Smart water management

Benefits of Water Quality Monitoring solutions

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Without a doubt, water is a vital reserve for our planet. Not only for standard usage, but its application in companies also enables us to make and refine other resources and products necessary for our life and sustainable living.

With 71% of water covering the earth’s crust, only 2.5% or less is potable. However, we have been using this irreplaceable resource for years. It has led to severe consequences in the form of increased concentrations of pollutants in freshwater reservoirs and water scarcity in various parts of the globe.

Freshwater origins are depleting at an intractable rate, and presently, there is no option to enhance the situation other than monitoring and maintaining the best quality of water bodies. However, water quality measurements today are done manually, which poses several challenges.

Concerns related to the manual method of water quality monitoring

Manual methods for measuring water quality, in addition to consuming time and money, also pose the following problems:

 

    • An error may be generated when water quality readings are taken procedure manually.

    • If readings are incorrect, data quality decreases. Moreover, developing valuable insights from this information also takes substantial time.

    • The effectiveness and economy of manual water quality measurement could be much higher, requiring a lot of time and effort.

    • Staff must be adequately trained to prepare them for on-site readings.

    • Manual testing of probes and sensors also takes up much productive time that could be used for efficient reading procedures.

How to Monitoring Water Quality with IoT:

The challenges cited above make the manual measuring of water quality entirely redundant. Intelligent water quality monitoring systems using IoT are needed to survey different parameters that define water quality automatically.

The Internet of Things has enabled the development of water quality monitoring systems that mitigate the above mentioned problems. Can real-time mass measurements of water resources be made with sensors and probes from remote locations?

These devices and platform suites share live information about the quality of a liquid. Using this platform, a person or company can take practical steps to ensure water quality. Some variables that are counted through remote water quality monitoring devices are:

Turbidity:

Turbidity is caused by particles suspended or dissolved in water that scatter light making the water appear cloudy or murky. High turbidity can significantly reduce the aesthetic quality of lakes and streams. It can harm fish and other aquatic life by reducing food supplies, degrading spawning beds, and affecting gill function. It can increase the cost of water treatment for drinking and food processing.

pH:

Water pH determines the solubility (the amount that can be dissolved in water) and biological availability of chemical elements ( carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen) and heavy metals. The range is 0 to 14, 7 being neutral. A pH below 7 indicates acidity, and a pH above 7 indicates alkalinity. copper, cadmium, etc.)

Temperature:

The temperature of the water plays a vital part in marine life and its habitat. For industrial applications, the water’s temperature is also paramount to observe for efficient operations and increased production rate.

Dissolved Oxygen:

BOD, or biological oxygen demand, is a rudimentary parameter for various microorganisms’ fragmentation of organic compounds in the water.

Conductivity and TDS:

Since water is a universal solvent, it dissolves almost all available salts. A high concentration of TDS (Total Dissolved Salts) in water raises its conductivity, affecting the reproduction and growth of aquatic organisms.

Salinity:

High salt stability in water also boosts salinity. Saline water cannot be used for drinkable objectives and isn’t suitable for domestic, industrial, or agricultural usage.

When estimated via water quality monitoring devices, these parameters permit an IoT approach to achieve real-time water quality monitoring that can utilize to develop valuable insights and take informed actions.

Water quality monitoring

 

Dashboard in water quality monitoring

Applications of Automatic Water Quality Monitoring Systems

The Internet of Things technology has enabled the creation of intelligent water quality monitoring solutions evolving the modus operandi of different industries. Below is a list of some sectors that can help with the execution of these methods:

Water Utilities:

Water suppliers and utilities must ensure a supply of nutrient-rich water that customers can utilize for drinking and additional purposes. By implementing IoT-based water quality measurement solutions, utilities can monitor distributed water quality in overhead tanks and pipelines.

Agriculture:

Optimum water quality is a requirement for a high work of crop production. Based on the crop to be farmed, the sensors and probes can be used to pinpoint pollutants that can hinder its growth. It will allow agriculturalists to improve their irrigation techniques and secure a high product of healthy crops.

Aquaculture:

Aquaculture directs the breeding of aquatic organisms, like fishes, in an undisturbed atmosphere. Water quality is essential in promoting the growth of healthy fish and crustaceans in large numbers so they can be used as livestock.

Research Facilities and Laboratories:

Because of the wireless measurement of water quality parameters, laboratories and test sites can conduct experiments without worrying about mistakes generated due to the presence of adulterants. To conduct conclusive experiments, laboratories and research buildings need nearly 100% pure or distilled water. Water with low pH and suspended particles are hence necessary for determining accurate and reliable results.

Wastewater Treatment:

Wastewater forged is to be feted and addressed before it is terminated into a freshwater body. Smart water quality monitoring systems utilizing IoT optimize the review processes & reduce the need for manual interference. Monitor parameters like TDS, Temperature, and turbidity to ensure that the water has sufficiently ministered before it is secreted.

Manufacturing Units:

Production and manufacturing-based firms frequently discharge chemicals and other toxic fluids into rivers. Strict regulations are imposed on them to ensure that no harm is done to aquatic life. Factories can monitor real-time water quality to confirm compliance with the set regulations.

Key Takeaways:

Using IoT technology, measuring water quality can be done automatically from far-off locations via advanced telematics. The applications of water quality systems in various fields are limitless and will, therefore, change how these sectors operate.

How can IoT Benefit in Smart Water Management?

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The Internet of Things is an intelligent technology that allows industries to pass in whatever they do. The water sector is one such area that obliges full attention to resource provision in sufficient amounts. IoT offers different and advanced procedures to fulfill the requirements with incompetence in water quantities. The arrival of sensors in the water industry benefits the sector via real-time monitoring, a data-driven approach, and an immediate alert system.

With the help of IoT- powered solutions, you can measure the volume of water misused and get instant warnings as soon as the water starts leaking through the tanks. IoTizing the water sector benefits in keeping a well-formed account of consumption patterns and thus provides effective conservation of our natural resources.

IOT Help in Smart Water Management Solutions

Level monitoring

IoT Based level monitoring solution in the water industry assures sufficient water as per the required demands. It can sort the managerial liabilities and obtain accurate results by using a smart water management solution. IoT Technology aims to deliver results based on cost-effective resources and effective resource utilization with sensors, prediction-based AI/ML Algorithms rules, advanced analytics, and other procedures that can improve productivity.

Sensor-enabled solutions

IoT is a sensor-based technology. These nodes get installed on the assets and extract raw data for real-time monitoring of the entire plant. water sector manages a better way of functioning for storage through sensor-enabled methods. Organizations are now acquiring IoT technology due to its particular demands in multiple areas. Lorawan gateway, sensor devices, and other advanced technologies give end-to-end services to customers to improve the utilities.

Through wastewater treatment

The water industry is securing the most out of practicing IoT concepts and advanced procedures. The wastewater treatment system evolves by installing innovative solutions like level monitoring for real-time level estimation of the water quantity. It also helps set a specific origin value beyond which the key triggers immediate alerts on the user’s interconnected smart device. Consequently, the technology allows ineffective wastewater treatment by saving as much water as possible and avoiding extravagant wastage due to leakage or unidentified spills.

Through the intelligent irrigation system 

The farming sector essentially relies on the volume of water utilized for irrigation. Nowadays, with sensor-enabled water meters and sprinklers, farmers find it easy to spray their fields without losing excessive water. IoT notions offer intelligent irrigation methods to the farming division by developing innovative ideas and venerable strategies for sufficient water requirements. The IoT-powered sprinklers or water meters allow the farmers to set a distinct value beyond which the sprinkler becomes automatically off. Saves their time and energy and assures remote monitoring of the fields through dashboards.

Through smart water meters

Essential utilities include water ruin being the primary cause of survival and industry production. Most industries utilize water in a large amount, which drives an improved monitoring system that keeps track of all the water-related actions and records consumption patterns. With the help of IoT-powered smart water meters, the industries rely on more reliable sources and encompass a great business sense that directs to an improved potential. IoT technology in the water sector consequently forms a competitive edge where a water business can compete and deliver better services to attract customers. The utilization of smart meters in various zones exhibits a well-structured water management system that saves water at all costs.

Top 5 reasons why you should go for a cloud-based wireless utility monitoring solution

Energy Management, Industrial IoT, Smart water management / By / Leave a Comment
LoRawan Solutions

Utilities such as electricity, water, gas and oil are one of the most important inputs for any Industry. Ensuring efficiency in consumption will reduce the inputs costs and improve the bottom-line

What gets measured can only be managed

Monitoring utilities on continuous basis provides industries with understanding of their consumption patterns and insights into mandatory actions that can enhance efficiency in operations. Though many different monitoring solutions are available in the market, cloud based wireless monitoring solutions provide the best value for money. Below are the 5 reason why you should implement a cloud based, wireless utility monitoring solution.

1. Scalability:

Cloud based wireless utility Monitoring solution

Monitoring solutions have greatly evolved in the last decade or so. A good monitoring solution scales with the number of critical assets that demand monitoring. A scalable system is one that needs almost zero additional infrastructure and almost zero time to add or remove an additional node into an existing system. Legacy utilities monitoring solutions that communicated over Modbus/RS232 protocols require a lot of wiring, numerous protocol converters, switches and a central infrastructure that maintains IP’s & Ports for transmission. Larger the facility, greater the complexity to coordinate connection and communication of various asset data to the server. The advent of  IoT has changed the game w.r.t utility monitoring. 

With LPWAN technologies like LoRaWAN, large facilities can now be served by a single gateway with sensors that continuously collect data and upload data to a cloud. Without the need to wire and worry about any additional infrastructure, adding a new sensor to the wireless network is as easy as flipping a switch. LPWAN based networks, once established can serve as a communication backbone for the entire facility to monitor anything from anywhere. Facilities can even use these networks to control lighting, collect process data, maintenance information etc without any support infrastructure. With a lot of need to collect data from distributed assets, facilities are thronging to wireless technologies, specifically LPWAN solutions to monitor their utilities consumption.

2. Competitiveness:

                 Competitiveness is central to any organization. Globalization has brought competitors along with the markets. In the pursuit of being competitive in the global market, companies rely on data to understand consumption, processes and efficiencies. With legacy monitoring systems, where data is stored on premises, typically on a PC, tools to generate the right insights are limited. Continuous integration of on premises data with ever evolving analytics technologies is a tedious task. This puts organizations at risk in terms of making continuous improvements and staying competitive. Cloud computing has changed the game. 

Cloud computing provides the flexibility to seamlessly integrate data with new analytics, algorithms and technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence that provide deeper & accurate insights. The pace at which new technologies can be adopted over the cloud can assist in quick data-driven decisions that help organizations retain their competitiveness in the marketplace.

In a study conducted by IBM, it was found that,organizations gaining competitive advantage through high cloud adoption are reporting almost double the revenue growth and nearly 2.5 times higher gross profit growth than peer companies that are more cautious about cloud computing. The survey also found that one out of five organizations is ahead of the curve on cloud adoption and achieving competitive advantage – not just cutting costs and driving efficiency – through cloud computing. 

3. Cost : 

                        As LPWAN technologies are being widely accepted across the Industry, the cost of the technology is decreasing. Being wireless, deployments do not need long cabling and come with almost zero maintenance resulting in substantially lower cost compared to wired solutions. The scalability cost is much lower as well, as there is no need for any additional infrastructure to go from say 100 to 200 nodes. 

Lower upfront costs for computing infrastructure, pay as you use kind of model, relatively lower upfront licensing costs for monitoring software and provisioning resources as you scale puts cloud technology well ahead of on premises solutions. As organizations expand, the need for larger infrastructure makes the current infrastructure obsolete, resulting in high investments.

Cloud technologies on the other hand, can be scaled up with minimal cost without ever worrying about becoming obsolete!!!

4. Access:

Industry 4.0 Smart factory will be able to access all data on the cloud

The real strength of cloud computing is its accessibility. It provides access from anywhere, anytime. With no down time, complete data protection, organizations can view, share and process data anytime. For example, organizations that have deployed cloud-based utilities monitoring solutions remain connected to their facilities and have taken active control of their operations even during force majeure scenarios such as CoVID-19 related shutdowns. Cloud enables organizations to simplify decision making processes with its ease of data sharing across the teams and thereby increases collaboration. Role based access enables organizations to cut the clutter and assist teams in focusing on the data they wish to monitor. Switch to cloud now.

5. Portfolio view:

                        Modern facilities are not just huge, they are geographically distributed across different locations . Collating data daily from different locations and creating a holistic view of utilities consumption is a tedious task. Cloud enables organizations to visualize live data of all their locations from a single dashboard. Portfolio view enables organizations to benchmark consumption data of different locations, understand their inefficiencies, derive specific energy values, combined cost of utilities etc..  and quickly make decisions that would result in a positive business outcome. 

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Conclusion

While wireless solutions provides scalability at a lower cost , Cloud helps businesses with data accessibility, portfolio views and seamless integration of new technologies that improve efficiency. Together, cloud based wireless utility monitoring solutions are changing the way facilities are being managed and controlled. BridgeThings has been at the forefront of providing Long range LPWAN wireless solutions for energy, water and fuel monitoring and bringing efficiency. Being a design house, BridgeThings has built the entire LPWAN end-end stack in house. This enables BridgeThings to customize any hardware or software based on customer requirements. Contact us now for end-end cloud based wireless monitoring solutions – info@bridgethings.com

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