Creative Smart Tech Project Resolves Major Compliance and Scope Issues under Extreme Budget and Schedule Constraints
Last week, we learned that the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Arkansas Chapter (ACEC/A) awarded our Wastewater Grinder Lift Station Monitoring project their Engineering Excellence Award in the Building/Technology category.
So last night, several of us from Brown Engineers and the City of Hot Springs attended the awards gala at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock, to proudly collect the award.
We had NO IDEA that we also won the Grand Conceptor Award for best project from all categories!
Representing the judges’ choice for the best project statewide from all category winners, the Grand Conceptor usually goes to big multi-million dollar projects, like the gorgeous river bridge, outdoor sports facility or campus construction projects that won their categories.
Projects that cost Big Serious Money, not a comparatively small project to help prevent backyard sewage overflows–I mean, c’mon–really?!
That’s right, our inventive, offbeat idea to repurpose electric meters to monitor sewer alarms over a water system RNI took top honors–not the expected choice for such a prestigious award. But then, it’s hardly the expected choice for remote alarm monitoring, either.
In fact, we’re not aware of anyone who’s ever tried it before. But more utilities may try it in future, because our novel approach helped resolve a critical environmental compliance issue effectively, swiftly and affordably.
Sometimes it’s better to SAVE millions than spend them.
Our project only cost $1.3 million TOTAL–from concept through closeout. So, what makes it stand out against all the impressive large-scale design/build projects submitted each year?
Stewardship. Municipal utilities have many competing needs, and limited funds to accomplish them all. Opportunities to save millions rather than spend them are rare. We helped Hot Springs do just that. Best of all, as Hot Springs’ Larry Merriman succinctly put it, “The system WORKS.”
3 Things Make This a Winning Project
- EXTREME SCOPE, BUDGET & SCHEDULE CHALLENGES:
Reduce sewer overflows and install remote alarm monitoring at 3,000+ sewer grinder lift stations citywide: sites that lack SCADA* connectivity due to rough steep terrain. Make it affordable, and make it FAST to beat a short environmental compliance deadline. - SAVES TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
Typical SCADA RTU solutions: $45-60 million total, at $15,000-20,000 per site.
Our project: $1.3 million TOTAL (from concept to closeout, only $458 per site) - EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVITY and INNOVATION
Repurposing electric meters to monitor sewer alarms over the water utility’s radio network…now, THAT’S innovation!
*Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (automation & controls programming)
Read more about this innovative, award-winning project…
