A water plant in NY is responsible for treating water from a nearby reservoir, supplying drinking water service to over 126,500 residents in this part of Central New York. These 32 million gallons per day facility needs the right installations to continually run their operations, including a water intake structure at the reservoir, water storage facilities, transmission and distribution mains, settling lagoons, filters, clarifiers, and chemical storage tanks. Each step plays a crucial part in the drinking water filtration process, so having reliable and accurate measurements is just as important throughout the plant. When this plant’s pressure transmitters for clarifier head loss and flow stopped working, they came with a laundry list of new problems that had to be solved.
The maintenance supervisor saw the writing on the wall. Continuing to place their time, money, and energy into sensors that wouldn’t be there for them when they needed it the most would cause more harm than good. After talking with VEGA, we offered a uniform solution to their current issues: a sensor with easy setup, commissioning, and connectivity. A sensor that provides consistent, accurate, and reliable measurements that won’t fail over time. That sensor is the VEGADIF 85 for clarifier head loss and flow measurements.
Plant operators loved how the sensor’s Bluetooth connectivity and the VEGA Tools app enabled quick and easy startup and commissioning, something they didn’t have in the past. With the VEGA field service team readily available 24/7 to solve any problems that might come up, technicians gained confidence in their measurements, so much so that the VEGADIF 85 was chosen for multiple other applications throughout the plant, including the dam level, backwash rater of flow, finished flow, clear well level, and air flow. Currently, plans are in the works to standardize processes even further, with the VEGADIF 85 put to work in dam raw water flow, backwash tank level, and plant raw water flow applications in the near future.
During the drinking water purification process, clarifiers are used to remove particulates and solids from the water. As water flows through the clarifier, head loss occurs, which refers to the gradual reduction in hydraulic pressure. Without correct pressure readings, chemical dosing, flow regulation, efficiency, and process optimization are severely limited.
A competitor’s sensors were old and expensive to replace when they broke down. Plant operators faced sensor failures during off hours, and replacements often provided inaccurate or inconsistent pressure readings. This led to emergency purchases, further increasing operational costs. The replacement sensors were time consuming to calibrate, and even then, some sensors were placed into operation with no calibration at all, leading to more inaccuracies and process inefficiencies.
Plant operators have seen a significant uptick in efficiency since implementing uniformity across their processes with the VEGADIF 85. Bluetooth connectivity, easy setup and commissioning, and around-the-clock support gives this plant their time back and peace of mind knowing the sensors are calibrated correctly, the measurements are reliable, and they have support whenever they request it. Competitive pricing resulted in cost savings on their new sensors as well as for “on the shelf” spares.
Municipalities like this one don’t need more process headaches. The right solution should be easy to use, accurate, reliable, and the manufacturer should be available for customer support even during off hours. That’s why this plant chose the VEGADIF 85 for facility-wide processes.