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The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) operates seven hydroelectric power plants, four water treatment plants, seven wastewater treatment plants, and 15 lift stations. When the GBRA decided to expand their system, they also decided to replace the existing proprietary SCADA system with an open architecture system. Doing so will enable them to link the water and wastewater facilities, which are geographically distributed over a 100-square-mile area, to the central control room, and, in the process, to manage these facilities more efficiently. For a SCADA system to work effectively, it is essential that it include the appropriate communication options.It was determined that GBRA could realize considerable present-worth savings by using frame relay and other telephone options rather than radio. GBRA's ultimate goal is remote operation of their facilities from one central location; such operation will require only minimal manpower and will provide a return on investment in less than six years. This goal necessitated the installation of video equipment at some critical facilities for monitoring and control. Video, of course, has high bandwidth requirements, which cannot be met by conventional communication methods such as radio and analog telephone lines. But with the advent of Internet and advances in information technology, frame relay and VPNs have become more affordable for these high-bandwidth requirements. VPNs allow remote sites to connect securely to the central office using a public network, namely, the Internet. This paper discusses the new communication options, as well as on the pros and cons for each option, such as VPNs, second- and third-generation (3G) wireless, and frame relay, that are available for implementation of an effective SCADA system and security monitoring. It also presents opportunities to leverage existing right-of-way or sewer access to install fiber cable for telecommunication companies and generate additional revenues. Includes table, figures.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 01/01/2002 Number of Pages: 8File Size: 1 file , 250 KB