Case Study: Municipal Water Supply In The Philippines

Water is one of the necessities of life, and water utilities must meet extremely demanding standards of reliability. They use only the highest quality, most reliable equipment – and in Mindanao, Philippines, the municipal water utilities use AuCom soft starters.

LRCA TRADING INC. installs and maintains the municipal pumping systems throughout Mindanao, and works hard to ensure the pumps make use of the best control and protection solutions available. In many cases LRCA TRADING INC. are upgrading existing facilities, so the starters need to be compact as well as flexible - "The pumps may be small but they need protection as well as motor control, so CSXi is ideal. It's an all-in-one solution which fits easily into the available space. We can build the CSXi into a panel complete with a well water level control, or a floatless sensor for tanks."

Each application is different, so LRCA TRADING INC. particularly appreciates the adjustable protection and choice of starting profiles. These allow the soft starter to meet the precise needs of each application.

Key benefits for the water authorities include:

• Reduced start current which reduces the peak demand electricity level. Philippines power suppliers levy a demand charge, so lower start current can significantly reduce power costs.
• Superior motor protection. Many of the facilities previously used older types of motor starter, with extremely limited motor protection.
• Low installation cost. The CSXi can be supplied in a panel, complete with additional metering equipment, and still cost much less than most alternative starting systems.
• Ease of use. With numerous operators at each water authority, the simple interface is easy to understand and minimises training time.
• Monitoring interface. The CSXi provides clear feedback on its operating state.

LRCA TRADING INC. are so pleased with the performance of AuCom soft starters that they now make them a standard part of every pumping and motor installation. Engineer Art Davis is an enthusiastic advocate: "In terms of cost, size and functionality, the CSXi is absolutely ideal. The combination of protection and control makes it the perfect cost-effective solution for our customers."