Integration with existing assets
Connection logic for tanks, pipelines, MCC rooms and existing treatment units so the upgraded system behaves as one plant, not a set of disconnected projects.
Design & Sourcing › System Integration
System integration, automation & de-risking
Consulting & Design · Baseline → Requirements → Fit → Procurement → Delivery support
Once a technology direction is set, delivery succeeds or fails in the details of layout, connections, controls and commissioning. We turn design intent into an integration plan suppliers can build and operators can live with.
Focus areas include constructability under shutdown periods, clear package boundaries, I/O and control philosophy, and the site checks that protect handover and long-term performance.
Connections
Phasing & constructability
Automation & controls logic
Commissioning & site checks
Key outputs
- Connection map covering hydraulic, electrical, controls and civil scope
- Control philosophy & I/O list foundations (what talks to what, and why)
- Shutdown / phasing plan aligned to operations constraints
- Commissioning and site checks checklist with test periods
Typical triggers
- Retrofits
- Packaged skids
- Constrained access
- Tight shutdown periods
- High risk around performance checks at handover
OFFER
Integration, controls intent & de-risking
We define process-critical connections, controls intent, and commissioning checks and planning so systems run steadily on site, and site checks confirm what matters rather than only start-up.
SET key connections
SET controls intent
CHECK commissioning checks + planning
REDUCE RISK handover gaps
Where projects fail
Process works on paper but fails at key connections. Controls logic is missing, operators cannot stabilise the plant, and commissioning confirms start-up rather than performance.
What we set
- Process connections that drive stability and compliance.
- Controls intent, including what is measured, controlled, and alarmed.
- Commissioning tests aligned to the main risk modes.
How this changes delivery
Fewer surprises appear at commissioning and performance review. Operator burden and control gaps are addressed earlier, and site review becomes more practical.
Scope boundary
We define the process-side integration basis for delivery, including critical connections, controls intent, package boundaries, and the checks that protect operability, commissioning, and handover.
Interactive section
Choose a risk checkpoint, see how integration scope changes
Integration is not wiring after selection. This section shows which constraints dominate, including connections, controls intent, commissioning checks, operator load and shutdown periods, and what must be set so delivery stays buildable and clear.
Click a card to preview how the work changes.
Preview
Connections-first integration
Hydraulics
Controls coordination
Constructability
What we focus on
- Map connection points, isolation needs, and bypass requirements.
- Define connection ownership between vendor scope and site scope.
- Confirm access, lifting, maintenance clearances and connection sequencing.
Check / control emphasis
- Connection check points for commissioning and construction readiness.
- Tag conventions, connection drawings and commissioning dependencies.
- Risk controls for temporary bypasses and staged cutovers.
Typical outputs
Connection map + integration risk note so vendors design to the same boundaries.
Preview
Controls-intent definition
Measurements
Alarms
Remote access
What we focus on
- Define control philosophy (what is controlled vs monitored).
- Set I/O foundations, alarm priorities and operator workflows.
- Clarify consumables, maintenance tasks and automation burden.
Check / control emphasis
- Control descriptions + sequences that vendors must implement.
- Alarm testing and response checks aligned to risk modes.
- Monitoring points for performance verification and auditability.
Typical outputs
Controls intent pack + I/O foundations + monitoring plan that operators can actually run.
Preview
Commissioning checks and planning
commissioning and performance verification
Review ranges
Information depth
What we focus on
- Define commissioning stages and the test periods you can actually run.
- Set review criteria that protect stability and compliance.
- Confirm sampling, monitoring and data capture requirements.
Check / control emphasis
- commissioning and performance verification scripts and performance checks (not just start‑up).
- Ramp‑up information checklist aligned to risk modes.
- Handover check that makes review auditable.
Typical outputs
Commissioning plan + site review checklist that vendors can price and site teams can use.
Preview
Operator-ready integration
Simplicity
Maintainability
Handover
What we focus on
- Align automation burden to operator capacity on site.
- Clarify consumables, spares and routine maintenance tasks.
- Define control strategy that supports stability (not complexity).
Check / control emphasis
- Check of maintainability (not just performance).
- Review criteria for stability and recovery after upsets.
- Monitoring plan that operators can run + handover requirements.
Typical outputs
Operator-ready fit criteria + review checks that prevent “too complex to run” outcomes.
Preview
Phasing and shutdown-period planning
Tie‑in periods
Bypass strategy
Sequencing
What we focus on
- Map shutdown periods, connection constraints and access realities.
- Define temporary bypasses and staged cutovers.
- Align phasing to operations and commissioning dependencies.
Check / control emphasis
- Risk controls for cutovers, bypasses and stability during works.
- Review checks per stage, so progress is verifiable.
- Handover information tied to each commissioning period.
Typical outputs
Shutdown / phasing plan aligned to your constraints, with check points for each stage.
Layouts, connections and phasing
Integration starts with how the upgraded plant will fit on the site: how new units connect to existing assets, how flows and power are routed, and how work can be sequenced without overwhelming operations.
- Check that new headworks, reactors and storage fit within realistic footprints and hydraulic levels.
- Plan connections and temporary bypasses so shutdowns stay within what operators can live with.
Constructability and access
Construction and access sequences that work for cranes, tanker routes, confined spaces and day-to-day operations, not just on paper layouts.
Phasing and future expansion
Phased implementation options that respect current demand and budgets while leaving space, power and hydraulic headroom for future stages.
Typical integration patterns we support
Every site has different constraints, but some patterns repeat. We use these as working templates to map connections, risks and operating ranges - then adapt them to your specific plant, networks and reuse or discharge goals.
STP · REUSE UPGRADE
STP reuse upgrade to cooling‑tower make‑up
When irrigation‑grade TSE is no longer enough, we map the extra barriers and connections needed for cooling make‑up: polishing (high‑capacity filtration / UF‑RO as required), disinfection, scaling & corrosion conditioning, blending/storage and monitoring. The focus is connections, bypasses, control points and review checks so performance can be priced and proven.
ETP · EXPANSION TO REUSE
ETP expansion from pretreatment to full treatment
For sites that only had basic pretreatment and now need stable treatment that enables reuse. We define the full treatment line (equalisation → biology/MBBR → clarification/filtration → membranes/polishing where needed), sludge and chemical connections, automation, and the check points that make upgrades clear across production and shutdown periods.
BUILDINGS / CAMPUSES
Greywater reuse with clear boundaries & protection
A dedicated GWTP running alongside the main STP: capture and separate streams, treat to the non‑potable class you need (flushing/irrigation), and add storage/distribution with cross‑connection safeguards. We map meters, valves, alarms and sampling so the two systems stay operationally distinct.
VWRP · RECYCLE UPGRADE
Vehicle wash from oil removal to closed‑loop reuse
Where a site had only grit and oil interception but now wants recycling. We define the added stages (solids capture → oil/DAF → filtration → biological/oxidation where needed → disinfection), plus recycle/bleed control, sludge handling, and simple operator routines that keep day‑to‑day operation stable.
LWRP · COMMERCIAL LAUNDRIES
Laundry reuse with detergent control & staged return
Move beyond discharge reduction into reliable reuse: capture and categorise streams, equalise and treat for surfactants/colour, then membrane + polishing as required. We define where reclaimed water returns in the wash process, CIP/cleaning logic, and monitoring that protects fabric care, chemistry and uptime.
INDUSTRIAL · HIGH‑TDS / ZLD
ZLD integration for higher recovery & brine routing
If you already have RO, ZLD often needs a rethink, not a bolt‑on. We map brine sources, pretreatment for scaling/fouling, high‑recovery RO options, and the evaporator/MVR + solids route, with heat/power integration and controls. Outcome: a workable water balance and clear connections.
Automation and instrumentation at the right level
We match the level of automation to the site: the available operators, maintenance practices and SCADA standards. The aim is reliable, explainable control, not black-box complexity.
- Define what must be measured continuously versus verified with periodic checks.
- Clarify alarm priorities, interlocks and data retention so incidents can be reconstructed and learned from.
Field instruments and control philosophy
Selection and placement of flow, level, pressure and analytical instruments; signal ranges; and basic control loops that keep the plant stable under site operating conditions.
Alarm, interlock and data philosophy
Alarm and trip set-points, permissive logic and historian requirements so causes of excursions are visible and operators know what to do next.
Streams we typically work with
Across our specialist design work, we focus on operating plants and facilities handling a mix of municipal and industrial streams. Integration work keeps reuse, sludge and side-stream systems aligned with how these flows behave on site.
STP - Municipal / domestic sewageETP - Industrial / trade effluentGWTP - Greywater treatmentVWRP - Vehicle wash waterLWRP - Laundry wash waterBiosolids & sludge to resource recovery
Customisation and risk reduction for your context
No two projects share the same constraints. We map integration and automation risks clearly and agree how they will be checked and handed over so delivery partners know what good looks like.
Key risk points and mitigations
Structured view of constructability, commissioning, controls and change-management risks, with targeted mitigations and information requests for each.
Alignment with delivery and O&M models
Integration logic that reflects who will operate and maintain the plant, how often it can be shut down, and how future upgrades will tie in without rework.
From technology fit to integration and delivery
With technology options and operating ranges agreed, integration work turns them into a realistic project: layouts, connections, automation scope and site checks that delivery partners can price and commit to.
You can engage us just for integration and automation, or embed this work into a wider FlowPlan pathway covering baseline, requirements, technology fit and sourcing advisory.