Water utilities face a familiar challenge: aging infrastructure, geographically dispersed assets, and increasing expectations for reliability and operational efficiency. As utilities modernize their SCADA systems and expand remote monitoring, they need communications networks that are dependable, secure, and built for decades of operation.
That’s where Rajant’s new Argon BreadCrumb® platform is actively being deployed to address these challenges.
The Challenge
Major water facilities often operate thousands of critical assets spread across large service areas, including pump stations, water storage tanks, pressure monitoring sites, flow meters, and chlorination facilities.
Many of these locations still rely on legacy 900 MHz serial radios operating at speeds below 19.2 Kbps, or first-generation Ethernet radios with over-the-air speeds of less than 200 Kbps, some installed more than 20 years ago. While these systems were reliable in their day, they offer limited bandwidth, little to no security, and lack the modern IP networking capabilities today’s operations require. As these systems age, they are also becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
The facility operates thousands of locations that rely on cellular modems for connectivity, resulting in significant recurring service costs each year.
At the same time, water utilities are looking to deploy more sensors, collect more operational data, and improve system visibility while decreasing service costs.
A Better Path Today and Moving Forward
Today, Rajant’s Argon provides a modern wireless communications solution specifically designed for long-range industrial environments.
Operating in the 900 MHz spectrum, Argon delivers significantly greater range and obstacle penetration than traditional 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz wireless technologies while supporting modern IP-based networking.
For water utilities, that means reliable communications between remote assets without requiring extensive new infrastructure that they can’t expense.
Real-World Deployment
Rajant recently secured a deployment of approximately 200 Argon radios supporting a major water facility. This deployment was initiated after realizing that the current radio networks were inadequate and service costs were sky-high. They began switching to improved Argon BreadCrumbs on lift pumps in the valley and water tanks on the hilltops.
By leveraging long-range 900 MHz communications and modern IP networking, it can improve visibility across infrastructure while reducing dependence on aging legacy radio systems and expensive service plans.
The Future
As water utilities continue investing in digital transformation, predictive maintenance, and smarter operations, communications infrastructure becomes the foundation that connects every sensor, controller, and operator.
With Argon, water utilities can build resilient, secure, and future-ready wireless networks that support reliable water delivery for years to come.
Whether upgrading legacy SCADA communications or deploying new smart infrastructure, Rajant provides the industrial networking platform that keeps critical water systems connected when reliability matters most.