Replace 900MHz SCADA Radios: Cellular Telemetry for Lift Stations | Valtoris

Stop Lift Station Overflows:
Secure Cellular SCADA Telemetry

Replace unreliable 900MHz radios and exorbitant leased lines. Digitize remote pump control and float switch monitoring with encrypted 4G LTE tunnels (IPsec/WireGuard) and distributed edge I/O.

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✓ IP40 & -40°C to 75°C Rated
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✓ Compatible with:
Ignition
ClearSCADA
Wonderware

The Flaw in Legacy Municipal Telemetry

900MHz Line-of-Sight Decay

UHF and 900MHz radios have line of sight only. New construction, terrain changes or heavy summer foliage (rain fade) can greatly reduce signal strength. Polling cycles dropped blind SCADA to rising wet well levels.

The Leased Line OpEx Trap

Telecom providers are sunsetting legacy POTS and copper leased lines, artificially inflating monthly tariffs to force upgrades. Maintaining these dedicated analog lines destroys municipal water utility budgets.

Legacy PLC Security Risks

Exposing legacy, unencrypted PLCs directly to public cellular networks is a critical NERC/AWWA violation. Relying on basic port-forwarding leaves infrastructure vulnerable to unauthorized remote manipulation.

Reference Architecture: Cellular Edge Retrofit

Click the components to see how we bypass radio limits and secure remote assets.

▷ SECURE LIFT STATION RETROFIT & DIGITIZATION
Central SCADA
Modbus TCP / Ignition
Cellular VPN Router
VT-LTE400
Edge I/O Node
8CH-IO-ETH
Legacy PLC
Existing Pump Logic
Tank Sensors
Float / Ultrasonic

Node Info

    Reference Architecture BOM

    * A modular retrofit architecture. Integrate existing PLCs and physical sensors into a modern, encrypted 4G LTE cellular backbone to eliminate legacy infrastructure limitations.

    Architectural LayerComponent Description & FunctionRecommended Hardware
    1. Physical SensingWet well float switches (Dry Contact DI) and ultrasonic level transmitters (4~20mA AI) measuring tank levels and pump statuses.(Existing Field Devices)
    2. Legacy ControlExisting local PLC handling localized pump starter logic. Retained to minimize reprogramming and panel rebuild costs.(Existing Legacy PLC)
    3. I/O Expansion & DigitizationDigitizes raw 4-20mA signals to Modbus TCP payloads locally. Pushes instant alarms upon high-level float switch (DI) triggers using Active Auto-Report, bypassing slow polling queues.
    4. Secure Telemetry GatewayProvides robust 4G LTE / CAT1 cellular backhaul, replacing 900MHz radios. Features 4x LAN ports to aggregate both the Legacy PLC and the Edge I/O module. Establishes military-grade IPsec or WireGuard VPN tunnels back to the central SCADA, ensuring compliance and security.

    Telemetry Tools & CapEx Justification

    Use these engineering tools to plan your transition from 900MHz to Cellular and build a foolproof OpEx reduction case for your municipal board.

    Modbus Cellular Data Calculator

    * Calculates raw Modbus TCP payload (Tx/Rx). Assumes standard 54-byte TCP overhead.

    Estimated Monthly Data
    1.25 MB
    M2M cellular plans of 10MB/month are typically sufficient for standard lift station polling, costing only a fraction of leased lines. Keepalive and VPN overheads will add approx. 10-15%.

    OpEx Reduction Justification Template

    Copy this pre-written engineering justification to explain to stakeholders why replacing decaying 900MHz networks with Cellular VPN architecture pays for itself within months.

    Deep Dive: Search Queries Answered

    How to replace 900MHz SCADA radios with an LTE router?
    To replace a 900MHz radio, deploy an industrial cellular router like the Valtoris VT-LTE400 at the remote lift station. Connect the legacy PLC to the router via its built-in Ethernet LAN ports. The router establishes an encrypted IPsec or WireGuard VPN tunnel over the 4G network back to the central SCADA center, bypassing line-of-sight restrictions entirely while maintaining secure, real-time Modbus polling.
    Can we do remote water tank level monitoring with no internet?
    Yes. By utilizing a cellular telemetry architecture, you completely bypass the need for a local ISP or wired internet connection. The Valtoris 8CH-IO-ETH Edge module digitizes the 4-20mA signals from ultrasonic level transmitters locally. The VT-LTE400 router then transmits this data securely over the public 4G/LTE cellular network directly to your SCADA system.
    How do we secure lift station pump controls over public 4G networks?
    Public cellular networks that are not encrypted pose a serious security threat to critical infrastructure in a city. The cellular gateway must encapsulate all SCADA traffic to secure remote pump controls. The VT-LTE400 supports military-grade VPN tunnels such as IPsec and WireGuard natively so that Modbus TCP commands cannot be intercepted, spoofed or manipulated.
    What if the float switch triggers but the polling cycle is delayed?
    In traditional SCADA setups, a high-level float switch triggering right after a polling cycle finishes means the alarm sits unnoticed until the next cycle. The Valtoris 8CH-IO-ETH solves this utilizing the DI Auto-report mechanism. The module actively monitors its Digital Inputs and instantly pushes a Modbus 05 payload over the cellular tunnel the millisecond a level threshold is breached.