Laserfiche WebLink
<br />,ilmIONRET: <br /> <br />. Water Control <br />- - - - " . <br />, , <br /> <br /> <br />. Center <br /> <br />The 1989 IID/Metropolitan'WaterDistrict of Southern California (MWD) Water <br />Conservation Agreement, called for, in addition to several irrigation system. upgrades, <br />thecon~truction.ofa modem Water Control CE;!nter that would improve control oEwater <br />~elivery along IID'sl,675rnilesof main cCl!laI$ and laterals. ' <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br /> <br />Operation of the District's main canal system has evolved over the years with <br />, gains in technology. Control of the system was initially handled manually by field <br />personnel. Wat;errouting was accomplished by on-site operation of electrically operated <br />gatesorjn~ycasesby manual gate lifts. Beginning in the late 1950s,remote control <br />eq~ipment wClsilu;talletithat provided control of the larger sites on the main canals- <br />tllroughtelephone lines. This type of control was available from Imperial Headquarters <br />for:the AlI-Amencall.Canaland' the upstrearn half of main canals. <br /> <br />System Automation' <br /> <br />Beginning in the late 1980s,the District replaced approximately half of the old , <br />r~ote control sy~temwith comput~riZed equipment in the field and at the control <br />office. Telephone line communication links to the sites were also replaced with a radio I <br />microwave communication network. This provides automated operation of field sites <br />along withrnoriitoringand control capabilities from the control room. The District's first <br />auto~t~dsite was completed in 1988 with the construction of the Carter Reservoir. <br />Since that time, automation has extended to delivery gates along the District's main <br />canals and laterals with instructions transmitted via radio from the Water Control <br />Center to on-site computers. <br /> <br />Construction <br /> <br />After ain10st one year of construction, the new Water Control Center became <br />fully operational on August 31, 1993. The 10,000 square-foot building, constructed at <br />.lID's ItIlperialheadquarters, houses l:1ardwar~ and software used to regulate automated <br />gates and collect information needed to verify water savings. The building is equipped <br />with a backup generator that ensures uninterrupted power service to the control system. <br />Automated sites are eithe~ solar powered or also equipped with generators. <br />Tl1e $1:43 million command center provides a controlled environment for water <br />dispatchers, engineers and operations personnel. The building is equipped with a <br />visitor's lobby where guests can observe water control operations through a large <br />window, view the latest lID videos simply by touching a button, and examine office <br />artifacts from the 30s, 40s and 50s and pieces of the first system automation equipment. <br />In addition to the main control roOm, the center is also equipped with a large conference <br />room, small kitchen and several administrative offices. <br /> <br />@ lID lfSes recyc1edpaplf1' <br /> <br />External Affairs Departmente P.O. Box 937- 333 E. Barioni Blvd. - Imperial, CA92251 <br />