Second-largest wastewater treatment plant in the U.S. to replace HMI systems

Project to install Ovation human machine interface (HMI) technology at Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant part of $3.8 billion program to protect Boston Harbor from pollution.

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Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has selected Emerson Process Management to replace outdated HMI (human machine interface) systems at the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant with its Ovation technology. The new interface will make it easier for operators to control daily operation effectively and help ensure regulatory compliance.

The Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, in operation since 1995, is the second-largest wastewater treatment plant in the U.S. It serves 43 Boston-area communities and is the centerpiece of MWRA’s $3.8 billion program to protect Boston Harbor against pollution from the metropolitan area’s sewer systems.

“We are challenged to protect human health and Boston Harbor, and comply with strict federal Clean Water Act and Massachusetts environmental regulations,” explains David Duest, process control manager, MWRA. “Emerson’s Ovation HMI technology will help us achieve this.”

When installed in March 2012, the Ovation solution will manage and integrate the plant’s legacy systems and numerous processes, including influent pumping, grit screening, primary clarification, oxygen-activated sludge secondary treatment, secondary treatment clarification, sludge digestion, sludge thickening, odor control, disinfection, and effluent discharge. In all, Ovation will manage approximately 30,000 I/O points. In addition to supplying 45 workstations, Emerson will provide on-site operator training, as well as system configuration and programming training at its Pittsburgh training facility.

“Emerson understands the challenging issues facing the water and wastewater industries. We know that efficiently and expertly managing water and wastewater treatment processes and systems plays an important role in enabling organizations to effectively address these challenges and better serve their communities,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s Power & Water Solutions. “By selecting Emerson, MWRA has joined other major metropolitan areas – Chicago, Detroit, Miami, New York City and Washington, D.C., to name a few – that rely on Emerson’s automation and control solutions.”

www.EmersonProcess.com

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Edited by Peter Welander, pwelander(at)cfemedia.com