Russian utility Khabarovsk Vodocanal delivered a groundwater project two months ahead of schedule using Promis.e software.
By Tony Andrews
As one of the largest water and sewer service providers in the Far East, Khabarovsk Vodocanal has more than 1,200 kilometers of municipal networks, 47 water and 33 sewer pump stations, and the capacity to treat 374,000 m3/day of potable water and 220,000 m3/day of wastewater.
Khabarovsk Vodocanal’s shift to underground water sources can be attributed, in part, to the utility’s early adoption of intraformational water treatment technology, where groundwater is treated within the geologic formation. This innovative treatment process costs 2.5 times less than conventional treatment methods, requires less infrastructure than surface water treatment, uses no chemical reagents, requires no solid waste disposal, and eliminates the high-volume use and release of wash water.
The Tunguska Groundwater Intake Facilities are one of the most noteworthy projects of the past decade and comprise 12 wells, five sections for water treatment, and two pumping stations.
Construction of the intake facilities began in 2006, and the first phase was commissioned in 2012 with a capacity of 25,000 m3/day. As part of the second phase of the project, which was completed in 2015, Khabarovsk Vodocanal implemented advanced monitoring and control technology to automate operation of the intake facilities, reduce staffing requirements, and eliminate human error. Challenges during design of this complex system included the purposeful selection, connection, and programming of precision instrumentation for reliable supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).
Streamlining collaboration
Khabarovsk Vodocanal retained Moscow-based SCADA specialist Aqua+ to design, construct, install, and commission the works for the automated water quality monitoring and control system at the Tunguska Groundwater Intake Facilities. The company set out to design a system capable of providing direct control of the groundwater wells and treatment process.
Moreover, Aqua+ was charged with integrating the local automation facilities with Khabarovsk Vodocanal’s existing water utility management system to provide a single, automated enterprise management system for the city of Khabarovsk.