Preparing for what comes next: how AWSD modernized its network

Water and sanitation services often go unnoticed when they work as intended. Residents turn on a faucet, businesses open their doors and essential services continue without interruption.

Keeping those services reliable requires operations that never stop.

Since 1978, Anthony Water & Sanitation District (AWSD) has served the community of Anthony, New Mexico and neighboring areas through water, wastewater and associated infrastructure services.

Water moves through production, treatment, storage and distribution, while wastewater returns through collection and treatment before discharge to the Rio Grande. Facilities, monitoring systems and certified operators exchange information around the clock.

As operations became more connected, AWSD recognized that information needed to move as reliably as the water itself.

The district’s legacy network had not failed, but growing operational data, new digital capabilities and evolving security expectations were beginning to test its limits. Rather than wait for those constraints to affect essential services, AWSD chose to modernize while it still had the time and flexibility to plan carefully.

The mission behind the infrastructure

AWSD operates one water treatment facility and one wastewater treatment facility serving households, businesses and community growth.

Automation, monitoring platforms, alarms and employee communications depend on timely, reliable information.

When conditions change at either facility, the right people need accurate information quickly.

“Any interruption or complication at either facility must be communicated without delay to protect public welfare,” Coleman explained.

As operations became increasingly digital, reliable service depended on the network connecting these critical systems—not only on pipes, pumps and treatment equipment.

Recognizing the risk before the disruption

AWSD’s 100 Mbps connection had served the district for years, but it needed to support growing volumes of information generated across treatment facilities and operational systems.

The challenge was not an outage. The district needed more capacity for treatment facilities, operational systems and emerging digital capabilities.

“The concern was that our operating needs would gradually outgrow the foundation supporting them,” Coleman said. “Our responsibility was to recognize the direction of travel and make a thoughtful decision before the gap became more difficult or costly to address.”

Acting early also gave AWSD time to understand its environment. Before changing a connection, district leaders needed to identify what depended on it, how each dependency worked and what continuity required. In a utility environment, a legacy service may support specialized equipment, alarms or monitoring functions whose importance is not immediately visible.

The goal was to determine the capacity, security and continuity AWSD needed to serve the community for years to come.

Finding a solution aligned with stewardship

The district evaluated each option against its public mission, operational needs and financial obligations.

“Start with a simple question: how will this decision serve the community, and can we clearly explain it to those who entrust us with their resources?” Coleman said.

Greater capacity needed a practical purpose. Security improvements needed to support the district’s operational responsibilities. The transition could not disrupt ongoing operations. And the investment needed to deliver sustainable value within AWSD’s financial obligations.

Working with Lumen, the district modernized its connectivity with Lumen® Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) and 1 Gbps Lumen® Intelligent Internet, giving AWSD a more flexible way to access and manage connectivity as operational needs change. Lumen® DDoS Essentials and Lumen® Defender Plus Threat Protection added network-level protection as part of AWSD's broader cybersecurity approach.

The upgrade increased primary connection capacity from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps—a tenfold increase—while adding greater flexibility, control and protection to support changing operational requirements.

“The Lumen staff provided a solution attuned to the district’s current and future requirements,” Coleman said. “Lumen’s available products met our stringent requirements for security and cost of service, and its simplified approach won the day.”

Modernizing without missing a beat

Any technology transition affecting essential operations carries risk.

Employees still needed access to systems. Facilities still needed monitoring. Public services still needed to operate without interruption.

AWSD and Lumen worked together to identify dependencies, plan the transition and coordinate implementation around ongoing operations.

The final cutover was completed in less than 30 minutes. Testing, staff training and activation were coordinated separately as part of the broader implementation.

“The platform was installed, testing was performed, and explanations and training were completed,” Coleman said. “It was a quality use of everyone's time and a successful business process from start to finish.”

For a district responsible for critical services, that smooth transition mattered just as much as the technology itself.

Results and outlook

The upgrade increased primary connection capacity from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps—a tenfold increase—while maintaining operational continuity through the transition. The district now has greater flexibility and control as capacity needs evolve.

The district’s individual water-meter communications platform now keeps individual meters connected with staff at the district’s central office, giving employees greater visibility into water-meter operations and district operations. The legacy environment could not effectively support the timely, reliable communication required by the system.

“Today, digital communications have greater capacity and speed,” Coleman said. “Staff see the difference directly in the facilities management systems and in the newly integrated individual water meter system.”

The modernization gives AWSD more room to adapt as operational needs evolve. Critical systems can support future initiatives, while improved communications help staff manage facilities and water meters more effectively.

“AWSD is working to protect the community's confidence in essential public services,” Coleman said. “We want residents and businesses to know that the district is preparing carefully, managing resources responsibly and supporting the people who conduct its mission.”

AWSD remains focused on the objective that has guided the district for nearly five decades: delivering dependable water and sanitation services every day.

To learn more about Anthony Water & Sanitation District’s transformation, read the full customer success story.

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