Generally, water treatment plant (WTP) SCADA systems report many parameters, of which the vast majority are not utilized or viewed unless it is in response to a raised alarm. There is therefore clear benefit in developing a system that uses existing information for pro-active management of treatment plants. This paper outlines the development of a prototype system featuring real-time simulations, an alarm handling facility, an instrument analyzer and "user" defined simulations. The system offers benefits through proactive WTP operation, demanning, risk reduction, reduced maintenance and chemical costs and as a training tool. Also discussed are factors that may influence the implementation of such a system and also future development possibilities. Includes 2 references, figures.