FAQ: What Happens to My SCADA System if the Power Goes Out?

At some point, a thunderstorm, freeze, or other severe weather will pass through your community. As water operators, this can raise the question: what will happen to my SCADA-operated infrastructure if the power goes out or internet connection is lost?

It's a realistic question and one we receive often here at SitePro: what happens to the SCADA system if it loses power? There could be many reasons behind the outage, with some of the more common concerns being inclement weather and cyber attacks. Many systems are ill-prepared for such circumstances which could lead to vulnerabilities or a complete shutdown of your operations. This could force your water operators to run the facilities manually, lead to tank overflows, complete data loss, and more. This can prove detrimental to your infrastructure and city's water supply.

Here at SitePro, we want to make sure you always have complete visibility of your site so that doesn't happen, and your community isn't left stranded. Data acquisition is uninterrupted as our software has the capability to store your data locally. SitePro can also provide backup power systems that will safely shut down the automation systems in the event of a power outage. 

Monitoring and control are also still available at our on-site panels. Furthermore, alarms will notify users there is currently a power outage or an internet connection issue, allowing your water operators enough time to make any necessary adjustments before power is restored.

Interested in seeing a real-life example? Check out our friends at the City of Tahoka and their story.

SitePro consultant and former city manager Darrell Newsom explained in the video below other ways in which SitePro responds to a power failure. Watch the video to learn more about the precautions our software takes to ensure you're still in charge of your operations, even in the most inconvenient times.

Darrell: "During budget time, it's really important to look at power because we hear that if we do have malicious attacks on our infrastructure, probably one of the first targets would be power."

Regardless of the SCADA system you may be using, Darrell recommends a few important considerations to avoid an outage in general. If possible, it might be wise to incorporate expenses for the following within your budget:

• Backup generators
• Portable generators
• Any sort of additional power

Darrell: "SitePro does a really good job of being very self-healing in the fact that if it loses power, it continues to run on uninterrupted power supplies...and it's very good at shutting down if the power doesn't come back on."

But he still emphasizes the importance of having a backup power source just in case, especially for the health and safety of your wells and lift stations.

Darrell: "SitePro is pretty effective at not only controlling them on the day-to-day functions, but if you do lost power, it's good at turning the power back on for you through at adjunct generator."

Imagine having peace of mind knowing your community's water is in safe hands, no matter the circumstances. We would love to set up a time to learn more about your ideal SCADA platform.