To service its growth, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has expanded its water and wastewater infrastructure – which includes more than 40 facilities – many located in remote areas. Associated Engineering (AE) designed and implemented a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communication system to operate and monitor all facilities remotely. The municipality contracted Westcan Advanced Communications Solutions to deliver a design-build wireless network to support the new SCADA system. The SCADA communications system provides operators access to real-time site data over a high-speed network to all water and wastewater sites spanning a geographical distance of 275 km. The key focal points for the system were speed, security, and adaptability to ensure long term municipal service.

The following excerpts regarding Westcan ACS were taken from Associated Engineering’s submission to the 2016 CEA Awards for Regional SCADA Communications Backhaul:

• “The selection process for the construction award was not based solely on lowest bid price, but rather on a holistic approach to help reduce the risk to the Municipality.”
• “While the successful proponent was not the lowest bidder, the project was completed under budget, with no major incidents occurring during the construction process.”
• “The contractor worked closely with Associated Engineering and the Municipality to implement the new radios and frequency strategy without impacting costs.”

-Regional SCADA Communications Backhaul, 2016 CEA Awards

Westcan ACS was proud to contribute their expertise to such a prestigious project, and wishes Associated Engineering all the best at the 2016 CEA Awards. See the full write-up here.