April and May are busy months in the water industry, and some of the Signature Automation team recently had the opportunity to attend three different conferences : Texas Water in San Antonio, Texas (April 23-26), AZ Water in Phoenix, Arizona (May 2-4), and the TWUA Central West Texas Regional School in Abilene, Texas (May 8-10). Our staff had a great time learning from the technical presentations, networking with peers, and showcasing our services in our first-ever exhibitor booth in San Antonio and Abilene. Below are some highlights of their experiences.
SHARING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EXPERTISE
Signature’s Agata Ristow, PE, presented with Mike Querry of Trinity River Authority during the Electrical and Instrumentation session of the Texas Water conference. Agata is an accomplished electrical engineer with over 11 years of experience in multiple industries, with an emphasis on water/wastewater. Her presentation focused on the use and limitations of portable generators in meeting TCEQ Chapter 217 requirements.
HIGHLIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM PROGRAMMING SERVICES
Signature Automation has landed in the exhibitor arena. This year, Signature Automation set up an exhibitor booth at not just one, but TWO conferences — WEAT/TAWWA Texas Water and TWUA Regional School. Our staff was on site to discuss all of our electrical and SCADA/I&C engineering design services as well as our expertise in control system development. To highlight our programming services, we created a functional HMI demonstration using both traditional and situational awareness HMI graphics. Signature’s own Kevin Patel, PE, is part of the team developing ISA standards for situational awareness HMI and alarm management, and we have worked with water/wastewater utilities to provide alarm assessments and philosophy development as well as varying levels of conversion to situational awareness HMI for their systems.
BUILDING OUR PRESENCE IN ARIZONA
Jane Saulnier, PE, our local Phoenix area engineer, attended the AZ Water conference to join peers in the Arizona water/wastewater market. Jane is an accomplished SCADA/I&C engineer with over 25 years of experience in process control design and integration across the US. She is also very active in AZ Water’s Water for People committee and recently volunteered at a Pints for People fundraiser in April. Since joining Signature Automation, she has helped support our projects around the Phoenix area and is leading new project development in Arizona, New Mexico, and far West Texas.
DEVELOPING NEW WEAT LEADERS
Two of our staff were confirmed in new leadership positions with WEAT during the Texas Water conference. Rick Hidalgo, PE, was elected WEAT Vice President, beginning a four-year commitment to the WEAT Executive Board. He is a longtime devoted WEAT member who also serves as Co-Chair of the WEAT Safety and Security Committee. In addition, Nyla Langford was confirmed as Vice Chair of the WEAT Public Communication and Outreach Committee (PCOC). She has become very active in the committee over the past year, assisting with conference preparations and creating new materials to support WEAT members in their communications with the public. In recognition of her service to WEAT PCOC as well as the Safety and Security Committee and WEAT North Texas Section, Nyla was also inducted into the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers (5S).