IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AT A MUNICIPAL

WATER TREATMENT PLANT USING AN ETHERNET

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH ANALYTICAL
INSTRUMENTATION
Vickie G. Olson
Honeywell Process Solutions
Atlanta, Georgia

KEYWORDS
Industrial Ethernet, Fiber Optics, pH, ORP

ABSTRACT
The Gadsden Water Works & Sewer Board (GWWSB) in Alabama determined it would be able
to better control city water quality by monitoring water chemistry using industrial ethernet
protocol. For an upgrade to the water plant, which is in pre-design, GWWSB was able to set up
this communication system for their existing plant to test its effectiveness. Oxidation-Reduction
Potential (ORP) and pH probes with digital dual analyzers were set up to communicate process
variables, temperature, diagnostics, alarms and other data via ethernet protocol direct to the plant
intranet and SCADA system. ORP information was used to control potassium permanganate
addition at the raw water inlet to improve oxidation. This process is used to remove color and
odor, and optimize taste, while reducing organics, iron and manganese. The pH information was
used to better control alum addition at the coagulation/clarification process. The plant saw
several advantages using ethernet communication with fiber optic cable, including elimination of
communication problems due to electrical surges, ease of communication, and more detailed
information. As a result, GWWSB decided to go with this system for their new water plant as
well as for their two existing wastewater treatment operations.

INTRODUCTION
Over the years, pneumatics, relays and 4-20 milliamp analog outputs from instrumentation have
been used for automated control. More recently, digital outputs such as Modbus, Fieldbus and
Profibus have been used to communicate with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or Digital
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ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

Control Systems (DCS) on a separate server. Ethernet communication was introduced by

Metcalfe and associates in 1972, but improvements in speed and quality made since 1995 have
made ethernet more practical and a growing method for communication for industrial
applications [1, 2]. With ethernet communication, instrumentation information can go directly
into a plant network via copper wire or fiber optic cable. In the evaluation by GWWSB,
continuous data from the plant network was displayed on an Isilog supervisory control and data
acquisition (SCADA) system in the form of a spreadsheet.
The GWWSB is a grade IV surface water plant with capacity for 24 million gallons per day
(MGD) and averages 14-15 MGD. It processes raw river water from the Coosa River.
Instrumentation data was being taken manually, rather than with analog outputs to other
methods. A new water plant upgrade has been in pre-design, and GWWSB was able to set up an
ethernet communication system for their existing plant to test its effectiveness. GWWSB chose
to use fiber optics cable, rather than wireless, to avoid the risk of lost data due to possible lapses
in communication. The GWWSB does use wireless successfully at pumping stations and for
billing.
The plant plans to upgrade in 2011/2012 to a graphic user interface multi-functional HMI
SCADA system such as Trihedral VTS for the water and wastewater treatment plants. At this
point the instruments being used with ethernet communication are pH and oxidation-reduction
potential (ORP) probes with UDA2182 digital dual analyzers. The plant is in the process of
installing flowmeters with ethernet communication to add to this control system.
The pH analyzers are being used to control pH in a coagulation basin. Alum (primarily
aluminum sulfate) is added as a flocculant to reduce suspended solids, but it causes a reduction
in pH due to resulting sulfuric acid [3]. Sodium hydroxide is added based on the pH data to raise
the pH to required levels. The probes selected use Ion Specific Field Effect Transistor (ISFET)
technology for the measuring electrode, rather than more traditional glass. ISFET gave them
faster response as well as more durability.
The ORP analyzers are used to regulate the effectiveness of oxidation by potassium
permanganate addition at the raw water intake. Permanganate is used to remove color and odor,
optimize taste, while reducing iron and manganese. Organics and biological growth is also
reduced with permanganate [4].

INSTALLATION OF ETHERNET SYSTEM

Setting up the SCADA system for the pH and ORP information coming from the analyzer
involved first using the analyzer software transmitted to the plant intranet system. The analyzer
provided:
Web pages to monitor readings, alarms, statuses, events
Web pages to setup ethernet port settings
Email to send alarm status changes
Modbus TCP protocol to read signals and read/write variables
Remote communication via to Process Internet Explorer (PIE)
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Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

10/100 base T auto-negotiation

The ethernet port was connected using a standard RJ45 connector with shielded twisted-pair,
Category 5 (STP CAT5) straight-through or crossover ethernet cable. Ethernet parameters were
configured via the front-panel and web browser.
To access the web pages on a network, the supplied IP address, a static IP address assigned by
IT, or DHCP if the network has DHCP support, may be used. To use DHCP, a change would
need to be made on the communication status menu on the analyzer to determine the IP address
assigned by the DHCP server as shown in Figure 1.

COMMSetup
STATUS
00-40
MACaddrHi
Inputs
84-00-00-01
MACaddrLo
DHCP

Yes

IPaddr

192. 168.1. 254

SubnetMsk

255. 255.255. 0

Gateway

192. 168.1. 1

FIGURE 1. COMMUNICATION STATUS WINDOW SHOWING IP INITIAL ADDRESS

On entering the IP address on the computers web browser, a welcome page appeared and then a
parameter page as seen on Figure 2.
Data on this screen was set to update every 10 seconds.
In addition to reading data off the SCADA system, the plant could also see the last twelve events
from the analyzer output on the next web page, which could include power outages, alarms and
diagnostics, as shown on Figure 3.
By entering network configuration to a group of pages, shown beginning at Figure 4, the
administrator assigned an IP address and could set analyzer e-mail address and e-mail alarm
recipients.
Once the IP address was established, the GWSSB plant was able to send the information directly
to the SCADA system.

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Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

FIGURE 2. PARAMETERS PAGE

FIGURE 3. EVENT HISTORY EXAMPLE

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Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

FIGURE 4. NETWORK CONFIGURATION

RESULTS OF ETHERNET COMMUNICATION EVALUATION

Jack Davis, Superintendent of Production & Treatment at GWWSB, and staff found three
advantages of communicating through ethernet versus more traditional methods.

DIGITAL DATA
Receiving digital data provided quick and accurate information directly to the plant network, so
those with password protected access could check on how the plant is operating on their desktop
or laptop computer. Event history, temperature, calibration information, diagnostic faults, as well
as the pH and ORP data could be accessed. This ease of communication allowed for remote
adjustment for calibration and immediate knowledge of water chemistry excursions.

WATER QUALITY
Although there was not enough data yet on whether chemicals were saved by faster, more
reliable response, water quality was excellent while using this ethernet system for chemical
control. The plant operators monitored pH and ORP data on their computer displays. They use
the pH data to watch pH drops during alum addition and added the correct amount of sodium
Session 2.3: Page 5
Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

hydroxide to bring pH levels back to the desired level. They are not using the ORP for control at
this time, but are continuing to look at correlations with permanganate addition.

ELECTRICAL SURGE
Data carried over copper cable typically receives a great deal of interference due to
electromagnetic interference (EMI) from electrical surges, and radio frequency. Care must be
taken in copper wire installations to reduce this. Electrical surges are very common in drinking
water plants due to the substantially large pumps being turned on and off at frequent intervals.
Over this evaluation, the plant saw that ethernet digital data carried over fiber optic cable did not
have this interference; the data was thus received more accurately.

OTHER ADVANTAGES
Justification to specify industrial ethernet protocol and/or fiber optic cable for the new system
could also include:

Using standard routers, switches and optical fiber, installation is less expensive than
equivalent serial-port devices
No need for a server; this is less costly, and makes the information more available
Better interoperability
Fiber optic cable is smaller and lighter making it easier to handle and install.
Fiber optic cable also uses less power and provides less signal degradation than copper
cables.
For better security, fiber optic cable is much more difficult to tap than wire [5].

CONCLUSION
Due to the successful evaluation of using ethernet with analytical instrumentation analysis at the
existing Gadsden Water Works, efforts are underway to include this system at the new water
plant upgrade and add it to their two existing wastewater treatment plants. Instead of Icilog,
GWSSB plans to install VTS for control of new plant processes. Further processes that may be
monitored or controlled with ethernet in the future is the water plants new Orica Magnetic Ion
Exchange for water purification, Chlorine gas disinfection process, and UV254 and TOC
organics analyses.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks go to Jack Davis, Joel Wise, and Mike Lankford at GWWSB, and Ron Puckett of AWC
Inc. for their help with this paper.
Session 2.3: Page 6
Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.

REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

Frenzel, Louis E., Ethernet: A History, Electronic Design E-Magazine, April 9,

2009.
Johnson, Glenn, Determinism in Industrial Ethernet: A Technology Overview Part
II, Process Online E-Magazine, August 18, 2009.
American Water Works Association, Coagulation and Flocculation, Principles and
Practices of Water Supply Operations, 3rd Edition, 2003, page 54.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Potassium Permanganate, EPA Guidance
Manual Alternative Disinfectants and Oxidants, April 1999, Chapter 5, pages 5-1 to
5-15.
Higgins, Riley, Advantages of Fiber Optic Cable over Copper Wire, E-zine
@rticles, May 1, 2009.

Session 2.3: Page 7

Copyright 2011, International Society of Automation. All rights reserved.
ISA 56th Analysis Division Symposium 2011, League City, TX.