CASE STUDY
From Legacy to Leading-Edge: SCADA System Modernization for Northern California WWTP
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Municipal Water & Wastewater
SCADA system architecture redesign; iFIX HMI host server deployment; vSphere high availability configuration; Installation of WIN911, Synology storage, and Dell EMC servers; Creation of terminal servers with remote client access; ThinManager deployment and thin client replacement; Veeam daily backup system setup
Overview
A Northern California wastewater treatment facility faced severe SCADA performance issues, including persistent HMI workstation errors and unreliable alarm notifications. TMPC was brought in to modernize their SCADA infrastructure, resolve visibility and communication failures, and future-proof the system against further disruptions.
Problem
The plant’s SCADA system was failing—operator workstations displayed constant errors, remote alarms stopped functioning, and the system required frequent reboots of the HMI servers and Historian. These issues were hampering operator response, increasing downtime risk, and reducing overall operational efficiency.
Solution
TMPC proposed and implemented a complete SCADA system overhaul. This included deploying a new iFIX HMI host server, configuring vSphere for high availability, separating critical services (WIN911, HMI data, and terminal servers), and introducing a fault-tolerant storage array with daily backups. Thick clients were replaced with ThinManager-managed thin clients for better security and maintainability.
Results
- Eliminated recurring SCADA errors and missed alarms
- Improved data transfer speeds and operator response time
- Simplified system maintenance and increased uptime
- Delivered a scalable, secure, and future-ready automation infrastructure
- Positive operator feedback on performance improvements
“Data transfer is a lot faster now—when an operator goes to adjust a certain value, it used to take a few tries before it would respond. Now it’s on the first try and it occurs instantly.”
