Mallee, VICTORIA

Project: Telemetry, Remote Site Monitoring & Control

Wimmera Mallee Water provides water for stock and domestic purposes throughout the Northern Mallee.

The Northern Mallee pipeline project had been completed over a number of stages and to date consists of eight pump stations distributing 1130 megalitres of water over 600,000 hectares, to farms and towns Costs to date for this project total $25 million.

GJC Engineers's Role

GJC Engineers became involved in the project in 1995 with Stage II, where we were commissioned to expand the telemetry system to cover a new pump station, elevated tank level control, remote pressure monitoring, pressure and flow control into a storage over a radius of approximately 60kms.

Since this time, GJC have been extensively involved with WMW and more notably GJC upgraded the existing Windows 3.11 Fix DMACS SCADA system to the Windows NT platform and relocated the main host system to a pump station. GJC provided three laptops with Remote Access Services (RAS) to enable WMW field operators to check and control the system from any remote location where a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) phone line exists.

GJC provided training to WMW field operators in the use of laptops and associated software. The system has continued to grow and now has two host SCADA systems, three dial-in laptops and 16 Motorola Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) sites. The system is currently being expanded to included another pumping station and three more RTU sites.

Client Statement

GJC have re-engineered all the original system graphics to a standard that all our staff can easily use with a minimum of online help. GJC have improved the system's reliability three fold since taking over our engineering. GJC provide technical and maintenance phone support 24 hours a day, seven day a week to WMW employees and sub-contractors. They enable any faults to be diagnosed from Adelaide and repaired in Swan Hill, Nyah or Ouyen using local contractors. GJC's support and help directly has helped WMW reliably provide water to its customers and dramatically reduced our operating costs with the laptop remote control system and increased field operators production time.

Bob Briggs

Wimmera Mallee Water.

Regional Manager- Ouyen District

Contact: (03) 5092 1411