04.12.2017

Utility Upgrades Legacy Security System

In the nearly 60 years since it started, a metropolitan water utility has mastered the art and science of serving about 15% of the state’s residents with fresh, clean water. They are considered a leader among public water suppliers based on their excellence in utility management, awarded by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. Serving over 400,000 customers daily, the utility follows a Master Plan that calls for “continual investments in infrastructure at the right time so a plentiful supply of delicious water is available.”

PROBLEM

Recently, the utility discovered that their current physical security system would no longer be supported. In fact, the manufacturer had been acquired by an access control manufacturer that intended to charge steep annual maintenance fees. At that point, the water utility elected to upgrade their system.

SOLUTION

The Safety and Security Manager assembled a team to evaluate options to present to a governing board. DH Pace Systems Integration won the proposal by recommending the RS2 Technologies’ Step Up System, an easy-to-install retrofi t solution. It is based on Mercury Security’s highly-reliable M5 Bridge, which allows users to perform a simple board swap on every legacy enclosure with a comparable replacement. Another factor was the ability to maximize their original investment and maintain the legacy hardware and peripheral wiring, reader technology, network wiring, enclosures, and power deployment.

“RS2’s open architecture system allowed us to seamlessly integrate our existing card readers with their software,” said the Safety and Security Manager. “In some cases, we have old and new card readers side-by-side. Eventually, we’ll migrate to all new card readers, but it will be transparent to the end user.” Other benefi ts include easily creating access levels, training personnel, and system scalability, which is key since the utility is experiencing continued growth. “Our Master Plan calls for us to continue to grow,” said the Safety and Security Manager, “so we needed a system that will grow with us. Our next step in the physical security area will be the application of more video integration, which is easily achievable with the RS2
system.”

CONCLUSION

A strong working relationship between the utility, DH Pace, and RS2 resulted in a seamless installation. “Throughout the installation process, we had a great working relationship with DH Pace, and with the RS2 guys. Any problems we had, which were minimal, were handled quickly and professionally,” stated the Safety and Security Manager. “The Systems Integrator Technician has become a valuable team member during the process. They continue to demonstrate their skills on a routine basis when we have called with puzzling questions. I have learned a ton from the technician and look forward to working with DH Pace into the future.”