The City of Ottawa commissioned a comprehensive overhaul of the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and human-machine interface (HMI) systems that operate its drinking water treatment and distribution network. The project’s primary objective was to replace aging digital infrastructure and align it with current standards for reliability and operational efficiency while maintaining uninterrupted water service for the community.
CIMA+, through its automation and digital technologies expertise, served as the prime consultant for the project. The team designed and implemented a modernized SCADA and high-performance HMI solution that replaced the legacy platform in operation across the City’s drinking water system, with upgrades at the Britannia and Lemieux Island Water Purification Plants and at approximately 40 remote distribution sites. The work involved a complete rebuild of the system architecture, operator interfaces and underlying databases. This included the introduction of a centrally managed system that simplifies maintenance and ensures consistent performance across facilities, as well as simplified, ergonomically designed graphics that emphasize situational awareness and reduce alarm fatigue.
With the upgrades, the City now benefits from a more resilient control environment, streamlined upkeep, improved operator performance and reduced energy use and equipment wear. The upgraded system strengthens the long-term sustainability of the drinking water network and enhances the City’s ability to manage critical infrastructure safely and efficiently.
Building operator confidence while protecting critical operations
The upgrades were implemented through a pilot testing approach that addressed two key challenges: managing change for operations staff, who had relied on the legacy interface for many years, and implementing the new control system without disrupting live drinking water operations. The new SCADA and HMI system was developed and validated in parallel with the existing live system, eliminating any risk of service disruption. During testing, operators were able to interact with real-time data in a safe pilot environment, building familiarity and confidence with the new interface prior to full deployment. This hands-on exposure transformed change management into a collaborative process, reducing resistance, improving training outcomes, and ensuring a smooth, disruption-free transition for critical infrastructure.
Clearer insight, lower stress, better decisions
The upgraded high-performance HMI gives operators a clearer, more intuitive view of system conditions by replacing cluttered, colour-heavy screens with simplified graphics that highlight abnormal or actionable conditions. Key process information is presented with visual context like trends and ranges to allow operators to quickly see not only current values but how conditions are changing over time. Smarter alarm presentation reduces unnecessary alerts and helps staff focus on what requires attention, supporting faster, more confident decision-making and a calmer, more effective operating environment.
Efficiency that reduces environmental impacts and costs
The upgraded SCADA and high-performance HMI system advances environmental and financial sustainability by enabling more precise monitoring and control of treatment and pumping processes across the drinking water network. Improved system visibility and smarter alarming reduce over-treatment, unnecessary pumping and excessive equipment cycling, lowering energy use, chemical consumption and mechanical wear. The centralized, zero-client architecture further reduces lifecycle costs by simplifying system maintenance, minimizing hardware and software requirements, and decreasing power consumption and electronic waste, delivering long-term operational efficiency and environmental benefits.