SSE lands big water-telemetry contract

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IBG - SA Instrumentation & Control Buyers' Guide

October 2004 News Information Security

SSE, through its black empowerment partner Excelcom, has landed one of the most prestigious and biggest water telemetry contracts in South Africa.

Since the days of the formation of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, from the Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Nigel, Alberton, Springs and others, they struggled with the control, maintenance and integration of the water and sewage telemetry systems. There were seven different telemetry systems from eight different suppliers, which monitored and controlled parts of the water and wastewater networks.

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality then decided on standardising the complete system by appointing the consulting firm Motla Engineering to investigate and develop a new system. A tender specification was drawn-up by Motla Engineering and the tender went out in June 2003.

The new system

The new system will replace all the existing seven telemetry systems with one system from Specialist System Engineering (SSE) running an Adroit scada system. This was a great achievement for SSE in its 10th anniversary year.

The system will consist of 260 or more remote stations running on a digital radio network. The stations will be located at reservoirs; water towers, water pump stations and wastewater pump stations. Bulk water meters and cathodic protection sites will be added at a latter stage.

The system will be running on the industry standard IEC 60870-5-101 protocols, recently implemented by SSE in its powerful telemetry range of products. Although the IEC protocol does not support store and forward (Digipeating), the unique features in the SSE RTUs allows for digipeating, irrelevant of the protocols that are used.

A unique contract

The type of contract the municipality opted for is unique and must be a first in the water telemetry industry. The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan is leasing the system from Excelcom over a period of five years. Included in the contract is a full insurance and maintenance of the system over the five-year period. Thus Excelcom-SSE will have the full responsibility to finance and maintain the system over this period. The Metro will then have the option to extend the period after the five-year period.

The experience that Excelcom-SSE will gain from this kind of contract will prepare them for many more such contracts in the future.

For more information contact Gert Bezuidenhout, Specialist System Engineering, 012 663 4331.

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SSE lands big water-telemetry contract

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