City of St. Cloud uses network video to protect town water supply

When the Florida city of St. Cloud embarked on construction of a new water treatment plant, the plans called for an analog security system to fortify the facility against intruders and help the resource-strapped Environmental Services Department manage operations more efficiently. SiteSecure of Sanford, Fla. showed town officials how a network surveillance system could eliminate costly infrastructure required by the initial proposal and deliver a more robust and future-proof solution.

The security integrators recommended an array of high-resolution fixed and pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) network cameras from Axis Communications connected to a fiber optic ring network running along the facility’s perimeter. An intuitive Omnicast video management system from Genetec would make it easy for water treatment staff to operate the surveillance system with minimal training.

“The Axis network cameras give us the clarity we need to remotely zoom in on a level sensor gauge to verify the status of a storage tank, confirm a valve position or confirm the operation of certain plant equipment,” says Bud Peck, CAD/GIS analyst for the City of St. Cloud.

St. Cloud deployed the Axis network cameras at its new water treatment plant, area wastewater facility and one of its water repump stations to ensure adherence to federal and state environmental regulations. Being network-based enables faster retrieval and forwarding of archived video to the police, insurance company or town administrators as needed. Because they are part of a sophisticated alarm system linked to access control and equipment sensors, the Axis cameras automatically respond to alarm triggers and notify plant personnel of certain events.

An added benefit of the AXIS 233D Network Dome Cameras, AXIS 221 Network Cameras and megapixel AXIS 223M Network Cameras is that the high clarity of the video they capture for forensic evidence also assists the town in reinforcing standard operating and safety procedures at each site.

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