The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is a laboratory that conducts cutting edge experiments deep underground in the decommissioned Homestake Mine, located in Lead, South Dakota. Pumping Stations located throughout the >5000-foot-deep tunnel structure pump collected ground water to the surface to support the experiments conducted underground, and for treatment.

In 2025, HOA Solutions completed a project to upgrade the majority of SURF’s dewatering process control system. Throughout the underground lab, HOA installed five new Pump Station Control panels, ranging from 5000 to 1250 feet below the surface level. HOA also provided HMI Monitoring cabinets for surface level operations monitoring.

SURF’s existing SCADA system was also upgraded to a VTSCADA Redundant Server system in order to integrate with the newly provided Allen-Bradley PLCs. Due to the remoteness of the pumping stations, the control system was designed so the levels can operate independently of the SCADA system, in the event of a communication failure.

Project Name: Dewatering Control System Upgrade
Client Name: Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF)
Contact Name: Cory Pritchard
Completion Date: Spring 2025

Photo by Matthew Kapust, Sanford Underground Research Facility

The unique location of SURF’s dewatering system demanded maximum uptime and visibility to maintain a consistent environment for the experiments being conducted. The control system HOA provided guarantees a high level of visibility and control for the underground pumping locations throughout the lab through proven hardware and SCADA solutions.