower costs, reduce emissions and improve the management of customer supplies. Smart meters collect detailed consumption information and using this feedback consumers can better understand their energy usage which in turn enables them to modify their consumption to save money and help to cut carbon emissions. A smart meter can be defined in many ways, but generally includes an element of two-way communication between the household meter and the utility provider to efficiently collect detailed energy usage data. Some implementations include consumer feedback beyond the energy bill to include online web data, SMS text messages or an information display in consumers’ premises. Providing a cost-effective, reliable communications mechanism is one of the most challenging aspects of a smart meter implementation. In New Zealand, the utilities have embraced smart metering and designed cost effective ways for it to be implemented. The New Zealand government has encouraged such a move to smart metering by ensuring the energy legislation is consistent with the delivery of benefits to the consumer while allowing innovation in this area. On the ground, AMS is a leader in the deployment of smart metering and associated services. Several of New Zealand’s energy retailers were looking for smart metering services for their residential and small business customers which will eventually account for over 500,000 meters when the multi-year national deployment program is concluded. To respond to these requirements, AMS needed to put together a solution that included data communications between each meter and the central data collection point and the solution proposed by Vodafone satisfied that requirement.
Case Study
NB-IoT connected smart meters to improve gas metering in Shenzhen
Shenzhen Gas has a large fleet of existing gas meters, which are installed in a variety of hard to reach locations, such as indoors and underground, meaning that existing communications networks have struggled to maintain connectivity with all meters. The meter success rate is low, data transmissions are so far unstable and power consumption is too high. Against this background, Shenzhen Gas, China Telecom, Huawei, and Goldcard have jointly trialed NB-IoT gas meters to try and solve some of the challenges that the industry faces with today’s smart gas meters.
Case Study
OneWireless Enabled Performance Guarantee Test
Tata Power's power generation equipment OEMs (M/s BHEL) is required to provide all of the instrumentation and measurement devices for conducting performance guarantee and performance evaluation tests. M/s BHEL faced a number of specific challenges in conducting PG tests: employing high-accuracy digital communications for instrumentation, shortening setup and dismantling time, reducing hardware required, making portable instrument setup, avoiding temporary cabling work and the material waste costs
Case Study
British Gas Modernizes its Operations with Innovative Smart Metering Deployment
The UK government has mandated that smart meters are rolled out as standard across Great Britain by end of 2020, and this roll-out is estimated to create £14 billion in net benefits to the UK in consumer energy savings and lower energy generation demand, according to the Oxford Economics report, “The Value of Smart Metering to Great Britain.” While smart-metering systems have been deployed in many countries, the roll-out in Great Britain is unique because it is led by energy retailers, who have responsibility for the Electricity and Gas meters. The decision to have a retailer-led roll out was made by DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) to improve customer experience and drive consumer benefits. It has also led to some unique system-level requirements to support the unique local regulatory model.
