RESILIENCY SOLUTIONS & INSIGHT FOR UTILITY MANAGERS
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Water Cybersecurity: ‘Dragonfly’ Prompts Lockdown Of Windows-Based Industrial Control SystemsWith the most recent cyber espionage campaign of the “Dragonfly” group publically identified as having used various malware tools including Havex (Backdoor.Oldrea) and the Energetic Bear RAT (Remote Access Tool), now is the perfect opportunity to harden those Microsoft Windows-based industrial control systems (ICS).
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Water Cybersecurity: Top 6 Vulnerabilities In A Water Infrastructure Industrial Control System (ICS)
Water and wastewater system owners and operators have challenges associated with control systems. Legacy mechanical equipment is being replaced by electronic controllers and telemetry devices. Utilities want the benefits of data displayed to operators, owners, and even customers — accessible anywhere, at any time. Remote control, support, and operation are vital to efficiently managing water infrastructure. However, vulnerabilities exist that need to be addressed. By Darian Slywka
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SCADA Cybersecurity: What Every Water Utility Should Do Now To Prevent An AttackDanger isn’t always obvious. Often the worst threats are the ones that go undetected— until they strike.
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Water Cybersecurity: Encrypt, Encrypt, Encrypt!
No cybersecurity program is 100 percent secure. To expand that thought, no electronic communication can be 100 percent secure. Any vendor that publicizes or offers a guarantee should be immediately looked at with skepticism. However, as system owners and operators, it is your responsibility and that of your colleagues to reduce the attack vectors in your system to the point that it requires too many resources for potential adversaries to continue looking for vulnerabilities – whereas they can find an easier target elsewhere. By Darian Slywka
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Maintaining Data Acquisition Capabilities Through Storms, Cyber AttacksNot all technology holds up during a weather emergency. Electricity often fails, communication methods are compromised, and computer networks go offline.
UTILITY MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Aclara’s PLATINUM_services™
As part of its STAR_select™ solution for water utilities, Aclara Technologies LLC, a leading provider of intelligent infrastructure technologies for water, gas and electric utilities, announces platinum level services for its network and system that make it easier to implement a successful AMI strategy.
VTScada Historian
Standard VTScada Component - No other software does more to protect your historical data and put it to work across your organization.
Security Solutions For Water And Wastewater Operations
A secure facility ensures a secure community. Security solutions from Schneider Electric can help your plant comply with regulations, manage budget constraints, and eliminate the risk of contamination.
Plantstruxure PES
PlantStruxure™ PES (Process Expert System) is the innovative process-automation system from Schneider Electric that provides the single global database design and diagnostic features of a Distributed Control System (DCS). The energy-aware architecture allows companies to rapidly design systems, reduce downtime, and increase process and energy efficiency.
N_SIGHT™ Software Suite
System health. Customer service. Revenue enhancement. These days, utilities must go far beyond basic meter reading to achieve the intelligent functionality they require. Neptune’s N_SIGHT™ software suite was designed to help get them there.
R900® System
It's amazing how far you can take an endpoint – while leaving it right where it's always been. The R900® radio frequency meter interface unit (RF MIU) requires no reprogramming. The same high resolution, 8-digit E-Coder® solid state absolute encoder that gives your utility the meter readings and consumption data you count on in mobile-mode, also provides what you need for hybrid AMR and full fixed network AMI. Your utility is unique with unique needs. Where you start – and where you eventually arrive – is up to you.
R450™ System Makes Utility Operations Visual
Based on Esri® GIS mapping that allows you to view critical conditions and infrastructure status throughout your service areas, R450 RF fixed network technology makes it easy to collect and interpret the data you need.
Performance Contracting For Improved System Performance And Energy Savings
Municipal facilities cope with tight budgets, and managers are often forced to defer maintenance and equipment upgrades in order to control costs. Performance contracting is an alternative project delivery method available to alleviate additional costs and help finance projects at water and wastewater facilities. Schneider Electric’s performance contracting can help your facility upgrade existing equipment, reduce maintenance expenses, and lower utility bills.
REGULATION UPDATES FOR UTILITY MANAGEMENT
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Tips On Integrating Packaged Equipment Into Plant SCADA SystemsIntegrating controls from an equipment supplier successfully within a Plant SCADA or DCS system requires communication on multiple levels. These levels include process of design, mechanical fit up and installation, as well as the coordination to get the equipment to work in concert with the plant’s other control systems. Simply looking after mechanical/electrical details are not enough. To be successful, the plant’s System Integrator and the equipment supplier’s PLC programmer must work with each other throughout the entire project’s development. By Todd Nydam, JWC Environmental LLC & Graham Nasby, Eramosa Engineering Inc.
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Internal Branding Key To Creating Water Utility Employee AmbassadorsInternal branding can ignite employee performance, strengthen the profit potential of a water utility, and play a key role in helping utility executives and leaders inform staff of their external-facing expectations. To stimultate employee brand support and organizational change, internal communication and branding efforts should be a direct and constructive expression of the organization’s vision and strategic plan.
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Iced! Polar Vortex Lessons From An Ohio Water UtilityIn early January 2014, the polar vortex enveloped the Great Lakes region. When the vortex passed over Lake Erie, a phenomenon called frazil ice sent an untold number of slender shards of ice directly into Avon Lake Regional Water’s intake crib.
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Tips For Training Today’s Operator — And Making It StickIntroducing three training trends that improve operators’ understanding and plant performance
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Understanding Municipal Bonds And Their BenefitsAn analysis of tax-exempt bonds, the water/wastewater market, and infrastructure funding
RESILIENCY NEWS
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Protecting Cities’ Threatened Water Supplies – New NRDC Roadmaps To Safeguard Local Drinking Water And Fix Outdated Infrastructure
This summer, we’ve seen a trend of leaders at every level tackling the threats to local water supplies, such as recent epic droughts and devastating floods and storms, through funding of new wastewater infrastructure and water efficiency measures.
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Xylem’s Third Sustainability Report Highlights Company’s Commitment To Sustainable Solutions That Help Solve Water Challenges
Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company focused on addressing the world’s most challenging water issues, announced today the release of its third annual sustainability report.
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Weather Input Advancements In DemandWatch V5.0 Bring More Accurate Water Demand Forecasting Results To Users
Expanding the boundaries of smart water network innovation, Innovyze, a leading global innovator of business analytics software and technologies for smart wet infrastructure, recently announced the worldwide release of the V5.0 Generation of its DemandWatch for accurate and reliable water demand forecasts.
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Watershed Rehabilitation Funding To Repair Dams In 26 States
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that communities across the nation will benefit from a $262M investment to rehabilitate dams that provide critical infrastructure and protect public health and safety.
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Innovyze Releases ICMLive Generation V5.0, Expanding The Possibilities For Real-Time Operational Forecasting, Modeling And Management Of Urban And Rural Catchments
Innovyze, a leading global innovator of business analytics software and technologies for smart wet infrastructure, recently announced the worldwide release of the V5.0 Generation of its ICMLive for timely, accurate and reliable catchment forecasts.
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EPA Provides Tool To Help Communities Become More Flood Resilient
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new tool recently to help communities prepare for, deal with and recover from floods.
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EPA Releases New Policy Statement On Climate Change Adaptation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a new policy statement on climate change adaptation to help the nation prepare for and respond to the impacts of a changing climate.
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Drought-Stricken California Could Save Up To 14 Million Acre-Feet Of Water; Enough To Supply All The State’s Cities Annually
California could be saving up to 14 million acre-feet of untapped water – providing more than the amount of water used in all of California’s cities in one year – with an aggressive statewide effort to use water-saving practices, reuse water, and capture lost stormwater, according to a new analysis released today by the Pacific Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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American Water CEO To Participate In Mid-America Regulatory Conference
American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, recently announcedthat itsPresident and CEO Susan Storywill participate in the2014 Mid-America Regulatory Conference Annual Meeting on June 1-4 in Indianapolis, Ind.
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CH2M HILL To Share Innovative Water Solutions At Singapore International Water Week
CH2M HILL, a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, announces that it will share its technical expertise during the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), as a founding sponsor.