TOP: Johnny Hornsby, treatment plant operator with the Jackson County Water Association, uses broadband to monitor the system's water supply. RIGHT: Hall checks the SCADA equipment that allows Booneville Water and Sewage System workers to monitor water levels and quality from a single location.
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It’s pretty remarkable all that we can do with this technology. Barring any mechanical breakdowns, one person can sit here and operate the entire plant.
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stations and control tank levels to maintain water supply to the entire district. “Barring any mechanical breakdowns, one person can sit here and operate the entire system,” Hall says. The Jackson County Water Association has similar technology that also allows employees to monitor all aspects of the water system from a single location. John Powell, water system manager, says an employee needs only a laptop and a broadband Internet connection to operate pump stations along about 320 miles of lines and monitor water levels in all 10 Jackson County tanks. Prior to this technology, employees were forced to drive from one end of the county to the other to manually check water levels. Powell says this increased fuel costs and was extremely time-consuming. “This saves a lot of travel time,” Powell says. “It is hard to imagine how we ever got by without this.” Hall agrees and credits the fast, reliable Internet technology provided by PRTC. “Without high-speed Internet, we couldn’t do all the things we can do now,” he says. Booneville Mayor Charles Long is quick to brag about the water system, which he says is one of the crown jewels of the region. “We have one of the best water systems in the country,” Long says. ”I’m mighty proud of this city right now and all that we have accomplished over the years.” In 1968, the Booneville Water and Sewage System only had two water tanks, but the system, much like its counterpart in Jackson County, was forced to grow quickly to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for water and sewage treatment. Water district officials in Owsley and Jackson counties say the new, modern technology will allow the system to operate efficiently for years to come as the region continues to grow. “It’s pretty remarkable all that we can do with this technology,” Hall says. “It really helps us lower costs and operate more efficiently.”
–David Hall, water system superintendent Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative
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