Part of the Infrastructure Master Plan
Tisdale Pumping Plant 1, Modernization Project
Located at the head of the Main Canal, the Tisdale Pumping Plant1 serves as the primary source for the Sutter Mutual Water Company (SMWC) irrigation system. It supplies water to the four major distribution laterals: Central, East, Main, and West.
In recent years, SMWC has initiated a series of modernization efforts to upgrade and strengthen its irrigation delivery infrastructure. These improvements are designed to: enhance water level control, incorporate accurate flow measurement, replace aging infrastructure, provide real-time monitoring and operational control for staff and meet evolving landowner demands.
The Tisdale Modernization Project is a cornerstone of SMWC’s multi-year effort to upgrade its irrigation conveyance infrastructure. As the "head of the system," this project is the company's top priority, offering the highest return on investment for the entire network.
Improving Efficiency
Decreased power consumption.
Precise downstream level control.
Improved communications to site.
Increased life of component.
Improved operations. (documentation, alarming, and reporting)
Project Technical Details
The Tisdale Modernization Project involved several key technical upgrades to enhance the precision, automation, and reliability of the pumping plants:
Magnetic Flowmeter Installation: Installed new 42” Krohne Optiflux 2000 flowmeters on each discharge pipeline. This enables individual pump flow measurement, a capability not previously available.
Variable Frequency Drive (VFD): In order to more accurately and autonomously meet irrigation demand on the Tisdale Canal, a variable-frequency drive (VFD) was installed on the Plant 1 pumps.
Master Remote Terminal Unit (RTU): The new RTU panel was integrated into the existing monitoring system. The RTU panel now relays information to the main Tisdale Office programmable logic controller (PLC), which is integrated into the central Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Communications & Power Supply: The central office SCADA servers were updated to include improved site controls and monitoring at the Tisdale Pumping Plant. These improvements included programming as well as the installation of a new master radio and a new Uninterrupted Power Supply.
Reporting & Documentation: SCADA servers were programmed with new alarms to support improved site controls and monitoring. In addition, a bi-weekly flow report was built to provide details on the daily volume of pumped water. A comprehensive SCADA manual was developed, including wiring/network diagrams, control descriptions, and maintenance protocols.
