Behind the Data: 5 Questions with the St. Albans Water Team
For more than a century, the St. Albans Water Plant in St. Albans has delivered clean, reliable water to its community. Over those 100+ years, the plant has built deep operational expertise — and embraced new opportunities to modernize the way it manages data.
We spoke with two of the leaders behind that transformation: Levi Sturgill and Nick Harvey, who also oversees much of the plant’s IT and data management systems. Together, they shared what it really takes to build a smarter, more connected utility.
Here are five key questions and takeaways from our conversation.
1. Can you paint a picture for us? What was the day-to-day reality of managing the plant’s data the old-fashioned way?
Levi Sturgill: It was a constant struggle. All our data was scattered across multiple locations—clipboards, different daily logs, and stacks of reports. It just caused a pile-up of paperwork that made it incredibly difficult to stay organized or spot trends in our water quality.
Nick Harvey: Exactly. And that made everything so time-consuming. If an engineer needed historical data, we’d have to manually dig through years of files in cabinets just to compile it. Beyond being slow, it was risky. When you’re doing everything by hand, there’s so much more room for error, whether it’s misreading someone’s handwriting or misplacing a sample result.
2. What made you realize you needed a different approach to data management?
Levi Sturgill: For us, a big part of it was trust. We've always had a great relationship with HACH and used their equipment for years. So, when HACH, in partnership with Aquatic Informatics, approached us with the Hach WIMS platform, we were open to it. We felt confident the product would be top-of-the-line and backed by great customer support.
Nick Harvey: And from an operational standpoint, we desperately needed a way to quickly organize and view all our data in one place. We wanted a system where we could add field data in real-time and have a clear audit trail to track what was done and who did it. The old way just wasn't sustainable.
3. A lot of teams are hesitant to switch from manual to digital. How was the transition for your operators? Was it difficult to get comfortable with the new system?
Levi Sturgill: The transition was surprisingly smooth and efficient. The implementation team really listened to what we wanted and helped customize the platform to fit our plant’s specific needs, which made a huge difference.
Nick Harvey: I’d say it probably took about a month of really digging into the software to get fully comfortable, but that’s only because it can do so much more than you initially think. Once you start using it in real-time, you see all the possibilities. The system is very intuitive, and the mobile app allows everyone to access and input data from any device, whether they're in the plant or out in the field.
4. Now that you’re up and running, what has been the biggest positive impact on your daily work?
Nick Harvey: Without a doubt, it’s the time we’ve gotten back. Processes that used to take hours—like creating our monthly reports—have been condensed down to minutes or even seconds. That frees us up to focus on other important things around the plant instead of being stuck behind a desk managing paperwork. Finding information is now as quick as a mouse click.
Levi Sturgill: It’s also a fantastic training tool. When a new operator starts, everything is in one spot. Nick mentioned the mobile app—they can use the geolocation features to find sample sites and see a clear list of what needs to be done. It has simply made it so much easier to keep track of everything and get new team members up to speed quickly.
5. What would you say to other small or mid-sized utilities who think a modern data management system is out of reach for them?
Levi Sturgill: I’d tell them it’s much more affordable and adaptable than you might think. As a smaller system ourselves, it was definitely within our reach. Because the system is so customizable, you can tailor it to your specific needs and budget. You can add or take away features depending on the size of your plant and what you're trying to achieve. It’s not just a tool for big organizations; it’s built to scale for any utility that wants to work smarter.
