AWWA IMTECH54034

In the early 1990s, the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) faced complexchoices in defining the future operation of its water system. Growth demands,odor and taste problems, higher water quality standards, and a desire tocontinue remote operations inspired OUC to embark on an ambitious plan,known as Water Project 2000, to upgrade and completely automate OUC'sregional water system. This vision turned into reality through the development ofa state-of-the-art Facility Automation and Information Management (FAIM)system, which integrates real-time Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition(SCADA) and Internet technologies with OUC control and informationmanagement systems--interconnecting the entire water system.The FAIM system, which recently won the Florida Institute of ConsultingEngineers Grand Award for Engineering Excellence, was initially implemented in1997 and completed in 2000 and allows a single operator to monitor and controlwater production for the entire system. OUC now enjoys better process control,improved operator efficiency, reduced operating costs, increased safety andhigher quality water.This paper will discuss OUC's operating experience and the savings accruing toOUC and its customer base by use of FAIM. Includes 3 references, figures.