The annual performance plan of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) outlined the challenges faced by the South African water sector. These include poor maintenance, recurring droughts driven by climatic variation, inequities in access to water and sanitation, deteriorating water quality, and a lack of skilled water engineers. The above are well known, each adding to the country’s water crisis challenges. In the case of skilled water engineers, or the lack thereof, the challenge is compounded by factors such as an ageing workforce, limited educational opportunities and low industry attractiveness.
Here, automation technology can provide some relief, and while it is not the silver bullet to eliminating the country’s water and wastewater (WWW) skills shortage, it can provide utilities and operators with the necessary tools to alleviate some of the immediate skills challenges faced by the industry.
Evolution instead of revolution
The marketplace for automation in WWW is mature. These application-centric solutions decouple software from hardware, enabling end users to design adaptable systems that respond to evolving supply and demand-side conditions.
Automation offers native IT/OT integration, thus eliminating the need for complex gateways. This lends itself to a user-friendly system that benefits all stakeholders, including engineers, plant operators, systems integrators and machine builders.
Furthermore, designs can be virtually simulated and tested before deployment, and once defined as a digital asset, they can be ‘dragged and dropped’ into the user interface. Also, maintenance and troubleshooting are streamlined through automation, as the information remains up to date throughout an asset’s lifecycle.
This approach significantly reduces the workload of engineers, control room operators and maintenance personnel. Access to updated information improves overall uptime and reliability. The mean time to repair is shortened, as technicians no longer need to search through multiple sources for the data they need.
Automation solutions do not require an all-or-nothing approach. WWW operators can deploy it on a smaller scale, preserving current investments and minimising training needs. The ‘wrap and replace’ approach allows existing and new systems to run together, gradually scaling up as financial benefits become apparent.
The role of automation in the current skills gap
Automation technologies offer a viable solution to supplement some of the skills lacking in the WWW segment. By integrating automated systems and processes, the need for manual intervention and specialised expertise can be minimised. Some of the benefits are:
• Enhanced efficiency:. automated control systems continuously monitor water treatment processes, optimising parameters and adjusting operations in real time. This reduces the reliance on skilled personnel to oversee complex processes manually.
• Remote monitoring of assets: Experienced professionals can provide support and guidance to less experienced workers from afar. This virtual collaboration facilitates knowledge sharing and skill transfer, even in geographically dispersed locations.
There is no doubt that automation offers some compelling solutions. However, investment in skills development must continue to enjoy priority. Ultimately, the integration of automation and skilled personnel will play an important role in ensuring that the WWW industry overcomes some of its most pressing challenges.
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