Schantz, Frederick F., authorStyles, Stuart W., authorHowes, Daniel J., authorU.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher2020-05-272020-05-272005-10https://hdl.handle.net/10217/207219Presented at SCADA and related technologies for irrigation district modernization: a USCID water management conference on October 26-29, 2005 in Vancouver, Washington.In 1999 Sutter Mutual Water Company (SMWC) and Cal Poly ITRC began work together with the USBR on a project effort to install a VFD unit and a SCADA system into the Portuguese Bend Pumping Plant, one of SMWC's four pumping plants that convey water from the Sacramento River onto 46,746 acres of farmland in the Sutter County sub-basin. The project was formulated and implemented in order to reduce the high amount of power consumed by the existing 30-year-old equipment, to minimize maintenance and labor costs, and to improve control of the in-stream flows to achieve more efficient use of limited water supplies. After commissioning the equipment, a number of operational problems were encountered. These were resolved once their causes were clearly identified and adequately addressed. Work completed included installing an adequate cooling system for the VFD unit and replacing an air-release valve in place of an outdated siphon breaker that continually adversely affected water flow. Benefits realized from the new technology have included a reduction in power use, cost of labor and maintenance, and a dramatic improvement in the district's ability to control in-stream water flow through the automatic control of motor and pump performance.born digitalCD-ROMsproceedings (reports)engCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.Text