FUNCTIONAL-APPROACH LEADS TO SUCCESSFUL ICA ACROSS 124 WATER AND 389 WASTE-WATER TREATMENT WORKS

Thames Water Utilities Limited operates a complex network of 124 water and 389 wastewater treatment works. Regulatory requirements are drivi ng a massive capital programme of more than 2 Pounds Billion over 5 ye ars to improve performance of these facilities. Improvements are plann ed, engineered, and operated by a variety of internal and external gro ups and individuals. Shareholders are demanding profitability and the Director General is pushing for improvements to customer service. To a chieve its objectives, Thames has developed an instrumentation, contro l and automation (ICA) systems master plan. The plan is based on the u tility s water and wastewater functional requirements. The functional approach is applied to the large number of diverse facilities by group ing facilities and processes into classifications. The approach is use d throughout the plan. Each process and its associated process control strategy are clearly defined to ensure consistency and the cost-effec tive implementation of instrumentation and control across Thames. The functional approach was developed for each process control strategy us ing a series of structured workshops to achieve consensus and company- wide acceptance. Each department of the utility was involved in the wo rkshops (including engineering, operations, maintenance, management sy stems, research and development, operational science). Top management sponsored the planning effort and committed to making the plan a reali ty.