Milwaukie public works demonstrates upgraded SCADA system for water and wastewater operations

Peter Pasquale, Milwaukie public works director, gave a demonstration of the city’s upgraded SCADA system at a council study session, describing the system’s design, recent installations and remaining refinements.

The SCADA upgrade began with a master plan completed in 2018 and moved through a multi-stage procurement. “We upgraded the programmable logic controllers … and then we also updated the communications from a, megahertz, broadband radio system to a cellular … wireless system,” Pasquale said, summarizing the scope of the work and the decision to separate communications from automation during the design process.

Why it matters: SCADA controls pumps, wells, treatment processes and monitoring that deliver and manage Milwaukie’s water and wastewater service. Pasquale told the council the overhaul aims to improve operator usability, automation, cybersecurity and system monitoring — and to reduce the time operators spend chasing intermittent communication…