Water treatment operators often work with fragmented industry information, complex control systems and training programs that do not always cover the technology used in their facilities. For operators, these conditions can make it difficult to find the information needed to manage daily operations.
Drop Solutions addresses these challenges through its drOPs platform, which brings operational data, system information and practical guidance into one place. The platform centralizes hand-sampled, laboratory and online operational data while helping operators understand issues and determine possible actions.
“We had an ultimate goal at the start to be the all-encompassing platform and the operating system for water systems,” says Dillon Petrucha, director.
Bringing Water Data Together
The drOPs platform takes a different approach from traditional software solutions by providing utilities with free access to the platform. Its cooperative model helps operators source the supplies they need. Its low operating costs also allow Drop Solutions to keep supply costs competitive, an approach it carries across the software. The platform brings operational information, system management and decision support together in one place. By connecting monitoring, guided assistance, supply acquisition, asset management, service requests, reporting and control capabilities, it helps operators understand their systems and respond effectively.
These capabilities have also helped communities reduce their operating costs. The Village of Leask, Town of Balcarres, Resort Village of Manitou Beach and Village of Theodore in Saskatchewan have reduced their annual operating budgets.
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We had an ultimate goal at the start to be the all-encompassing platform and the operating system for water systems.
The company describes this as a triple-win model. End users benefit from continuous improvements, the company gains customers and suppliers gain better visibility into customer needs.
Drop Solutions has launched a free control system that evolves with technology. It allows operators to add new systems and equipment through smaller, more affordable upgrades rather than major replacements.
Beyond the technology itself, the company works directly with customers through service agreements, helping them understand, adopt and update the platform. Operator feedback shapes changes, creating what Dillon describes as a refining loop where the software evolves with operators’ needs. Minor issues can be resolved within minutes, while larger ones usually take a few hours. Every team member is a partner and owner in the company, with a shared goal of helping communities secure their water requirements.
Drop Solutions is currently focused on communities with fewer than 5,000 people, where many water plants have only two or three operators. Each operator can use the same platform and data, making shared access to information valuable. If a chemical day tank is low, all operators can see it without entering the plant. Once an operator resolves the issue, the task clears for everyone.
Building a Connected Network
Over the past four to five years, Drop Solutions has expanded the platform by adding functions that need to be centralized. The next function in development is distribution-network mapping, which the company describes as GPS mapping for the water network. This reflects Drop Solutions’ view of water as a connected network, where “every single drop is connected to the other.” The company uses insights from each customer system to guide future improvements.
As the platform expands, security is also an important consideration. End users control who can access their systems. The company has participated in cybersecurity programs supported by Innovation Saskatchewan and National Research Council IRAP funding. It has also participated in cybersecurity programs related to NIST, and its security is now aligned with the NIST framework.
The company is also exploring AI as a future capability. It envisions an AI assistant that understands individual plants like an experienced operator, giving operators rapid access to plant-specific knowledge without requiring them to ask other operators how a similar problem was solved.
Drop Solutions builds systems that evolve with technology and community needs. Its approach helps operators understand a plant and access the knowledge needed to manage their systems.
Turning Fragmented Water Data into Decisions
An alarm can tell an operator something is wrong, but that is only useful if it helps them understand what to do next. Without context, they are left digging through manuals or pulling information from different systems. In an understaffed plant with aging equipment, that takes time the team may not have. Control systems are also getting more complex, often faster than training can keep up. Good water management software should close that gap by helping operators move from a warning to a practical response.
The information operators need is rarely in one place. Lab results, operator notes and live control data often sit in separate systems. Bringing them together is a start, but the real value comes from helping operators make sense of what they are seeing. An unusual reading should point them toward possible causes and what to check next. More dashboards do not help if they simply add more information to sort through. Operators need a clear view of what looks wrong and enough history to understand whether conditions are improving or getting worse. Over time, that record can also help with maintenance planning and equipment upgrades, especially when replacing an entire system is not financially realistic.
“Drop Solutions centralizes sampled and live plant data, then pairs performance monitoring with guided assistance intended to help operators respond rather than simply acknowledge an alarm.”
Getting the software in place can be just as difficult. Many smaller utilities run with one or two operators who already wear several hats. A system that needs extensive training or creates another set of records to maintain can end up adding work instead of taking it away. Buyers should ask how easily operators can start using the platform, what happens when they need help and how updates are introduced. It also matters whether the vendor listens when operators identify problems. For a small team, slow support can quickly lead to workarounds that become part of the daily routine. Everyone should also be able to see what is happening at the plant and what still needs attention without repeating the same investigation.
Cost goes beyond the monthly bill. A platform can seem like a good deal until the utility needs to add equipment or update controls and discovers that each change comes with a major upgrade. Buyers should think about how the system will grow with their operation, not just how it works today. It is also worth asking whether purchasing and automated reporting features genuinely save time or simply create more work to manage. The same applies to scale. What works well for a small team may not work as smoothly once purchasing and oversight become more complex.
For smaller Canadian water systems, Drop Solutions is a strong fit because it is built around the realities lean teams face every day. It brings sampled and live plant data together and helps operators understand what to do next rather than simply telling them something is wrong. Asset management and automated reporting reduce the need for separate recordkeeping, while integrated supply and service tools keep routine tasks in one place. The platform is free to use and the company places a strong emphasis on operator feedback and quick issue resolution. Its focus on communities with fewer than roughly 5,000 people makes it especially relevant for smaller utilities, although buyers should make sure that focus matches the needs of their operation.
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