Modernizing IT & Cloud Operations for a Regional Water Utility

Following new business priorities and a change in vendor, the regional water utility faced several pressing challenges. The established Infrastructure as Code (IaC) system required enhancements and improvements to meet evolving needs and align with industry best practices. The organization utilized multiple monitoring tools across various systems, which presented an opportunity to streamline and improve incident response times through a more unified approach. Additionally, the utility faced the challenge of balancing on-premises and AWS cloud deployments, requiring a detailed cost/benefit analysis to optimize infrastructure investments and align with strategic goals. To maximize the full potential of AWS infrastructure, the organization sought to enhance cloud expertise across teams, creating opportunities for targeted training and skill development. Finally, AWS cloud systems were due for a comprehensive assessment to address optimization opportunities and strengthen system resilience for evolving business needs.

Nortal provided a tailored and strategic approach to address the utility’s challenges and ensure operational continuity:

Well-Architected Reviews: Nortal conducted in-depth reviews of all AWS cloud offerings, aligning services with best practices for security, performance, cost optimization, and reliability.

Architecting and Implementing Well-Architected Services: Nortal designed and deployed scalable serverless architectures, high-availability solutions, and optimized storage strategies tailored to the utility’s evolving needs.

Unified Alerting Migration: The team consolidated multiple monitoring tools into a centralized alerting framework using Amazon CloudWatch. This significantly improved incident detection and response times.

Cost/Benefit Analysis: Nortal performed a detailed evaluation of on-premises and AWS cloud deployments, delivering actionable recommendations that resulted in a 13% reduction in cloud costs.

IaC Collaboration and Improvement: Nortal partnered with the organization to enhance their IaC system, implementing continuous improvements that aligned with evolving business requirements and best practices.

Agile Process Enhancements: Leveraging Agile methodologies, Nortal improved team alignment and productivity. The organization adopted structured initiatives to plan and prioritize large-scale projects, streamlining delivery and increasing efficiency.

Educational Resources and Training: Nortal developed targeted educational resources for teams outside of AWS operations, such as the Networking team, enabling them to better understand and leverage cloud-based tools and integrations.

Through its strategic and technical expertise, Nortal delivered measurable and impactful outcomes for the regional water utility under tight deadlines:

Cost Optimization: Nortal’s resource right sizing and reserved instance strategies led to a 13% reduction in AWS cloud costs.

Cross-Team Enablement: Targeted training initiatives improved team productivity and organizational readiness, promoting the broader adoption of cloud best practices.

Future Scalability: By implementing robust and scalable serverless architectures and storage solutions, Nortal ensured the organization’s infrastructure was well-prepared for future growth and innovation.

By ensuring continuity during critical transition times, refining existing capabilities, and empowering teams across the organization, Nortal successfully positioned the utility for sustained operational success. The collaboration between the two organizations laid a strong foundation for long-term infrastructure modernization, cost efficiency, and operational resilience.