Case Studies
Data solutions to make small-community water treatment assets more resilient
In 2015, the town of Dixon in California celebrated the installation of three novel treatment plants removing contaminants like chromium-6 (Cr-6) from the local water supply. A year later, the nearby community of Willows completed the installation of four similar systems. The facilities—purpose-designed for small communities—were led by California Water Service (Cal Water), the third largest water utility in the United States.
Having selected the treatment technology, Cal Water experts then forged an “innovation ecosystem” to optimize the treatment process for maximum performance and cost efficiency over long-term operation. The ecosystem players include equipment manufacturers, local maintenance experts, and datumpin, a software-as-a-service (SAAS) company that provides data solutions to monitor, analyze & optimize equipment performance in real time.
Reflecting on the five-year mark, Evan Markey, District Manager of Cal Water’s Willows, Marysville and Redwood Valley service areas, observed: “Tackling contaminants like Cr-6 called for a fresh approach – not just to find the best technology to remove the contaminant, but to do so at the lowest possible cost to deliver safe drinking water while keeping customers’ bills as low as possible.
“For Cal Water,” said Markey, “the imperative is to maintain and improve water treatment performance as equipment ages.”
Five years on, the systems remain resilient assets for the Dixon and Willows communities, performing with minimal downtime and continuing to improve on the rigorous cost-of-ownership budgets established in 2015.
“Comprehensive performance tracking is critical to keep our equipment in the best possible condition within strict budgets.”
Evan Markey, Cal Water