Fresh water in Mexico thanks to Paessler and INSYS icom

Heterogeneous water management systems

The Mexican SE3 (Sistemas Eléctricos y Electrónicos Especializado) and the local utility JAPAY (Potable Water and Sewerage Board of Yucatá) are promoting automation for a variety of systems for fresh water supply, wastewater disposal and water treatment. JAPAY is responsible for the greater area around the metropolis of Mérida.

As an elementary resource, water is vital for households and critical for companies. Water management uses physical, chemical and biological processes to treat water and clean it of suspended solids, pollutants and contaminants. Economic, technical, institutional and social factors must be taken into account in order to comply with specified standards and regulations. In the process, large amounts of data from various waterworks and specialised plant systems accumulate that need to be monitored: for example, it is a matter of filling levels, flow rates, energy requirements, aerator performance, pump conditions, etc. JAPAY must act with the shortest possible reaction time: It is relevant to avoid failures and to minimise maintenance-related interruptions and make them plannable.

Comprehensive monitoring of all plants

High-quality drinking water and clean wastewater are the main goals for the four plants Mérida I to IV, seven collection basins and over 100 different systems in the water management system. Operating and status data of all affected systems at various locations are read out via flexible industrial routers from INSYS icom. The interface flexibility of the INSYS icom devices, which can understand IT protocols as well as plant-specific OT protocols (operational technology), digital and analogue signals, and transmit them via mobile radio, is relevant here.

All data is translated into modern protocols such as MQTT and stored in the cloud in the Paessler PRTG Hosted Monitor monitoring solution from Paessler AG in Nuremberg. An efficient and clear visualisation via individual dashboards provides an overall view of all operating parameters – whether in a technical control centre or on the smartphones of employees.

Automated monitoring of all operating parameters maximises operational reliability

The reliable and automated real-time delivery of various operating parameters by INSYS icom routers plus data processing and visualisation via the flexible monitoring solution of Paessler AG became a showcase project. All important components of the water management of JAPAY in Mérida are monitored in real time, which means that maintenance can no longer be implemented reactively, but proactively and even “predictively”. This not only saves costs, but also reduces unplanned outages to a minimum, thus safeguarding the water supply of the Merida metropolitan region.