Fresh water for Bursa

Sand bed filter for a megacity

The Turkish megacity of Bursa has clean drinking water. There, Festo has completely modernized the Dobruca water treatment plant, from the operating and control level right up to the process valves in the field. It was possible to create an automation system from a single source, thanks to the perfectly matched components from Festo. This also included the supply and installation of a SCADA system, the training of the local staff and on-the-job training from a Festo specialist, who worked full-time there for a year.

BUSKI, the public water supply and sewerage administration company, is responsible for the water supply in the Province of Bursa, in western Turkey. The city where the company is based, Bursa, is Turkey's fourth largest conurbation. Three million people live there with a daily drinking water demand of 700,000 m³. BUSKI goes to great lengths to establish a failure-free water supply system and to build up a functioning infrastructure based on European standards.

In the past, faults in the system could only be determined by on-site maintenance staff. Additionally, chlorine was added to the water at regular intervals, which caused fluctuations in water quality. A further goal of the water treatment modernization project was to achieve energy savings. But this was nothing new for Festo. We have already completely automated and modernized six other water treatment plants in Turkey.

A central element was the modernization and automation of the sand bed filter. You can find out here how we did this. Or you can skip directly to the Festo solution.

Drinking water without an aftertaste

BUSKI, the public water supply company was looking for an experienced technology partner to modernize one of its water treatment plants. Through the invitation to tender, they were seeking to achieve five goals:

Systematic automation should increase operational safety. At the same time, the resulting decrease in the consumption of rinsing water and filter sand should reduce the costs of the water treatment. Sensor technology should help the operators to identify faults quickly so that preventative maintenance can ensure seamless operation. And the metering of the germicidal chemicals should be controlled as demand dictates, in order to make the water odorless. Nevertheless, any health risk for the consumers should be kept to a minimum. Targeted training prepared the staff excellently for the efficient operation of the new plant.

Systematically automated water technology

In addition to products and accessories, Festo also offers comprehensive water technology solutions. Our specialists supported the Bursa-based Turkish water supplier from the first planning steps right up to operational staff training.

With a roadmap to reach the goal

Together with BUSKI, Festo specialists created a needs analysis that included all the key stations for the treatment process: The filter basins, the metering, the clarifier, the sludge thickener and the chlorination. The result was a convincing concept comprising all the requirements such as full automation, smooth operation and simple maintenance as well as staff training.

Cutting-edge water treatment technology

After implementation of the concept, the total of 28 sand filters can now be operated fully automatically: Each compressed air filter was equipped with a new control panel and a pneumatic control cabinet with modular, electric CPX terminals. The main electrical control cabinet was also renewed.

We replaced the obsolete process valve actuator technology with pneumatic linear and quarter turn actuators. The compressed air network was also replaced and customized. Each filter basin is now controlled using valve manifolds.

The added chemicals are precisely metered using a system based on the CPX automation platform that automatically adapts the amount to be added to the quantity of water flowing through the plant. All data is transferred to the SCADA system.

Monitoring and control with SCADA

What was previously being done manually is now handled by the new SCADA system, which has redundancy designed in for the purpose of data security. It monitors the entire process and based on all the process data, it automatically creates various status reports for preventative maintenance or operational tasks. Staff no longer have to laboriously record individual values like pressure, level, process valve positions, replacement dates for filters or pump operating hours. Instead, each parameter can now be read out centrally in the new control room with its video wall, the SCADA Control Center. A fiber optic communication network was installed throughout the entire plant for this.

On-the-job training and qualification

The training program from Festo Didactic covers 300 hours and qualifies the staff to operate the plant and its mechatronic and/or pneumatic components safely. Theory and practice are combined effectively in this type of training and at the end of the program, the participants receive a certificate from Festo.

In addition, a specialist from our national company in Turkey was on site for a whole year. He ensured seamless operation during the start-up phase and was available to answer questions at all times. Tody, the BUSKI engineers are in a position to efficiently operate and maintain the fully automated plant themselves. At the end of the day, they are the people who will ensure the success of the renovated Dobruca water treatment plant.

Better water, greater efficiency

The result of the Dobruca/Bursa project is clear: The new fully automated plant works more safely, more economically and more powerfully. The fact that Festo had previously had success with ISKI, Turkey's largest water provider, demonstrated our competence when it comes to water technology. German quality, the Festo brand and the concept of automation with pneumatics convinced BUSKI. We create safe and clean solutions in a simple system design using actuators and pneumatic valves that are simple to operate and to maintain, and that operate reliably.

The engineering expertise shown by our Turkish coworkers and the level of support they offered, impressed the customer. Also, the relatively low costs for a fully automated plant, the detailed training plan and the coaching during the first year of operation were other convincing reasons for the managers at BUSKI to award the tender to our concept.

Each drop is an automation success

The comprehensive automation has met all the requirements of BUSKI for the new treatment plant. The process-related operations run reliably and seamlessly with the pneumatic process valves. There has been a significant improvement in water quality – as well as in the efficiency of water treatment. Filter sand and rinsing water losses have been reduced to a minimum. And last but not least, the taste of the water has been significantly improved. Many of the staff realized this first of all.

Success story available for download

Pneumatic modernization of a sand filter system. Here you can read againabout how BUSKI and Festo did this.

Overview