Utility: Wickson Creek Special Utility District
Interviewee: Scott Wilson, I&E Specialist
Technology Partner: Aquatis
Implementation Partner: HydroPro Solutions
Keeping the Water Flowing—Without Holiday Emergencies
At Wickson Creek SUD, pumps play a critical role in delivering clean, reliable drinking water to customers every day. But like many utilities, pump issues often didn’t become visible until something went seriously wrong.
“We usually wouldn’t know that there was a problem until we had catastrophic failure.”
Failures at that scale place immediate pressure on staff, requiring emergency responses and overtime work during nights, weekends, and holidays.
A Timely Solution During the Holiday Season
In December, Wickson Creek SUD deployed 59 Aquatis wireless sensors on key pumps. Shortly after installation, the system identified three pumps that were close to failure and alerted staff immediately via email.
“The sensors kept us from having the emergency that it could have been.”
The timing couldn’t have been better. While winter demand was manageable, Scott noted that a pump failure during a warm-weather holiday could have turned into a major emergency, requiring both pumps to keep up with customer demand.
From Firefighting to Planning Ahead
Without Aquatis, a pump failure during the holidays would have meant scrambling to get personnel in place, moving pumps around, and working long hours just to keep water flowing.
“If any of these pumps would have gone down during the holiday season, it could have cost thousands in extra labor and material costs.”
Instead of reacting to a crisis, the early warnings allowed Wickson Creek SUD to slow down, plan ahead, and handle the situation on their own terms.
“Having the warnings gave us the opportunity to plan a shutdown and get pumps moved around as needed.”
Real Savings in Time, Money, and Stress
By catching issues early, the utility was able to:
- Avoid emergency call-outs during the holidays
- Prevent potential damage to pumps and motors
- Reduce overtime and labor costs
- Keep staff from being pulled away from their families during a critical time
“Without the early warnings, we may have had overtime call-outs for several employees during the holiday season. The work could have cost us at least double the cost just in labor.”
Easy to Use, Easy to Trust
Another standout benefit was how simple the Aquatis system was to deploy.
“The system is very easy to install. The online platform is user friendly.”
With no invasive installation or operational disruptions, the sensors delivered value almost immediately, making it easy for staff to adopt and trust the technology.
Peace of Mind Going Forward
Today, Aquatis has changed how Wickson Creek SUD approaches pump maintenance.
“We no longer worry about catastrophic pump failure due to knowing that we have this system deployed.”
That peace of mind – knowing problems can be addressed before they turn into emergencies – has made a lasting impact on daily operations.
A Recommendation to Other Utilities
“Being proactive instead of reactive saves time and money.”
Wickson Creek SUD recommends Aquatis sensors and HydroPro Solutions to utilities looking to protect their infrastructure, reduce emergency response costs, and give their teams more control – especially during high-risk periods like holidays.
At-a-Glance Results
- 3 pumps identified before failure
- Holiday emergency call-outs avoided
- Thousands of dollars in potential labor and material costs prevented
- Planned maintenance replaced urgent repairs
- Simple, non-invasive sensor deployment