HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12o - Software Programing for the City SCADA SystemPurchase Order with SoCal SCADA Solutions
August 20, 2024
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DATE: August 20, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Paul Cranmer, Public Works Services Director
By: John Corona Utilities Superintendent
Janessa Kalanjian, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: PURCHASE ORDER WITH SOCAL SCADA SOLUTIONS FOR THE
INSTALLATION, PROGRAMMING, AND CUSTOMIZATION OF THE
IGNITION SOFTWARE PROGRAM FOR THE CITY SCADA SYSTEM
AND REPLACEMENT OF SCADA REMOTE TERMINAL UNITS AT
ORANGE GROVE WATER FACILITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $247,731
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
The City of Arcadia Public Works Services Department (“PWSD”) uses Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition software, commonly referred to as “SCADA”, to monitor the
City’s water system equipment. In Fiscal Year 2023-24, the current SCADA system
underwent a comprehensive audit, which identified the software program as operating
with outdated technology and in need of replacement. Staff determined that Ignition
SCADA Platform (“Ignition”) was the software platform most compatible with Arcadia’s
water system. In May 2024, the City Council approved the purchase of the Ignition
software. Now that the new software has been purchased, the next step is to install
Ignition at all the City’s water facilities, which requires complex programming and
customization connect all monitoring equipment to the Ignition program. In addition to the
software upgrade, there are two Remote Terminal Units (“RTU’s”) at the Orange Grove
Water Facility that will be replaced with upgraded RTU hardware and be programmed
with Ignition.
To complete the installation and programming of Ignition software, it is necessary that the
consultant have complete access to the water system, and that the consultant have a
comprehensive understanding of both Ignition software and all components of the water
operating system. Due to the sensitive nature of allowing access to the water system and
in the interest of preserving security measures, City staff is recommending the installation
be performed by our current SCADA consultant, SoCal SCADA Solutions (“SoCal
SCADA”). SoCal SCADA has extensive knowledge of Arcadia’s water operating system,
existing hardware and is an experienced programmer for Ignition software. They will be
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August 20, 2024
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able to complete the necessary programming and customization in a timely manner
without disruption to day-to-day operations, while providing the City added security during
the transition.
It is recommended that the City Council approve a sole source Purchase Order with SoCal
SCADA Solutions to provide a complete software system installation, programming, and
customization of the new Ignition platform for the City SCADA system, and the
replacement of two Remote Terminal Units for the Orange Grove Water Facility in the
amount of $247,731.
BACKGROUND
The City of Arcadia water system contains 11 active groundwater wells, 33 booster
pumps, 15 reservoirs, and 2 forebays. Each water site contains various computer systems
that operate and monitor the wells, boosters, and overall activity for each site. Because
the water sites are operating 24 hours a day, it is necessary to constantly monitor the
systems and be able to adjust and address emergencies remotely and in real time. All
modern water systems use a SCADA program to monitor and remotely control each
aspect of their water system. SCADA systems provide real time monitoring data, alarm
reporting, historical data mining, and remote-control access to make necessary
adjustments to each component of the water system. SCADA systems must be
compatible with various types of equipment, be user friendly for water system operators,
and offer robust and available technical support.
Arcadia has used the current SCADA software system, Genesis32 SCADA
(“Genesis32”), for over 25 years. Genesis32 is proprietary software that has not been
maintained for over 10 years and operates on outdated 32-bit Microsoft technology.
Because Genesis32 has not kept up with current technology, it is not guaranteed that it
will continue to be compatible with future upgrades to our system. Should there be any
significant failures to the software, it would be difficult to find a technician familiar with
Genesis32 and there are no guarantees that the issue could be resolved. Based on this
information, a comprehensive audit of the exiting SCADA system was conducted in Fiscal
Year 2023-24, and recommended the City upgrade to a newer software.
To determine which SCADA software would be most suitable for the City’s water system,
PWSD worked with a technical consultant to perform an analysis of SCADA software
currently on the market. The analysis reviewed all equipment currently used at each water
site, the technical specifications needed for compatibility, identified the deficiencies in the
current Genesis32 system, and compared these items to specifications and capabilities
of newer software programs. They determined that while there are other SCADA systems
on the market that would be compatible with our water system, Ignition Platform, provided
by Inductive Automation, best addresses the insufficiencies of the current Genesis32
system while providing user-friendly software that has readily available technical support.
On May 7, 2024, the City Council approved a sole source Purchase Order with Inductive
Purchase Order with SoCal SCADA Solutions
August 20, 2024
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Automation, LLC, for the purchase of the Ignition SCADA Platform software to replace
the antiquated Genesis32 software.
To upgrade outdated hardware, PWSD has been upgrading the Remote Terminal Units
(“RTUs”) within the water system on an ongoing basis. RTUs are microprocessor-
controlled devices that interface with all the monitoring equipment components at a water
site and transmit their data to the SCADA system. RTUs act as a hub to transmit
information collectively rather than from each component individually. Each water site
may have multiple RTUs depending on the amount and size of the equipment at the site.
The City has used Bristol Babcock 3330 (“Bristol”) RTU systems for nearly 20 years.
While these units are compatible with the new Ignition software, they are no longer
supported and will not be reliable in the long term. PWSD has been actively replacing the
Bristol systems with Emerson Control Wave RTU (“Emerson”) hardware, a newer RTU
system that is compatible with existing equipment and the new Ignition software. To keep
the process cost effective, PWSD has been purchasing Emerson hardware components
on an ongoing basis. Older, less reliable Bristol units were prioritized for replacement first,
followed by other water sites, based on importance. The next facility to be upgraded to
the Emerson RTUs is the Orange Grove well site.
The Orange Grove Water Facility is the most crucial component of Arcadia’s water
system. The facility includes four water wells that produce approximately 2,000 acre feet
of water per year, four water reservoirs capable of storing nearly 15 million gallons of
potable water, and six booster stations that distribute potable water to various areas of
the water system. Since PWSD has the Emerson hardware on-hand, replacing the two
units at Orange Grove simultaneously with the transition to the Ignition software would be
the most efficient and cost-effective route. The RTU replacement involves prebuilding the
hardware panel and will require numerous hours of testing and control confirmation during
the replacement process. Once the hardware panels are built, they will be connected to
the Ignition software system after its installation is completed.
DISCUSSION
The Ignition software must now be installed, programmed, and customized to operate as
the City’s primary SCADA software. Programming requires detailed knowledge of the
Ignition software as well as experience with the various monitoring equipment and
components that make up the Arcadia water system. Programming also involves
providing full access to the independent server that houses the SCADA software data,
which poses a potential security risk due to the sensitive information and ability to
augment the current system’s day-to-day activities. For these reasons, any potential
consultant would need to undergo a background check and be cleared by the City’s IT
consultant before being provided with the access needed to perform the upgrade.
Due to the complex understanding of both the Ignition software and City’s existing water
system components, and in the interest of minimizing security concerns, it is
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August 20, 2024
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recommended that SoCal SCADA perform the water system upgrade to Ignition Platform
SCADA software; and replace the two existing Bristol Babcock 3330 (“Bristol”) Remote
Terminal Units. SoCal SCADA is the City’s current SCADA software maintenance
provider and has comprehensive knowledge of Arcadia’s water system, as well as its
various components and monitoring equipment. SoCal SCADA is the only local vendor
proficient in the current Iconics Genesis32 software and has, therefore, been the City’s
sole source provider for the existing SCADA system. They have provided satisfactory
work in maintaining the system and troubleshooting errors as they arise. SoCal SCADA
will be able to simultaneously keep the Genesis32 system operational, allowing City staff
to maintain normal operations while they perform the upgrades, customization, and
testing necessary to switch over to Ignition software.
There is built in redundancy in the water system so that programming can be done without
disrupting day-to-day activities. While there are other consultants that could perform the
programming of Ignition, it would not be guaranteed that they are familiar with all the
various components that make up the water monitoring system, and SoCal SCADA would
likely still need to be involved to ensure the Genesis32 software remains fully operational
during the transition. Having SoCal SCADA perform the work also reduces security
concerns since they already have the access necessary to perform the work. Once the
water system is fully transitioned to Ignition, the City will be less reliant on a single provider
as Ignition is widely used and many companies provide technical assistance for the
software.
Full transition to Ignition software is expected to take two to three months, which includes
programming, testing, and training City staff on the software. During this time, the two
replacement RTU units for the Orange Grove water site will also be assembled, tested,
installed, and programmed to the new software. Assembling the units should take about
one week and involves building a “board” out of the individual hardware components,
which the City has previously purchased, and connecting them into one cohesive system.
SoCal SCADA will complete the RTU replacement simultaneously with the software
upgrade. For these reasons, it is recommended that the City enter into a sole source
contract for these services.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action of upgrading software does not constitute a project under the
California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it
will have no impact on the environment.
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August 20, 2024
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FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds are available in the Department’s Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operating Budget
for the installation, programming, and customization of the Ignition software for the City
SCADA system, and the replacement of two RTU’s for the Orange Grove water facility.
The maximum amount expected to be spent for this effort is $247,731.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a
project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and approve a Purchase
Order with SoCal SCADA Solutions for the installation, programming, and customization
of the Ignition Software Program for the City SCADA system and the replacement of
SCADA Remote Terminal Units at Orange Grove Water Facility in the amount of
$247,731.