Sewer SCADA System Replacement
Project Status
To help keep area residents informed of our construction progress, we will post project updates to this site on a regular basis. Click here to see status updates.
Project Details/Neighborhood
- Various sewer facility locations on Mercer Island
Background
In 2023 and 2024, the City will be upgrading the equipment and communications system at 17 sewer pump stations and select emergency generators around the island. These pump stations move sewage through the sewer lakeline, which rings the island, to discharge points at the north and south ends of the island. From those points, flow moves into the King County system for off-island treatment and disposal. Efficient and reliable operation of the pump stations is vital to maintaining a high level of sanitary sewer service for existing customers. SCADA, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, is the system that the City uses to remotely monitor flows throughout Mercer Island's sewer network. The City's current system is outdated, and repair components for the system are often no longer available, decreasing staff's ability to respond and address issues that arise. Upgrading the controls, alarms, and communication equipment will allow the City's services to run smoothly.
Description
The Sewer SCADA Equipment Replacement Project consists of programmable logic controller (PLC) panel replacement, instrument demolition and replacement, go/no-go panel installation, generator monitoring improvements, field testing and commissioning services for the new control system equipment, and all associated electrical work and training at seventeen of the City's sewer pump station sites..
Construction Project Timeline
Planning/Design (Q1 of 2019 - Q1 of 2023)
Under Construction (Q3 of 2024 - Q4 of 2025)
Contact
Christopher Marks, City of Mercer Island Utilities Engineer: chris.marks@mercerisland.gov
www.mercerisland.gov/SU0113
Status Updates
October 17, 2024
Photos
- All equipment is transported and installed in the City’s below-grade dry well vault.
- Valley Electric wires in the IS and PLC panels.
This past week, Valley Electric has been busy installing panels, instruments, conduit, and wiring at PS 15, located at 4765 Forest Ave SE. Despite the challenges of working in a confined space, they are on track to have the station ready for startup and testing by the end of the week. PS 15 will be the first station to implement the new SCADA interface, marking an important milestone in the project. Next week, Valley Electric will shift their efforts to PS 16 at 5495 W Mercer Way.
October 10, 2024
Photo: The Contractor uses a tri-pod hoist to lower new panels into the pump station
Residents near sewer pump stations 12, 15, 16, and 17 may have noticed increased work vehicles and personnel from Valley Electric and the City of Mercer Island. We want to inform you that work has officially begun—or will soon begin—at these locations. Valley Electric will be on-site for approximately two weeks at each station, focusing on replacing electrical control panels and instrumentation in both the dry and wet wells.
September 26, 2024
Valley Electric has announced that all equipment panels for the first eight pump stations have arrived at their facility and are now being prepared for delivery. Each site will require the installation of at least four panels, including: PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) panel, Intrinsically Safe panel, Go/No-Go panel, and Horn/Beacon panel. Additionally, some generator sites will receive an RIO (Remote Input/Output) panel to enhance wireless communications. The first three stations scheduled to receive these panels, along with wiring and upgrades, are Stations 12, 15, and 16, beginning the second week of October. We anticipate that there will be no impact on the sewer collection system during construction. Most work will take place inside the stations; however, residents in the surrounding areas may notice an increase in work vehicles at the project sites.
August 2024
Photos:
- A QCC technician verifies each panel circuit functions according to design specifications.
- Brown & Caldwell program and test each of the Operator Interface Terminals (OITs) to run the new SCADA software.
Activity on the project continues to ramp up as the team inches closer to the construction start date, now set for the second week of October. We are pleased to report that all electrical permits have been secured. This week, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) was conducted for the first batch of electrical panels at Quality Controls Corporation (QCC), covering 8 out of the 17 planned sites. During FAT, each panel undergoes rigorous testing for compliance with project design specifications, a process that involves meticulously checking each wire, component, and hardware function. As an added benefit, Brown and Caldwell was able to test that all analog and digital signals were accurately displayed on the new sewer SCADA screens.
July 2024
Material and equipment continue to arrive at QCC’s (systems integration subcontractor) warehouse. After all system control panels have been built-up by QCC, each component will undergo factory acceptance testing (FAT). FAT is a critical step in the quality assurance process that ensures all equipment performs according to specification, prior to delivery and installation. FAT will be observed by City staff along with representatives from Brown & Caldwell, QCC, and the various equipment suppliers. FAT for the first batch of station equipment is scheduled for late August.
June 13, 2024
Photo: City Operators review 90% sewer SCADA screens
On June 12th, City staff met with Brown & Caldwell to demonstrate the proposed SCADA screens for each sewer site. City operators were given a chance to navigate menus, export reports, issue control commands, and acknowledge alarms all within a simulated environment. With a scheduled construction start of September, the first site to come online with upgraded SCADA could be as early as October of this year. To prepare for the system cutover, City staff will continue to familiarize themselves with the upgraded SCADA interface and provide feedback to Brown & Caldwell to fine-tune the finished product.
May 22, 2024
The project team continues to track the arrival of critical panel equipment and final work plans for each of the 17 sites. City staff is also tracking the progress of remaining project permits – the Contractor’s electrical permit and the last shoreline development permit are expected shortly. Construction mobilization is still expected for September.
March 29, 2024
At the beginning of the month, Valley Electric along with their systems integrator, QCC, visited all 17 sewer pump stations to verify site conditions and make additional preparations for construction. While some control and electrical panel equipment has arrived, other critical components are not expected until late August. The project team continues to meet regularly to finalize the construction work plans, and also arrange for the controls, monitoring, and contingencies necessary to take station components temporarily offline. Construction is still forecasted for September of 2024.
January 29, 2024
PW staff are currently reviewing Brown & Caldwell’s submittal of the Operator Interface Terminal (OIT) screens. These screens turn the raw data from each sewer pump station into usable information. The OIT screens will not only provide the City’s operators, technicians, and engineers full site monitoring and alarm status, but will also allow local control of station equipment. The City has also been working closely alongside Brown & Caldwell and Valley Electric to track the shipment of vital project equipment. Construction start is still forecasted for September of 2024.
December 2023
The project team met last month to discuss the component, functional, and operational testing requirements for the new equipment being installed at each of the pump stations. This project poses unique challenges given that each station will need to remain fully operational throughout the SCADA system upgrades. Valley Electric continues the submittal approval process. The expected delivery schedule for long-lead items remains unchanged. Construction start is still forecasted for September of 2024.
October 2023
City staff continues to work with the project’s engineering design consultant (Brown & Caldwell) to review submittals from the City’s contractor (Valley Electric). The project team recently finished reviewing and providing comments for the proposed control system equipment panels and racks at pump station 15, which is the first station where work will be performed. Due to material supply shortages, mobilization on the project is still not expected until September of 2024.
August 2023 Update
While actual construction is not set to begin until the Fall of 2024, Valley Electric is busy ordering critical items with long lead times, performing internal quality control and testing, discussing cutover work plans, gathering submittals, and conducting supplementary site visits. With each of the City’s 17 sewer pump stations being of varying ages and configurations, none of the work is “one size fits all”, but instead, is engineered to fit each station.
July 2023 Update
Image 1: PS 16 Generator
Image 2: PS 17 Generator
The project has been issued Shoreline Exemption Permits for 14 of the 17 stations. City staff continues to work to receive permit clearance for the remaining 3 sites. On February 23rd of this year, a project kickoff meeting was held with the successful contract bidder, Valley Electric. On May 9th, a site familiarization meeting was held to familiarize Valley Electric with the logistical and spatial challenges specific to the different work sites. Currently, and in the following months, Brown & Caldwell, in coordination with City Staff, will review and approve Valley Electric’s various product and work submittals.
May 2022 Update
Brown and Caldwell provided an example Shoreline Exemption Permit package for one pump station. Staff have been reviewing these documents and coordinating with Community Planning and Development to ensure all the required elements are met before continuing work for the remaining sites.
April 2022 Update
In February, the City received the 90-percent plans and specifications from Brown and Caldwell, the engineering consultant. Staff reviewed these preliminary documents and provided comments back to the consultant in April. The consultant will work on finalizing these documents in the next couple of months. The consultant will also be providing permitting assistance on this project associated with a Shoreline Exemption Permit.
February 2022 Update
Staff have been investigating permits for this upgrade. Due to the location of these sites, additional permits are required, some which have complex application processes. Some schedule setbacks are anticipated to delay bidding.
November 2021 Update
Brown and Caldwell have been working on the pilot design at one of the sewer pump stations. This model will pave the way for the remaining 16 sites. Additional work is also underway to add monitoring capabilities for the emergency back-up generators.
September 2021 Update
The City’s consultant Brown and Caldwell started design work for the 17 sewer sites in August, starting with the sewer pump station in the Brook Bay neighborhood. They will continue with design of the other stations this fall and early winter and plan to put the project out for construction bids in February 2022.
SU0113 Project Location (1 MB) Mercer Island Sewer System Map (455 KB) What to expect (796 KB) Project Details (32 MB)