City of Toronto – Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant (WAS Thickening & South Substation Upgrades)
Background
The Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant – Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) Thickening and South Substation Upgrades project was undertaken to modernize one of the City of Toronto’s major wastewater treatment facilities. The project involved replacing the existing Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) process with high-efficiency centrifuge technology to thicken waste activated sludge prior to its transfer to the anaerobic digesters.
The upgrade also included the construction of a new Thickened Waste Activated Sludge (TWAS) facility, demolition of existing process buildings, installation of new process equipment, and enhancements to the plant’s instrumentation, control systems, and SCADA infrastructure. Valley Integration was selected to provide instrumentation, control panel integration, and SCADA programming services in accordance with the City of Toronto’s Process Control System (PCS) standards.
Requirement
The modernization project required an automation and control solution capable of integrating new sludge thickening equipment with the existing plant infrastructure while complying with the City of Toronto’s established Process Control System (PCS) standards. The system needed to provide the following:
- Reliable PLC-based process control for upgraded wastewater treatment operations.
- SCADA enhancements compliant with City of Toronto standards.
- Integration of new Remote Processing Unit (RPU) panels with existing control infrastructure.
- Relocation and recommissioning of field instrumentation with minimal operational disruption.
- Comprehensive testing, commissioning, documentation, and seamless coordination between contractors, engineers, and plant operations.
Project Scope
Valley Integration was responsible for delivering the instrumentation and automation scope for the project, including:
- Supply, commissioning, and integration of new Remote Processing Unit (RPU) panels.
- Modification and upgrade of existing RPU panels.
- Relocation, decommissioning, recommissioning, and integration of process instrumentation.
- Upgrades to the GE iFIX SCADA application in accordance with City of Toronto PCS standards.
- System integration, testing, commissioning, and documentation to support the upgraded TWAS facility and associated process equipment.
Technical Highlights
- Industrial PLC Integration: Engineered and integrated the Proficy PLC platform to support reliable automation and control of the upgraded sludge thickening process.
- SCADA Modernization: Upgraded the GE iFIX SCADA system to improve real-time process monitoring, operator visualization, alarm management, and supervisory control.
- City of Toronto PCS Compliance: Developed the automation solution in accordance with the City of Toronto Process Control System (PCS) SCADA Standards, ensuring compatibility with the City’s existing control architecture and engineering practices.
- RPU Panel Engineering & Integration: Supplied, commissioned, and integrated new Remote Processing Unit (RPU) panels while upgrading existing panels to accommodate new process equipment.
- Instrumentation Migration: Successfully relocated, decommissioned, recommissioned, and integrated field instrumentation with minimal disruption to plant operations during facility upgrades.
- Complex Brownfield Implementation: Coordinated automation activities across multiple contractors, consultants, and plant stakeholders to support phased construction and commissioning within an active wastewater treatment facility.
- Testing & Commissioning: Delivered complete system testing, commissioning, and engineering documentation to ensure reliable plant startup and long-term operational performance.
List of Major Supplies
- PLC Platform: Proficy PLC
- SCADA Platform: GE iFIX
- SCADA Development Standards: City of Toronto Process Control System (PCS) Standards
- Control Systems: Remote Processing Unit (RPU) Panels, SCADA programming upgrades, instrumentation integration, commissioning, and engineering documentation.
Result
Valley Integration successfully delivered the instrumentation and automation upgrades for the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant—WAS Thickening and South Substation Upgrades, supporting the City of Toronto’s modernization of its wastewater treatment infrastructure. Through the integration of Proficy PLCs, GE iFIX SCADA, new and upgraded RPU panels, and full compliance with the City of Toronto PCS SCADA Standards, the project achieved seamless automation integration, enhanced process visibility, improved operational reliability, and a scalable control system capable of supporting the City’s long-term wastewater treatment objectives.