Cottonwood Shores completes automation of city water system
Cottonwood Shores. Staff photo by Maci Cottingham
Cottonwood Shores has completed the final phase of a multi-year effort to automate its water system, allowing water pumps on Lake LBJ to automatically respond to demand from the city’s water treatment plant.
The city recently activated its raw water pump station supervisory control and data acquisition control system, completing the automation of the water supply and treatment process, according to the City Manager J.C. Hughes. The pump station, located on Lake LBJ, serves as the city’s water supply source.
The new telemetry system collects data in real time and automatically turns raw water pumps on or off based on demand from the water treatment plant, improving efficiency and reducing the need for manual monitoring.
Before the upgrade, city employees relied on manual controls, visual inspections and a flag system to notify staff whether raw water pumps were operating.
Over the past two years, the city has automated its water system in phases, linking the water treatment plant, water tower and raw water pump station through a telemetry network that monitors water levels and automatically signals when additional water is needed.
The water treatment plant and raw water pump station are also equipped with emergency backup generators, allowing the telemetry control system to continue operating during power outages.