The IFCD 3 Pump Station— where water and electricity get along very nicely!

Everywhere you look, technology is making work more efficient and effective. Lately, with the more critical times created by the COVID-19 pandemic, automated activities have kept folks socially distanced, while enabling completion of a wide-range of tasks.

For us at IFCD3, technology is something we’ve been adding into our operations for a number of years. When IFCD3 was founded in 1983, the District’s operations were based around the use of manual, mechanical controls – think large control wheels attached to valves and other mechanisms. However, during the past ten years, technology upgrades have been a major part of facilities improvement and operation.

Today, automated support provides increased precision for operations led by our team members under many different situations. By interfacing valves with other measurement and control devices, the resulting computer-supported system increases the ability that operators must manage the community’s flood control facilities. More precise water level measurements and other critical data from the network of waterways inform relevant staff as they make decisions on what flood control tools to activate or what adjustments they make in system levels to respond to precipitation levels. IFCD3 operations personnel have access to this information at the click of a button through their controls.

While this technology is extremely helpful, it doesn’t do it all. Operations staff ultimately control all activity in the IFCD 3 system, using automation as one tool to manage the five and a half miles of flood control waterways throughout Valley Ranch.

You can learn more about different aspects of flood control in Valley Ranch, including the latest news about your flood control district via WaterWays and our social media – look for us on Twitter and Facebook.