Honeywell to digitise key Rockhampton water plants
Fitzroy River Water has selected Honeywell to modernise and automate two of Rockhampton's main water treatment facilities as part of a wider infrastructure upgrade.
The agreement covers the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant and the North Rockhampton Sewage Treatment Plant. Both assets support water and sewerage services across the Rockhampton region in Central Queensland.
The work sits within Rockhampton Regional Council's long-term infrastructure improvement programme. The council uses Fitzroy River Water as its water and sewerage business unit.
Fitzroy River Water plans to increase its service capacity from 50,000 to 75,000 equivalent persons. The measure reflects population served rather than physical volume.
Honeywell will supply software and control technology for the upgrade. The company will deploy its Experion Process Knowledge System SCADA R530 across the two plants.
The Glenmore Water Treatment Plant sits beside the Fitzroy River. It supplies drinking water to customers connected to the council network across the Rockhampton area.
Under the project, operators at Glenmore will gain remote control of the North Rockhampton site. They will use a single digital interface for monitoring and control.
The new system will automate remote operations at the facilities. It will also consolidate data from different assets in one place.
Honeywell stated that the project will support higher operational reliability across the plants. It also expects improvements in cybersecurity protection for process systems.
The company said the technology will cut unplanned downtime at the water and sewage assets. It also expects longer asset life as a result of modernised control systems and monitoring.
Customers in the Rockhampton region may see service effects through more stable water and sewerage operations. The upgrade focuses on control and monitoring rather than new pipes or treatment units.
Digital upgrade
Experion PKS SCADA is a software platform used in process plants and infrastructure sites. It collects and displays data from pumps, valves, sensors and other field devices.
The system runs control functions and alarms from a central control room. Operators can then adjust settings and respond to events on screen.
Honeywell said the use of a single interface for Glenmore and North Rockhampton will speed up decisions. It said the system will make adjustments faster and more consistent across both plants.
The company also highlighted the security features of the platform. These include controls over user access and protection for data moving between sites.
Ravikrishnan Srinivasan, General Manager Asia Pacific, Honeywell Process Solutions, said digital tools now play a growing role in public infrastructure. "This project reflects how digital technologies are helping modernise essential infrastructure," said Ravikrishnan Srinivasan, General Manager Asia Pacific, Honeywell Process Solutions, Honeywell. "Through the Experion PKS SCADA platform, we enable utilities like Fitzroy River Water to improve operational efficiency, enhance system security and strengthen the reliability of water services for their communities. These same capabilities are helping organisations across energy, resources, and manufacturing operate with more energy efficiency and safely, as they modernise their critical assets."
The Rockhampton project continues a long relationship between the supplier and the utility. The companies have worked together for about three decades on control and automation systems.
During that period they have installed several generations of technology at the region's plants. The new system replaces earlier generations with updated software and hardware.
Broader sector focus
Honeywell said it uses its Experion PKS SCADA technology in sites around the world. It is present in sectors such as energy, resources, manufacturing and other process industries.
The platform aims to give industrial operators a clearer view of plant performance. It does this by gathering data from multiple systems into a single environment.
The company said this visibility supports lower downtime and stronger cybersecurity. It also links plant operations with digitalisation plans at corporate level.
In Australia, Honeywell is working on modernisation projects in parts of the water sector. These projects often include automation upgrades as well as cyber protections for critical infrastructure.
The Rockhampton programme reflects this focus on digitalisation of utilities. It also shows ongoing spending on regional water and sewerage networks.
Honeywell has positioned the Fitzroy River Water work within its wider industrial strategy. The company is targeting energy efficiency, safety and security outcomes across several industries.
It said the same software platforms now appear in water, energy, resources and manufacturing. These platforms support a consistent approach to process control and data use across different sites.
Project work at Glenmore and North Rockhampton will continue as Fitzroy River Water raises its service capacity. Honeywell expects further demand for similar water infrastructure upgrades as Australian regions grow.