Historically, water treatment feed and control systems have functioned as stand-alone controls and have seldom been integrated with the facility water treatment systems. While possible, integrating water treatment systems has typically required the involvement of control system integrators. Advancements in commercially available feed and control systems have been made that have simplified this often-underutilized technology. With environmental concerns and conservation efforts coming to the forefront of the water treatment industry, communication and collaboration with plant systems to provide critical system data have become even more important as a means of servicing water treatment systems. This system information may include water usage, chemical levels, chemical consumption, and various alarms. The ability to remotely mitigate these is also one of the integration focuses.
Water and wastewater system integrators provide the products and services required to allow systems to communicate both data and control across multiple control platforms.
The system integrators provide a myriad of services, including engineering, programming, planning, project management, and often, the labor required to physically couple the systems. The expertise required to perform these tasks is paramount to the success of water treatment integration projects. Water treatment system integrators are knowledgeable about multiple platforms and the benefits and/or limitations of each.
With the growing popularity and cost-effectiveness of IoT solutions, the integrator’s role in providing automation solutions has also expanded to include the integration of these technologies. With IoT typically involving wireless communications, the role of the system integrator now includes supporting the technologies associated with this type of communication.
Automation technology is in a constant state of advancement, so the continuing education of the water treatment integrator is critical to their understanding and knowledge of emerging technologies along with regulatory changes.
Since these automation solutions often require the installation of wire and cable or the utilization of existing facility infrastructure, the knowledge of the control system integrators is invaluable to the success of water and wastewater integration projects. Ongoing services including software updates, security audits, control changes and visual enhancements, along with general maintenance tasks that are typically in the integrator’s scope of work as well.
While most water treatment feed and control systems offer the built-in ability to send a limited number of signals to plant automation systems, they are seldom used due to the limited number, quality and general complexity of the signals. Distance limitations, installation costs, signal quality and general understanding contribute to these being overlooked.
Since multiple facility automation systems, often referred to as SCADA or BMS, can be involved in the integration process, it’s important to understand the differences and similarities between these systems.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems are based on PC technology and involve software of machines that communicate with PLC systems (programable logic controller) or, in the case of water and wastewater treatment systems, OEM controllers. The SCADA platform provides the visualization, data acquisition, reporting and control interface. These are typically interfaced with PLCs via a bus such as Fieldbus, Ethernet IP, Modbus (TCP or RTU), Profibus, etc. Most OEM water treatment control systems available to the water and wastewater treatment industry now include the ability to communicate with SCADA. The most common of these is Modbus TCP.
Building management systems, often referred to as BMS, are comprised of multiple embedded control systems and are often associated with HVAC, lighting, security, and facility systems. While BMS systems are very similar to SCADA systems in that they are comprised of multiple controllers in communication with a PC type system, they generally differ in scope. The protocols involved in a BMS system are often manufacturer specific and include BACnet, LonWorks, Metasys, and others. Many commonly available OEM water and wastewater treatment control systems now include the ability to communicate in this manner. The most common option is BACnet. There are many solutions available to convert between protocols in the event that the facility system is not one of the more common methods.
With the compatibility of these systems becoming less of a factor, the focus has now shifted to the physical integration of these controllers to the facility BMS and/or SCADA systems.
Since most protocols require the use of Ethernet as a means of communication with the facility systems, the availability of these connections is one of the first steps in determining the feasibility of an integration project. Along with the availability of Ethernet, security is often a determining factor. System integration professionals provide an invaluable resource to communicate with the facility engineering and IT staff to alleviate or mitigate any security concerns. These solutions often include devices that act as firewalls or providers of physical separation of the water and wastewater control system and the facility BMS and/or SCADA system. Wireless Ethernet solutions such as cellular gateways, WIFI devices, IoT devices, Ethernet radios, etc., often fall within the scope of the water and wastewater integrator as well.
When the project requires that devices be interfaced with the facilities system via physical or virtual inputs or outputs, the system integration team will determine the best method for doing so. Considerations for these types of connections can include wire type, distance, local code requirements, facility best practices, industry best practices, and integration of these connections to and from the facility BMS or SCADA system.
Clear, open, and professional conversations with the facility engineering and IT staff is paramount to the success of most, if not all, integration projects.
At AquaPhoenix, we have taken a “manufacture agnostic” approach in providing water and wastewater control systems. This approach gives us the unique ability to recommend water and wastewater feed and control systems based on the specific requirements of the system to be treated. Along with the standard requirements for sensors, pumps, valves, etc., communication with the aforementioned systems is also a consideration when selecting a platform.
Our team of industry professionals includes electrical engineers, draftsmen, IT experts, and sourcing professionals. With having a vast network of suppliers and integration professionals that can be consulted to offer the best possible solution for a water or wastewater integration project. During the installation process, our team can also act as an interface between the water treatment professional and the facilities system integration team.
As with any process, clear, complete, and upfront communication is key. As a provider of equipment to water treatment professionals, our involvement upfront is confidential. Sharing all documents, such as scope of work, drawings, etc., will ensure that the recommended equipment is correct and compatible with the integration project.
Contact us to discuss any equipment required for your water or wastewater feed and control integration project. Our team can provide easy-to-implement solutions for almost any integration need, including protocol conversion devices, custom PLC systems, wire and cable, remote input/output devices, networking hardware, and software solutions.
Around AquaPhoenix, we are always talking about continuous improvement and looking for ways to advance our manufacturing operations and the customer experience. We feel the same principles of continuous improvement should also be applied to the daily life of a water treater. After all, improving efficiency and reducing problems should always be on our minds.
Recently, Blaine Nagao, CWT, and President of our Equipment Division went out to the shop floor and started creatively thinking about ways water treaters can improve their daily routine. He started grabbing things from our shelves, cleared a spot on a workbench, and built his ideal panel.
Below, he outlines what you can do to a panel that will make your program work more effectively. Hopefully, these ideas make you look at your day-to-day routine and see areas for improvement, and the next time you need to build and install a new system, you can incorporate some of these job-enhancing features! How can you make a panel build serve you and your customer better?
Ask yourself these questions:
We’ve all balanced our laptop or test kits on a drum that may be covered with chemical or something else and gotten it all over our stuff. That’s not what tanks were made for. Tanks and drums were made for holding chemical and for pumping out of.
Integrate a work surface onto the panel. Integrate lighting or shade if needed. How many times do you have to go to a panel out by a cooling tower and you have to put your jacket over or hold your hand over to read the screen? That’s not a failure on the controller manufacturer’s part. An LCD screen does not work well in direct sunlight. In contrast, you may have to run tests in the evening or in a dark basement. Why not put a light on your panel? It’s low cost and easy to do.
Receive alarms, emails and upload data from anywhere internet service is available. Wi-Fi is great because you most likely will have a laptop with you on location. Most manufacturers have routers on their controllers however, many people do use that feature as a hotspot. Create a password that only you know to eliminate the risk of an operator using all of your data.
Our routers have an extra waterproof ethernet port. You can plug your laptop right into that and access your controller. It’s nice to have a port that you can access without opening the controller.
There is plenty of open space on a panel. Make use of that space by designing holders for all of those miscellaneous items. Save time and expense by eliminating those ‘quick’ trips to the hardware store.
Examples:
It may seem like a lot of money upfront to keep these items stocked, but it does not compare to overnighting just one of those items or having to not feed product, or compromise performance.
Order parts with toolless fittings. A simple union fitting on an injection valve is much better than trying to pull the tubing off of an injection valve to check to see if it’s clogged.
Consider adding a tee with a plug to your next panel build. If your rejection line clogs, you can inspect it. Valve it off and run a cleaning/rod brush on the end of a drill to clean out those clogged-up tees and lines.
If you replace your injection valve, tees, and coupons, with toolless fittings, you will eliminate the need for additional tools to service your system.
To see the entire presentation, including tips for choosing the correct products for your panel, click here to see the entire on-demand recording.
Robert Nalley, Metal Fabricator at AquaPhoenix, sat down to discuss his approach to custom builds and may surprise you with his favorite food.
My name is Robert Nalley and my role at AquaPhoenix is welder and metal fabricator. How long have I been here? I tend to lose track. I think it’s 13 or 14 years. I think I’m going on year 14.
I don’t have a single favorite project. What I like are the prototypes. So when somebody just gets an idea. There’s no CAD drawing; it’s a pencil sketch on a napkin at best and we start a collaboration on how to build it. And you start grabbing scraps and building a prototype and stuff like that. That’s what gets me excited. That’s where creativity comes into play and you know you get to build something that nobody else is doing, right.
So there’s actually quite a few embarrassing moments but you can roll them all into one because the building next door it has a habit of splitting people’s pants. I personally have had to run to Walmart twice to get a new pair of pants just in the past two – two and a half years. And I know it’s happened to Jeremy and a couple of the others next door as well.
The basic thing with a new hire as far as advice would be you just gotta stick it out. Stick the newness out because every new person has a huge learning curve and you’re not going to be the new guy forever. So once you just stick it out that first 60 or 90 days, you’re going to feel comfortable and right as rain.
If I could learn to do anything…that’s kind of what I do anyway. So even when I leave here, I go home and I make stuff. I wanted to learn to make fishing rods out of carbon fiber, so I learned to make fishing rods. I wanted to learn to make my own golf clubs, so I taught myself to make my own golf clubs. that’s just kind of what I do. That’s why I love fabricating so much because if it can be built by a man, I want to build it.
Well, a lot of people know I like to smoke barbeque. What they don’t know is I like to cook pastries also. You can’t have a main course without a good dessert.
I am the king of misquoting. So the one I’m most known for is, I always want to say, “alright, alright, alright” by Matthew McConaughey but it always comes out, “right on, right on, right on.”
The core values I like the most would be safety, quality control, and customer service. And that’s because I’m a craftsman and so the quality control really hammers home to me. I like customer service because well I know a lot of our customers. I’ve been here long enough they know me by name. I used to work with a lot of our customers. And then safety; everybody goes home the same way they came into this building, right. Ten digits, ten toes and we’re all breathing. So that line, I dig it.
My favorite food. I know a lot of people are expecting me to say barbeque. It’s actually fish sticks. Every year for my birthday I get 50 fish sticks and it’s been like that since I was about yay high.
I have one, most people would call a pet, I call her my daughter since I don’t have a daughter. But I have a dog, Lucy. She’s going on eight and a half years – nine years now. She’s half red heeler half lab. And I also work with a heeler rescue. On weekends, I’ll do transporting of heelers; pulling them from shelters, getting them to vets, and stuff like that.
Vengierell King, PVC Fabricator at AquaPhoenix, reminds us to always ask questions and proclaims his love for pizza in this employee spotlight interview.
My name is Vengierell King. I’ve been employed at AquaPhoenix for a year and a half. I wire, mount, build panels; anything pretty much that I need to do. What they tell me to do, I do it.
My favorite projects at AquaPhoenix are the wiring part and the mounting part. I like the wiring because it keeps me busy and I just like the detail of it. So, I like the wiring part.
Well, the most embarrassing things probably I’ve seen here weren’t for me personally, but for somebody else. They were trying to go out the door and they got their coat caught up in the door and they almost haha it looked crazy as hell trying to get out of it. It was pretty funny to me.
If a new hire came in, I would definitely tell them to ask as many questions as they can because sometimes it can be a lot to learn initially. Just ask questions to make sure the job gets done right.
I’m a trader. I like trading Forex, cryptos online. I love that. I look at it all the time – every day to see what’s going on in the markets.
My favorite line from a movie would probably be; I like westerns, Clint Eastwood, “make my day” and he pulled out the 44 on them boys. Yeah, “Make my day.”
One of my favorite core values would be to Do the Right Thing. I feel like if you do the right thing, everything else will fall in place. Jobs will be done more efficiently. You do the right thing, everything else is right. So that’s my take on it.
My favorite food – who doesn’t like pizza, man? Pizza, pizza, pizza. Pepperoni. Pretty much everything except the crazy stuff like pineapple and spinach. I don’t like all of that.
My girl has a Shih Tzu puppy and we love that thing to death. He just runs around the house. He’s so cute. Diamond, she named it Diamond. It’s her pet actually, but it’s ours.
Taylor Segovia, QA & Software Support at AquaPhoenix, discusses behind-the-scenes software support and gives his best Robin Williams impression.
I do software support and QA for the software division. My role at AquaPhoenix is to test the software before it goes out and after it goes out and then support it afterward.
A favorite project of mine was transitioning from one hosting environment to another. At the time, it was really stressful and a lot of panic. But afterward, it was very rewarding. Seamless to the users; they saw nothing. But to us, it was a very big change. In the background, we’re moving mountains, but to them they see nothing. The magic behind the curtains.
My most memorable moment was the chili cook-off back in 2017. Our only chili cook-off and I took first place. I like to remind everybody around here that I’m still the reigning champ. I’ve got the plaque in my office so anytime anybody comes in and wants to talk food or anything like that, I usually just point to it and remind them.
Embrace the culture that we have here at AquaPhoenix. It’s very inviting, very warm. Everybody wants you to thrive. That’s how we get things done. If everybody is working hard and getting their part done, then as a team we’re doing great things.
If I could learn to do anything new it would probably be to fly or to weld. Flying – of course owning your own airplane or getting to know somebody who has their own airplane. A little bit of a barrier there, but one day it would be awesome to learn how to fly a plane. The welders here have tremendous talent and some of the stuff I’ve seen them do on the side or even here on the job is pretty awesome.
Something that most people probably don’t know about me is I worked in the service industry for eight years. I picked up a lot of useful information there; people skills, getting to know people for better or for worse every day. Seeing so many new faces was pretty awesome.
Favorite line from a movie, “Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?” and “Hellooooo!” from Mrs. Doubtfire.
The core value that stands out to me is Create a Culture of Team and Family with Open and Honest Communications. So our team is definitely open and honest with each other. It creates an awesome environment where we can kick butt, get everything done that we need to get done, and our customers really appreciate it.
A favorite food that I don’t normally cook is a steaming bowl of pho. I love Vietnamese food.
I have three pets. Me and my wife have three rescue dogs. They’ve all been to the office. I love that we can bring pets to the office here. So there’s Maxwell, Sophie, and Lady Bird. Maxwell is our mix of hound and shepherd. Sophie is a pit. And then we have Lady Bird who is a pug and lab mix. She looks like a little lab puppy but she’s full grown. She has a lot of energy.
Edgar Vidana, Electrical Fabricator at AquaPhoenix, discusses what it’s like out on the shop floor and his incredible journey to becoming a U.S. Citizen.
My name is Edgar Vidana. I’ve been here with AquaPhoenix, since September now, four years. As far as what I do, fabricating, from panels to any custom jobs that come through here. Pretty much, a little bit of everything.
I think the most memorable job, and job that I liked to work on, was a big Vortisand skid. I think it had about six vessels and that went down to Orange, Texas. We got to go out there and install it too. That was like in my first year. It was nice, it was cool, and I think we have some more of that stuff coming up too.
The funniest – every day! You have guys out in the shop who are always being funny. The atmosphere that is created out on the shop – it’s pretty funny.
As far as somebody that came in and got hired on, personally myself, just to be open to change and work hard. Focus on what you’re doing and just take it as it comes and be open about it and work hard.
Personally, how to fly a jet. It’s something not everybody can do. So, how to fly or pilot an airplane. Put it that way.
I crossed the Rio Grande with my mom at age five on an inner tube, man. True story. And I’ve been here since then. So I was actually born in Mexico. But that is the one thing that most people don’t know. I crossed the Rio Grande in an inner tube with my mom when I was five.
I really think they’re all good core values. The one – building a team and a family environment and also the open communication and honesty amongst us as employees; whether it’s high management or your shop guys. I think that is very important because, for one, if you don’t have a team – everybody working together – I mean, it works, but not 100%. Obviously, the family environment and the honesty. You know, like I said earlier, be honest and be able to embrace the change.
Tacos, man, tacos. Tacos for sure. Being from Mexico, there’s just so many varieties of tacos that are out there. It’s just, I like it all, you know.
I don’t have pets, but I like horses. I had a horse but right now, at the moment, I don’t have it. But, I like horses. Riding horses, that’s our time on the weekends every now and then to go ride horses.
Carrie Zeigler, Lead Education Planner at AquaPhoenix, discusses her role, the importance of GAS, and more.
I am the Education Planner here which means that I plan any education order that comes across my desk. I work with the Purchasing team to get the items here. I work with our Sales team to hit the Customer’s deadlines. And then I also work with Production to get it done and out the door when our Customer needs it.
Do I have any memorable moments from working at AquaPhoenix? In the 10 years that I have worked here, I have very many memorable moments and there’s too many to name.
My advice would be to just have GAS. GAS is a big thing here (can I say it?) it means Give a Sh**. So pretty much to work here you have to give a sh** and care about the job that you do.
If I could learn one thing that I didn’t know how to do, it would be to learn how to fly a plane. I always thought that it would be really neat to be able to fly a plane so you could fly yourself wherever you wanted to go. First you learn to fly, then you buy the plane, then you can just go wherever you want, whenever you want.
Something that most people probably don’t know about me is that I love music and I love to play the piano. I’ve been playing since probably five years old.
My favorite core value is always Continuously WOW the Customer. I think that is a great thing to always remember.
My favorite food is anything with chocolate in it.
Yes, I have an adorable little fur ball called Morkie. It’s part Maltese and part Yorkie so it’s a Morkie. I was very inventive with my name. He’s adorable. Oh, Mork and Mindy! Yes, and it’s funny because I didn’t think of that until after I named him and I thought, well now we need to get a girl dog. Then I could have Mork and Mindy. But my husband said, no, one was enough.
The main one that comes to my mind is, “Hasta la vista, baby”. You can use that as the end.
Deb Karr, Senior Manager, Customer Service at AquaPhoenix, discusses her work, the importance of soft skills, and more.
I oversee the customer service team in three different locations. We’re located in Pennsylvania, Texas, and California. I make sure that our customers are being taken care of, orders are being processed, and that any delays are relayed to our customers in a timely fashion.
My favorite project has been soft skills training. It’s very hard to locate training that helps enhance peoples soft skills; things like having empathy, speaking clearly, WOW-ing our customers. So I developed my own soft skills training. We’ve had two rounds of training and it’s been very well received and I feel like the team has grown from it.
Embrace AquaPhoenix and the mentality that people are going to hold you accountable. If that means pointing out something that may not have been done correctly the first time, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a growing opportunity. We all hold each other accountable because we’re here to help grow the business. That’s a hard one to get used to but it really is beneficial for everybody.
If I could learn to do anything I would say probably learn to fly a plane. My dad had started getting his pilot’s license and I would probably enjoy doing that. To be able to pick up and go whenever you want. Of course, I don’t have the money for a plane either, but flying one would be great.
Something that most people don’t know about me is I came from the world of animal medicine before being in customer service. I was a veterinary technician for twenty years. It’s very similar in that you have customers and clients who need something or want something. They need your help and you need to be an active listener and take care of whatever the situation is.
My favorite movie quote is, “He’ll regret it till his dying day, if ever he lives that long.” I’m all about quirky humor and it’s a funny line. It’s an awesome movie, The Quiet Man. You have to watch it.
My favorite core value with AquaPhoenix is, DO THE RIGHT THING. I feel like that is what life is about. I’m very much a rule follower. Probably too much so. Just do the right thing, you’ll never go wrong.
My husband makes a really mean bruschetta. It’s probably my favorite food. Next summer when our tomatoes and basil grow in, I’ll bring everybody some. It’s awesome.
Oh, do I have pets. I currently have five rescues; three cats and two dogs. And I have had an insane moment where I have decided that I need another golden retriever puppy. So I have a deposit on a golden retriever puppy that is being born next month. SO by December I’ll be pulling out my hair chasing a puppy. We’ll have six pets in our house and it’ll be chaotic and fun and crazy and I can’t wait.
Courtney Repman, Purchasing Manager at AquaPhoenix, discusses her work, trip to India, and more.
As a Purchasing Manager, myself and my team, are in charge of all the buying of our purchased products both on the industrial side of the business as well as the educational side. So looking for new vendors, finding the products, finding alternative products that will work. Everything day in and day out related to that.
Maybe not my favorite project, but most memorable, was the Salesforce implementation. That was the most unusual project for me to work on and out of my element. But it also was the most challenging and taught me a lot on the front-end order entry and how our Customer Service team works. So that was definitely most memorable, but probably not my favorite.
Most embarrassing is probably this right but most memorable would be my trip to India with Henry and Brandon. That was definitely a good AquaPhoenix moment. Visiting with one of our suppliers at the glass blowing factory was a really good highlight and also some of our personal trips to see the Golden Palace and the Pakistan border was pretty good.
For new hires, I would suggest coming in every day ready to have a good time but also being ready to work hard and do your best each and every day.
If I could learn anything it would probably be a back handspring or something gymnastic-related because I have no coordination.
Fun fact, I once won a free vacation to Las Vegas while sitting in traffic in Philadelphia only to find out I could not go because I was twenty and not twenty-one at the time. So it was pretty devastating.
I hate dumb movies like this but from Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”
My favorite core value here is to Employ Individuals with GAS. It’s original, I think it’s funny, and it plays a huge part in why we are successful here at AquaPhoenix.
My favorite food would be boardwalk fries with lots of vinegar or if you could pick candy it would be sour patch watermelon if that counts as a food.
Yes, I have a golden doodle named Murphy who those of you who work here have probably seen him a few times and he is overdue for a visit. That’s the only pet we have.
Back in 2017, when we moved into our new HQ in Hanover, PA we hosted an open house to celebrate the new digs. An open house is never complete without a signature cocktail, and so ‘The Phoenix Cocktail’ was born. We’ve kept the recipe secret ever since. Until now! Read on so you too can enjoy this fun drink.
Please review the testing and safety tips first:
Now, on to the delicious recipe.
Ingredients:
*The tea is the star ingredient in this recipe. You can find it online. It’s also known as Blue Tea and is a caffeine-free herbal tea.
For the mocktail version, skip step 3. This tea is pretty tasty on its own.
Tasty Tips:
Salud!