Guard Automation secures better water quality in Bergen

Bergen Vann delivers clean drinking water and wastewater treatment to over 300,000 people living in Bergen and Bjørnafjorden municipality. It is now clear that Guard Automation will deliver a new operational system to secure this critical infrastructure.

”Our existing system is from the 90s and is outdated. It does not meet today’s and tomorrow’s requirements for, among other things, integration with other systems. We are now looking forward to getting a more modern system with expanded features,” begins Ali Mekki, IT Manager at Bergen Vann.

He adds that IT operations will be transferred from Bergen Vann to the municipality’s central IT operations unit.

”Ultimately, these changes will free up resources that will allow us to deliver better water and wastewater services to the residents,” Mekki continues.

Monitors 2,100 kilometres of pipeline network

The operational control system is Bergen Vann’s primary tool for maintaining control over the water and wastewater network, which measures an incredible 2,100 kilometres. This corresponds to the distance from Bergen to Tromsø as the crow flies.

”We have had a thorough procurement process and ended up choosing Guard Automation. Their solution is well-proven, future-oriented, and has the flexibility we need to carry forward what is familiar and dear to our 100 operators,” says Department Manager at Bergen Vann, Thore Nilsen.

The contract is valued at over NOK 31 million over ten years and was awarded to Guard Automation after a bidding process involving a total of nine bidders.

Connects 250,000 data points

Lars Erik Faaberg, Sales Manager for Water and Environment at Guard Automation, believes this is the largest and most complex water and wastewater operational system in Norway.

”For us, this is truly a prestige project. The system will connect 250,000 data points from 600 different technical facilities, such as pumping stations and treatment plants. Having full control of this at all times is extremely important because it concerns absolutely critical services - clean water and treatment of wastewater - for very many people,” says Faaberg.

The new top-level system, Guard Control, will visualise the entire pipeline network with associated facilities and make everyday life easier for the operators. The system is currently used by around 100 municipalities, including Oslo, Lillestrøm, Drammen, Bærum and Stockholm.

”Operators will now get a safe, well-proven and secure tool. It will be connected to our cloud solution, Guard Cloud, which opens up a world of opportunities to make operations smarter in the years to come, for example by sharing insights, connecting IoT devices, or using data from other sources such as the Meteorological Institute or Nord Pool,” says Faaberg.

This is supported by Nilsen at Bergen Vann:

”Reporting will become easier, and we will gain important insights that help us make the right decisions, such as those related to maintenance and replacements. This is a major step toward optimising our processes, fixing leaks as soon as they occur, and delivering clean water to people and the fjord in the best possible way in the years ahead,” says Nilsen.

The operational data is stored in Norway and can be easily and securely shared with third parties such as SINTEF and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, who, for example, may be interested in data on water quality and purification levels.

The implementation will take place over two years, with a gradual rollout facility by facility, along with associated testing. The operators at Bergen Vann will receive thorough training in what will become their most important tool for safeguarding water and wastewater services for the residents.

”Until we are 100 per cent confident in the new system, the current solution will be run in parallel,” assures Mekki at Bergen Vann.

Guard Automation assists approximately 40 per cent of Norwegian municipalities with systems for critical infrastructure.