Peace of Mind   Water & Wastes Digest April 2005   By Julie A. Schlegel
Since the late 1980s, operators at the King County South Treatment Plant have been utilizing DAFT tank effluent turbidity measurements to control polymer dosing via an automated single-loop-cascade control system.

Using Baseline Monitoring Techniques to Assess Filter Run Performance   WWDmag.com January-December 2005   Michael J. Sadar and Kathleen Bill
Determining if a filter run is approaching a breakthrough condition is a daily challenge for water treatment plant (WTP) operators. Current techniques look for upward trends in either turbidity or particle counts of the filter effluent. However, this does not consistently predict actual filter breakthrough. This study’s objective is to determine if data from different particle detection technologies can be better utilized to characterize filter performance.
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A Strategy for Optimizing Water Treatment Plant Performance Using Light Scatter Technologies   WWDmag.com January-December 2005   Mike Sadar
This study hypothesizes that filter backwash cycles that are consistently monitored to a set turbidity value will correlate to a high performance filter run. If this is indeed true, the process will save the plant time and money. The costs and benefits of using laser nephelometers will be summarized in this study.
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Parameters for Water Quality Field Testing   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Tony Pagliaro
The most important clues for a water treatment professional’s decision-making process come from accurate water quality analysis information.

Peace of Mind   Water & Wastes Digest October 2003   Frank Kaiser
Under the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, all emergency response plans, at a minimum, should include plans, procedures, and identification of equipment that can be implemented or used in the event of an intentional attack on a water treatment system. One fast-testing method for evaluating water pollution is Severn Trent Services' Eclox Rapid Response Water Test Kit, which uses chemiluminescence, which is used to measure the amount of light generated when a water sample is combined with reagents.

Flow Monitoring Springboards City to System-wide Sewer Management Solution   Water & Wastes Digest April 2003
The forward-looking Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) saw a dynamic model of most of Cincinnati's collection system as the tool that would support improved sewer system management, including sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and combined sewer overflow (CSO) control, planning, and operations.

Waveguide Solves Digester Level Monitoring Dilemma   Water & Wastes Digest March 2003
The level in an anaerobic digester is a critical measurement. If the top foam level gets too high, it can enter the gas collection pipeline and lead to costly maintenance. The city of Orillia, located north of Toronto, Canada, has found a reliable level measurement system for the two anaerobic digesters at its wastewater treatment center.

Wireless Automation Opens Door to New Monitoring Options   Water & Wastes Digest November 2002
Donala Water and Sanitation serves a large community of upscale homes in suburban Colorado Springs. In 1995, Donala turned to GMS Engineering of Colorado Springs to create a Request for Proposal for a comprehensive radio-based telemetry network that would grow with the rapidly expanding district. From the RFP, a Motorola MOSCAD wireless telemetry system was selected. Once it was installed, the district began to realize benefits from the new technology.

Controllers: Caribbean Plants Enlist Remote System to Control Operations   Water & Wastes Digest August 2002
Through experience and in-depth knowledge of its own geographic region, P.A.S. Technologies (PAS) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been able to identify and recommend affordable control solutions such as the implementation of the Sensaphone SCADA 3000, a product of Phonetics, Inc. of Aston, Pa. For PAS, the Sensaphone unit has achieved more than just customer satisfaction, it has also help the company grow increasingly active in the control solutions industry in the Caribbean.

Increased Treatment Security, Process Optimization Through Improved Monitoring Techniques   Water & Wastes Digest May 2002   Robert L. Bryant
Recent implementation of the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR) has increased potable water sampling and analysis requirements for an additional 11,000 treatment plants serving more than 18 million Americans.

Editorial Emphasis: Instrumentation   Water & Wastes Digest August 2001   Burkert
Connection of Sensors to Valves Is Chemical Plant’s Formula for Total Quality

New Water Meter Thrives in Harsh Environment   Water & Wastes Digest July 2001
The Nevada desert: grit, dust, blazing hot sun by day and ground frosts by night. Just the place to stake out a water meter in an open pit and see how long it can last. That is what happened to a new SmartMeter -- with some revealing results.
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New Cartridge-type D.O. Sensor Saves Time, Money   Water & Wastes Digest April 2001   By Jim Klauer
To address the inherent measurement problems of electrode contamination, electrolyte depletion, and membrane coating, GLI International, Inc. has introduced a dissolved oxygen sensor featuring a replaceable membrane cartridge.
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Insertable Electromagnetic Flowmeter Solves Difficult Piping Problem   Water & Wastes Digest April 2001
A difficult piping arrangement that included limited distance between the metering site and pipe fittings posed a dilemma for the engineering staff at a city of Frederick, Maryland, raw water pumping station.
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French Firms Create Better Ways of Monitoring and Controlling Drinking Water Quality   Water Engineering & Management March 2001
"We may not have any oil, but we have ideas!" This saying, common in France after the first oil shock in the 1970s and 1980s, has been transformed into tangible reality, particularly in the field of analysis and automation in the water industry.

Municipal Plant Upgrades Wastewater Treatment With New Magnetic Flowmeters   Water & Wastes Digest February 2001
Wisconsin's Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District needed to replace its aging electromagnetic flowmeters at 32 points in its Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. After carefully weighing its options, the district decided to purchase UniMag magmeters from Isco, Inc.
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Ammonia, Nitrate and Phosphate: Not Just for Effluent Monitoring   Water & Wastes Digest January 2001
Many wastewater facilities have limits on the levels of ammonia, nitrate, and/or phosphate allowed in their discharges. These limits are getting more stringent at more facilities every year. As these limits are lowered, periodic sampling may not be sufficient to determine that the plant is truly in compliance, or operating as intended.
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At Work on Flow Measuring Devices   Water Engineering & Management January 2001
In the past, a pitot tube meter was used to profile the pipe and measure the flow at the two points. The valuable time required by divers to accomplish flow profiling on the gulf sea floor and less than satisfactory results led to a search for a better flowmeter.
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Products At Work: Company Lowers Operating Costs with Predictive Maintenance   Water Engineering & Management January 2001
When you have to ensure service to 4,000,000 customers, predictive maintenance is a must," said Michel Mercier, technical director of Syndicat des Eaux de I’Ile de France (SEDIF), the water treatment and distribution company serving major portions of Paris and suburbs.

Remote Water Treatment Process System Benefits   Water Engineering & Management January 2001   Andy Harris
Conventional water treatment control systems often lack the ability to communicate all process parameters from a centralized location to the point of operation. Thus, standardized control of all the facilities within a water district is difficult. Process adjustments performed onsite may not conform to federal, state or municipal regulations for water quality control.
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Failsafe SCADA System Monitors Distribution of Natural Gas and Water   Water Engineering & Management November 2000

Compound Costs of Instrument Inaccuracies   Water Engineering & Management October 2000   Tony Palmer
Inaccurate chemical analyzers can cost facilities much more in chemical waste per year than the cost of the analyzer itself.

Abracadabra: Radio Survey Keeps SCADA Project on Schedule   Water Engineering & Management September 2000   Lawrence LeBeau
Radio communication was used to link remote locations spanning six counties and provide for a state-of-the-art SCADA system.

Hydrogen Sulfide Control in Wastewater Collection Systems   Water Engineering & Management August 2000   Tony Palmer, Paul Lagasse and Maureen Ross
When most environmental professionals think about hydrogen sulfide control in their wastewater collection systems, they are concerned with odor and corrosion. Instrumentation is now available to measure sulfides online, providing the opportunity to optimize the chemical dosage and monitor sulfide control.

Scientists Help Tackle Pollution, Climate Change   Water Engineering & Management March 2000

Agency Cruises for Floating Water Sampling Laboratory   Water Engineering & Management March 2000

New Actuator Offers Safe, Automatic Control of Cylinder Valves   Water & Wastes Digest March 2000   Gary Slaydon
Continued efforts to eliminate the use of chlorine gas for disinfection of water and wastewater make all participants aware of the hazards of using and not using chlorine. Increasing demands by environmentalists — combined with concerns by chlorine manufacturers, distributors, and end users — have been responsible for the creation of many information and regulatory agencies.

Making the Right Choices for Your Wireless SCADA System   Water & Wastes Digest February 2000   Ernest J. Zingleman
When considering a wireless data system design, everyone has a checklist of elements to consider. Some are obviously important and others tend to get overlooked. The following elements tend to fall into the latter category but have a far from insignificant impact on the long-term success and performance of your system.

Cincinnati Automotive Bolt Manufacturer Improves Effluent Quality, Entire Process   Water & Wastes Digest February 2000

Data Collection Stalls Without Good Metering   Water Engineering & Management February 2000

Water Utility Mixes Technology and Creativity For Control and Communications Solution   Water Engineering & Management January 2000   Roland Rossmiller, P.E. and M. Cyrus Moaveni, P.E.

Open Channel Flow Reporting Improved and Streamlined   Water Engineering & Management January 2000
FlowReporter programs can be adapted to operate with other microprocessor-based flowmeters provided the necessary technical specifications are supplied to accommodate such adaptations or program developments.

Company Eases the Work Flow with a Process Calibrator   Water Engineering & Management January 2000
Eight years ago, Dan Dickerson, who owns Control & Instrument Services in Worthington, Ohio, decided it was time to break from his job at a civil engineering firm, strike out on his own and start his own business. It paid off. Today, Dickerson's firm is one of Ohio's paramount field testing companies.

California Water District Improves Reliability With Radio Modems   Water Quality Products January 2000

Retrofitting Valve Actuators   Water & Wastes Digest March 1999
This article contains just some of the information available in a new, 24-page booklet from Rotork Controls, Inc.

Check Valve Yields Cost Savings in Pump Discharge Applications   Water Engineering & Management March 1999

Lightning Protection for Submersible Pressure Transducers   Water Engineering & Management February 1999   Mark Miller
Pressure transducers are particularly susceptible to damage from lightning, but there are ways to protect them from harm.

Fiber Optic Fieldbus Makes Connection at Sanibel Water Company Reverse Osmosis Plant   Water Engineering & Management December 1998   John Leiter
By replacing copper wiring and hardwired relays with fieldbus systems, this plant eliminated nuisance trips and outages.

Colorado State Parks Keep Beach Closings to Minimum   Water Engineering & Management November 1998

Choosing a Control System Architecture to Maximize Investment and Efficiency   Water Engineering & Management November 1998   Bill Black
With the right networking scheme and control equipment, operators can significantly reduce downtime and change-overs.

Multimedia Upgrade Enhances SCADA System Solutions   Water & Wastes Digest August 1998
United Controls Corporation (UCC) recently released ScadaVisionª version 4.0.

Flow Metering Inserts Offer Safety, Economics, Accuracy to Wisconsin Environmental Lab   Water & Wastes Digest August 1998
Badger Laboratories & Engineering Co., Inc., located in Neenah, Wisc., is a full-service environmental lab offering engineering and field services in addition to laboratory analysis. Isco Flow Metering Inserts provide a quick and accurate means of measuring and recording flow in round sewer pipes.

New Signal Conditioning and User-Configurable Connectivity Hardware for PC-based Data Acquisition   Water & Wastes Digest May 1998
High-Tech Products

Low-maintenance Ultrasonic Transmitter Does Not Touch the Fluid   Water & Wastes Digest May 1998
Problem Solvers

Engine Oil Cleans Pre-Existing Piston Deposits   Water Engineering & Management May 1998

New Waterproof Instruments Put Practicality First   Water & Wastes Digest April 1998   Robert D. Langie
OAKTON Instruments recently released a series of pocket-sized, waterproof and dustproof TDS and conductivity meters.

Automation Improves Laboratory Efficiency for Water Reclamation District   Water Engineering & Management March 1998

Computer Simulation Helps Reduce Pressure Loss   Water Engineering & Management February 1998   Oene Roorda
Computer simulation made it possible to optimize a check valve, resulting in a reduction of the system's operating cost.

Lead-Based Paint Removal Presents Challenges   Water Engineering & Management February 1998   Blake Elliott, Peter Zanoni, Ed Ralle and Brad Fuller
Shrouded power tool technology efficiently removes paint without the health concerns and high disposal cost of abrasive blasting.

New Control Option Available For Water/wastewater Applications   Water & Wastes Digest February 1998
Providing intelligence and control at the remote terminals of SCADA systems has traditionally entailed the use of more costly equipment or dumb terminals.

Oil in Water Monitoring: The Continuous On-line Advantage   Water & Wastes Digest January 1998   Mark D. Uhrich
The goal for effectively implementing monitoring programs is achieving favorable economics, meeting regulatory discharge limits, and limiting operational and maintenance routines.

Intelligent System Provides Enhanced Control at Wastewater Treatment Plant   Water Engineering & Management January 1998

Automation Project Floods Water Department with Useful Data   Water Engineering & Management December 1997   Lawrence W. Lebeau

Water Treatment Plant Saves Energy By Using Adjustable Speed Drives   Water Engineering & Management November 1997

How Workforce Automation Can Improve Productivity and Service at Wastewater Treatment Facilities   Water Engineering & Management November 1997   Joseph Mediate
More and more cash-strapped wastewater facilities are turning to computerized technologies to handle their maintenance tasks.

The Impact of Windows, Handheld Technology on Data Logging   Water & Wastes Digest November 1997   Sian Currie
The huge impact of Microsoft Windows is not confined to applications running on the desktop PC. Today, Windows is also having a major impact on the world of instrumentation, transforming many devices from simple and inflexible monitoring tools into much more versatile reconfigurable products.

Water Authority Integrates Functions with Computer System   Water Engineering & Management October 1997   Nicole Burdette
An integrated computer system has handled the human resources, benefit and payroll functions for the company's 450 employees.

Compact Gearmotor Allows Leakproof Sealing in Line of Pumps   Water Engineering & Management September 1997

Modern Sampling Technology Passes the Acid Test at Southern Ionics   Water & Wastes Digest September 1997

Automation Project Handles "Everyday Life" Behind the Scenes at Genoa Aquarium   Water Engineering & Management August 1997

Testing Methods Alleviate Summer Workload   Water Engineering & Management May 1997

Wireless System Leads to Precise Monitoring in the Desert   Water Engineering & Management May 1997

Velocity Flowmeter Aids Sanitary Wastewater Sewer System Evaluation Survey   Water Engineering & Management May 1997
The end of the sewer line for unincorporated Sedgwick County is the Kansas Coliseum. Home to two professional sports teams, the 10,000-seat events arena hosts concerts, exhibitions and livestock shows. A 25,000-seat outdoor amphitheater expansion is now being considered. In addition, a proposal is in effect for a nearby residential development.

Verifying Open Channel Flowmeter Performance   Water & Wastes Digest May 1997   Larry Marsh
Literally billions of dollars in infrastructure decisions are based on the results from I & I studies using velocity area flowmeters. When thoroughly tested, most commercial flowmeters are shown to be inadequate for most wastewater flow measurement needs.

On-site Analysis: A Rapid, Cost-effective Alternative for Site and Waste Characterization   Water & Wastes Digest April 1997   David R. Catherman

The Seven Basic Types of Temperature Sensors   Water & Wastes Digest April 1997
A sensor device normally operates along with another instrument that either measures or monitors a process, records it, or provides control of the temperature.

Innovative Caps Block Debris from Valve Access Boxes in Phoenix   Water & Wastes Digest April 1997

Doppler Flowmeter Helps Measure Flow of the Rio Grande   Water & Wastes Digest March 1997

SCADA Optimizes Plant Performance   Water Engineering & Management February 1997
SCADA gives plant operators the tools they need to develop new process strategies and implement new controls, lowering operating costs while improving effluent quality. Overall, SCADA makes it easier to optimize the plant's performance.

Don't Let Instrumentation Break Your Budget   Water & Wastes Digest January 1997   Marc Cartier
You can avoid budget overruns, schedule delays and painfully lingering problems with good instrument system architecture and vendor support.

A Checklist for Buying a Toxicity Monitor for Rapid Wastewater Screening   Water Engineering & Management January 1997   Steven Wooten
On-line toxicity monitors can provide valuable data in a preventative, rather historical, time frame.

Air Blown Optical Filter Network Delivers ÒFuture ProofÓ Supervisory Control System   Water Engineering & Management December 1996   Philip M. Daniels
During an upgrade of the primary treatment plant, the Metropolitan King County West Point Plant used a new approach to its optical fiber network.

Choosing the Right Device for Specific Monitoring Needs   Water & Wastes Digest November 1996   James J. Pinto
The water and waste environment has lots of signals that need to be monitored and, if possible, controlled.

Switch to Dedicated AutoCAD Add-On Package Cuts Plant Piping Design Time   Water Engineering & Management October 1996   Johnny Franklin
Designers experiment with ways to improve the modeling process and methods for generating high quality manufacturing drawings.

Optimizing Metering Pump Applications Accessories   Water & Wastes Digest October 1996   Dave Walker
During these times of economic constraints and increasingly stringent environmental and occupational health and safety regulations, it becomes imperative that applications requiring the dispensing and metering of expensive and hazardous chemicals be accomplished with the utmost accuracy, care and control.

Lightning and Surge Protection for Electronic Systems in Water and Wastewater Treatment Applications   Water Engineering & Management September 1996   Mike O'Neill
Electronic surge protection devices are necessary to provide confidence and reliability in today's personnel restricted environments.

SCADA System Uses Packet Radios to Lower Telemetry Costs   Water Engineering & Management August 1996   David P. Clement
Having a long history of remote monitoring, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati had a good idea of what they were looking for when integrating a SCADA system.

Understanding Spiders and the Role They Play in Jaw Couplings   Water Engineering & Management July 1996   Mark McCullough
Just as coupling designs vary to satisfy different application criteria, so do the spiders in jaw-type couplings.

Return Activated Sludge (RAS) Control   Water & Wastes Digest May 1996   Jim Dartez
Historically, the parameters of the secondary clarifier mass balance rate have been monitored manually by trained operators and laboratory technicians. They continually have taken grab samples and run laboratory analyses of various samples of suspended solids, flow calculations, and the determination of sludge blanket level in the secondary clarifier.

Buying an Automatic Sampler: Key Considerations   Water & Wastes Digest April 1996   Denise Shaffer
Buying sampling equipment requires careful assessment of your needs and options. And with regulatory requirements calling for a keener focus on water sampling, analyzing and monitoring, the more input you get regarding the subject the better.

Choosing the Right Transducer for the Application   Water & Wastes Digest April 1996
Pressure transducers have numerous applications in water and wastewater treatment. This article describes some of the more common transducer technologies and discusses some of the key factors to consider when specifying transducers for water/wastewater applications.

Demystifying Doppler Flowmeters in Sewage Flow Measurement   Water Engineering & Management April 1996   Thomas J. Day
Doppler technology has advanced for flow monitoring sites that would have proved difficult to impossible to meausre just a few years ago.

Measuring Water Quality: Why a Field Fluorometer?   Water Engineering & Management February 1996   Susan Mokelke, J.D.
Fluorometry is a highly selective means of detecting the presence of chemical compounds.

SCADA System in Action   Water & Wastes Digest February 1996
In 1992, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) completed a major $8 million rehabilitation project including the installation of dial-up alarm monitoring and file transfer SCADA system.

Reduced Voltage Starting Methods for Pumping Applications   Water Engineering & Management January 1996   Jeff Raefield
Reduced voltage starting is not only desirable, but sometimes necessary in some applications

Wastewater Plant Automates Facilities with PCs, MMI and PLC Control   Water Engineering & Management January 1996   John Batorski
Recent plant automation has turned the Mattabassett District Facility into a revenue generator.

Upgraded Control System Prepares Plant for 21st Century   Water Engineering & Management October 1995   Eric J. Vandenbroucke
The utilization of state-of-the-art electronics in the control system helped an Indiana plant prepare for the future.

Wastewater Facility Upgrades Through Instrumentation   Water Engineering & Management October 1995   Gary L. Davis
A Pennsylvania plant upgraded without major construction, outside consultants or huge outlays of money.

Smart Control System Design|   Water Engineering & Management October 1995   Keith R. Lenart
The final article in a series on instrumentation and computers discusses control system design.

Keep Your SCADA System Working   Water Engineering & Management September 1995   William Biehl
Fourth article in a series looks at maintaining computerized control systems for water and wastewater facilities

What is a Fieldbus and Why Should I Care?   Water Engineering & Management July 1995   Herb D. Fiddick
The second article in a series on instrumentation addresses the fieldbus concept and its impact on utilities.

Affordable Automation Advances California Water Companies   Water Engineering & Management July 1995   Steven Prestwood
Read how three California water companies are replacing obsolete electronic control systems

Matching Coupling Style to Application Correctly   Water Engineering & Management June 1995   Mark McCullough
Simply replacing a worn coupling with a new one may not be the wisest decision. This how-to article discusses methods for choosing the best type of coupling based on the application

Computer at Water Plant Runs Second Plant by Remote Control   Water Engineering & Management May 1995   Cliff Preble and Tom Valorose
Two Massachuesetts water plants are tied together electronically

The Changing Roles in Control System Implementation   Water Engineering & Management May 1995   Herb D. Fiddick
The first in a series of five articles discussing control systems.

Water Utility SCADA Uses Microwave Communications   Water Engineering & Management April 1995
A suburban Detroit water authority has incorporated small programmable logic controllers and microwave data links as key components of its SCADA system.

Finding the Right Instrumentation   Water Engineering & Management March 1995   Mark D. Weiss
Municipalities, consulting firms and regulatory agencies join forces to test and evaluate common types of industry instrumentation.

Multi-stage Control System Supports German Region's Water Needs   Water Engineering & Management March 1995   Dr. Joachim Schillgalies and Gerhard Kreiling
A water utility serving 500,000 people in 31 jurisdictions installed a complex monitoring and control system for its supply, treatment and distribution facilities.

Protecting Electronic Systems from Power Supply Variations   Water Engineering & Management February 1995   Joe Becker
Design engineers and plant operating staff should recognize the importance of protecting instrumentation and computers from power surges.

Distributed Control System Offers Local and Central Access   Water Engineering & Management January 1995   David Chapman, John O'Connor, Michael Stroshine, and Mitchell Greenwald
A 60-mgd direct filtration plant incorporates rapid sand filtration and replaces eight existing slow sand filters.

Integrated Data Management Smooths Plant Operations   Water Engineering & Management January 1995   David L. Ching
An integrated data management system includes real-time data acquisition, maintenance and data mangement and troubleshooting.

Ultrasonic Technology Simplifies Flow and Level Measurement   Water Engineering & Management December 1994   Edited by Tracy Drake
A non-contact sensing instrument solved flow and level measuring problems

PLCs Assigned Many Tasks in Large Water Utility   Water Engineering & Management December 1994
Operations at a major water authority have been smoothed out with programmable logic controllers.

Monitoring Processes Using Wireless Data Acquisition   Water Engineering & Management October 1994   Steve Cheek and Richard Wilkes
Treatment plant designs are including wirelss data loggers and other communication systems to aid in monitoring key process and managment functions.

It's Not a Gremlin, It's Harmonic Distortion   Water Engineering & Management October 1994   Nick Cicero
Electronic noise can affect electrical equipment. This article discusses what it is and how to avoid and correct it.

Where On-Line Sensors are Headed   Water Engineering & Management August 1994   Stephen A. Wortendyke
Sensor technology has advanced considerably in the last decade, and accurate, reliable on-line sensors will keep water/wastewater treatment processes under increasingly better control.

Water Utility Lab Seeks Highest Quality   Water Engineering & Management August 1994   Mary Harlow
A case study examines the role of the laboratory and some specialized lab instrumentation.

Computer Graphics Hierarchy for Wastewater Plant Operations   Water Engineering & Management June 1994   Thomas G. Valorose
CRT graphic displays can be specified clearly in project design documents by following a method which has been prepared to assist owners and their consultants.

Control System Helped Plant Run Unattended During "Big Flood"   Water Engineering & Management June 1994
A distributed control system helped a wastewater plant operate above rated capacity during the Mississippi floods.