Partnering with Aquatec, YVW selected the OmniSmart controller for SCADA integration. This choice significantly enhanced operational efficiency by enabling teams to more effectively monitor, manage, and maintain critical infrastructure.
Implementing SCADA technology to transition to a more proactive operational model
Since 2011, Yarra Valley Water (YVW) has sought adaptive and innovative solutions to the challenges of managing pressure sewer systems across diverse terrain and evolving technological landscapes.
Historically, fault identification in pressure sewer systems relied heavily on customer reports, often resulting in delayed responses and increased pressure on operations teams. To address this, YVW aimed to transition to a more proactive operational model by implementing SCADA technology to improve system reliability, enhance customer satisfaction, expedite fault detection, and enable real-time monitoring.
Aquatec’s collaboration began with a detailed scoping exercise involving YVW’s SCADA team to understand their operational requirements and determine the specific real-time data and notifications needed.
SCADA integration objectives:
- enable real-time system monitoring and remote issue resolution
- minimise unnecessary site visits and after-hours callouts
- ensure robust, future-proof connectivity across varied terrain and signal environments
- streamline integration across both new and existing installations.
From Proof of Concept to Commissioning
Using YVW’s data and input, Aquatec developed a Proof of Concept, which was rigorously tested for reliability by the SCADA team. Once approved, Aquatec created custom scripts to automate connectivity across all existing and future onsite units. New installations were delivered preconfigured, simplifying on-site commissioning.
OmniSmart SCADA – engineering for performance and reliability
With the OmniSmart SCADA integration now in place, YVW receives real-time alerts for faults, alarms, and anomalies across both customer properties and the broader network. The operations team can:
- remotely interrogate and, where possible, resolve issues without dispatching technicians
- detect blockages, leaks, and stormwater ingress
- prioritise service works based on fault severity, reducing unplanned and after-hours callouts
- monitor key performance indicators, including tank levels, pump status, power supply, modem signal strength, temperature, and battery voltage.
Given the challenges of managing infrastructure across remote and hilly regions, the SCADA solution was designed to be communication-agnostic – supporting future upgrades from 4G to 5G, with options for low-signal areas such as high-gain antennas and satellite connectivity.
The system is engineered to be resilient in the face of power outages and severe weather, enabling uninterrupted remote management and minimising network congestion risks.
Since the project’s inception in 2018, Aquatec has continued to support YVW by delivering ongoing training and technical assistance to field staff, ensuring long-term reliability of the smart sewer network across the Dandenong Ranges.
Through the integration of Aquatec’s OmniSmart control panel into its SCADA system, YVW has achieved significant operational improvements. The adoption of real-time data, remote diagnostics, and intelligent response strategies has resulted in greater efficiency, cost savings, and more dependable services for YVW customers.
