AWWA JOINT53606

Planning, persistence, teamwork, and integrated technology have resulted insignificant savings and improved performance for the San Diego, California, WaterDepartment. The Department recently implemented a new supervisory control anddata acquisition (SCADA) system to replace a 15-year-old tone telemetry systemoperating on leased lines. The new SCADA system is monitoring and controllingmore than 2,700 miles of water lines with 45 pump stations, and 100 pressurezones. The most amazing aspect of this system is its integration withdepartmental information systems in the City's enterprise, assuring that eachwill provide information to maximize all business processes and decisions.Integration with many other systems will give utility-wide staff and city-widestaff necessary information. This paper focuses on several unique aspects of thisproject including: the value of technology as strategy; staff involvement inevery step of planning, design, and implementation; keeping the spirit andmomentum going for nearly a decade before the project took off; the importance ofteamwork in a successful project of this magnitude; and, lessons learned,including factory testing, planning, and design tips, integration into a businessmodel, and specifications for bidding and implementation. Includes figures.