Water Industry Control Panel Components | Charter Controls

Control panel components for water industry applications

Water and wastewater control panels need to bring together motor control, monitoring, automation, communications and protection while remaining suitable for the individual requirements of each site.

Charter Controls supplies products used across pumping stations, storm overflow monitoring, treatment and dosing applications, and telemetry at remote or unmanned sites. Our role is to help panel builders, MCC manufacturers and system integrators source compatible control and automation products from a UK supplier with technical support and stockholding behind the ranges.

Four areas we can support

Pumping stations

Pump operation can be monitored using Unipower HPL500 motor load monitors. Rather than relying only on motor current, the HPL500 measures true motor power in kW, providing a clearer indication of changes in mechanical load.

For applications requiring communications with a PLC, SCADA or telemetry system, the Unipower HPL500MB adds RS-485 Modbus RTU communications while retaining dual relay outputs and an isolated 0/4-20 mA analogue output.

This makes the Unipower motor load monitoring range particularly relevant where pump dry-run, loss of prime, blockage or changing process load needs to be detected from the motor itself.

HPL500MB product page

Storm overflow and remote monitoring

Remote water assets increasingly need both local visibility and a route for operational data to reach engineers away from the site.

WECON industrial HMIs provide the local operator interface, while the WECON V-BOX H-AG provides a 4G IIoT gateway for remote access to connected automation equipment.

Where a larger local display is required, the WECON PI8102IG HMI provides a 10.1-inch industrial touchscreen with Ethernet and serial communications. Its front panel is rated IP65 for installation in industrial control panels.

PI8102IG product page

V-BOX H-AG product page

Treatment and dosing

Compact automation applications such as dosing sequences, level control, alarm handling and auxiliary plant control can be handled using the GIC Genie PRO smart relay range.

The Genie PRO GP124DRL, for example, combines digital inputs, analogue-capable inputs, high-speed inputs and relay outputs in a compact expandable DIN-rail controller.

GIC describes Genie PRO as a PLC. Charter Controls lists the range within its expandable smart relay products, making it particularly relevant to applications where programmable logic is required without moving to a larger machine-control PLC platform.

Genie PRO smart relay range

Telemetry and remote sites

The combination of WECON HMIs, V-BOX remote gateways and network-capable monitoring products allows information generated inside the control panel to be made available locally and remotely.

For sites without a suitable wired communications connection, the V-BOX H-AG provides 4G connectivity for remote access to connected PLC and HMI applications. Depending on the application, motor condition information can also be supplied by the Unipower HPL500MB via Modbus.

Motor control and monitoring

Variable-speed pump and blower applications can be supported using the Veichi inverter and VFD range, including the AC10 and AC310 series.

For motor-driven equipment operating from variable-frequency supplies or where more detailed process monitoring is required, the Unipower APM382 forms part of the wider Unipower motor load monitoring range.

Together, drives and load monitoring can provide the control system with both the means to regulate motor speed and information about the load the driven process is placing on the motor.

Veichi inverter range

Electrical protection for water industry panels

GIC earth leakage relays can be incorporated into industrial distribution, MCC and machine control panels where earth leakage monitoring and fault signalling are required.

The wider GIC monitoring relay range can also support functions such as phase and voltage monitoring, allowing panel builders to select the protection functions appropriate to the electrical design and application.

17G715GF2 product page

Managing the control panel environment

Water-industry control equipment is often installed in plant rooms, kiosks, outdoor enclosures and other locations where enclosure temperature needs to be considered as part of the panel design.

Cooltechx supplies enclosure air conditioning products for closed-loop panel cooling, while the wider Charter Controls thermal management range covers panel cooling, ventilation, heating and environmental control.

Cooltechx range page

Control power and panel indication

Pairui and GIC power supplies provide DC power options for control panel circuits and connected automation equipment.

For local status and alarm indication, Esbee Electrotech supplies industrial indication and signalling products, including 22.5 mm LED indicators for panel-mounted visual indication.

Esbee Electrotech range page

One supplier across the water industry control panel

For panel builders and system integrators, the opportunity is not simply to select individual products. It is to reduce the number of separate sourcing routes required to assemble a repeatable panel specification.

Charter Controls can support motor monitoring, variable-frequency drives, programmable control, HMIs, remote gateways, monitoring relays, power supplies, indication and enclosure thermal management from one UK account.

That can be particularly useful for repeat water-framework projects, where a common panel architecture needs to be reproduced while allowing the final design to reflect the duty, environment, instrumentation, water-company requirements and electrical specification of each individual site.

Frequently asked questions

What components does Charter Controls supply for AMP8 water industry projects?

Charter Controls supplies motor load monitoring, variable-frequency drives, smart relays, HMIs, remote IIoT gateways, electrical monitoring and protection relays, panel cooling, power supplies and indication products for water-industry control panels. The correct combination depends on the individual project specification and site requirements.

Is the GIC Genie PRO suitable for dosing control at a remote site?

The GIC Genie PRO range provides programmable logic, digital I/O and, on selected models, analogue-capable inputs and Ethernet connectivity. This makes it suitable for consideration in compact automation duties such as dosing sequences, level control and alarm handling, subject to the requirements of the individual application.

Can Charter Controls support both pumping station and telemetry requirements from one order?

Yes. Charter Controls supplies products covering pump and motor monitoring, variable-frequency drives, HMIs, remote gateways, smart relays and electrical protection, allowing multiple parts of a pumping station or telemetry panel specification to be sourced through one account.