By networking the special structures in the sewer network with TeleMatic and the superior SCADA-system SCADA V10, Winterberg municipal utility can supervise the special features of the network beyond normal operation and adapt operations accordingly. To do so, they have performed decisive modernization to enable a better control.
Winterberg is one of the well-known places in the Hochsauerland and, as the Winterbergers say: “the center of the Hochsauerland”, if not geographically, but definitely as a tourist center in the thousand-mountain-land. Winterberg, located at 700 meters above sea level, is also the highest town in North Rhine-Westphalia. Almost 14,000 residents here live on a generous 15,000 hectares, which they have to share with many tourists all year round. The state-acknowledged climatic health resort has around 1.2 million overnight stays and around 2 million day visitors per year. The reference to these figures is certainly relevant to this article as the entire infrastructure of the city must be designed accordingly. A part of this infrastructure is managed by Winterberg municipal utility companies. Since the beginning of 2007, they, in the organizational form according to the public law institution (AöR), have been responsible for the water supply and wastewater treament in the city of Winterberg and its extensively scattered towns and residential areas. This also includes the operation of two sewage treatment plants.
Just as widely scattered as towns and residential areas are many plants, facilities and special structures of the water technology infrastructure, which are operated by the Winterberg municipal utility companies and have been expanded over the years – also due to the increasing number of guests.
The old control system was also operating for years and was no longer suitable for the increasing tasks. A new, sought solution was sought and found at HST in Meschede. Last but not least, the local proximity between Meschede, where HST is located, and Winterberg was decisive, as the Winterbergers were looking for a supplier from the surrounding area. Above all, however, HST scored points during the initial discussions in Winterberg with a system solution in which automation, remote monitoring and the process control system come “from a single source”. “The products and system solutions from HST convinced us”, says Henrik Weiß from the Winterberg municipal utility company. In particular, the solutions for the control and telecontrol technology, which exactly matched the requirement profile. “In addition, we were looking for a partner who was able to work with us to find the best solutions and provide us with competent support”, says Weiß. The cooperation with HST began with the equipment of the special structures with remote data transmission technology (RDT). First of all, the sewer network and the special structures were gradually brought up to the state-of-the-art. The HST process control system SCADA V10, in a first step, was set up and 10 outstations were connected via GPRS. In this course, various switchgears and automation stations were also renewed. Meanwhile 23 special structures are connected to the control center via GPRS.