How IoT Supports Smart Water Management Systems
By Enrico Marongiu
March 29, 2023
By Enrico Marongiu
March 29, 2023
Water is our most precious resource. Its proper management is essential to maintaining human health and well-being. Nevertheless, water management has become more difficult as the world’s population rapidly increases and urbanizes.
Each year, outdated water management systems cost millions of gallons of lost water. Moreover, the World Health Organization states that over two billion people live in water-stressed countries. This issue will worsen due to climate change.
Therefore, it is paramount that cities and organizations reduce loss and optimize usage with IoT-enabled smart water management.
When a leak occurs, the seepage can continue for hours, whether it’s an underground pipe or an office building. Once someone finally spots the leak and notifies a technician to fix it, the resulting water loss can be disastrous. However, with smart city water management, IoT technology alerts operators to anomalies, reducing the total loss.
IoT-enabled water management also creates new efficiencies. It provides utilities and businesses real-time information, including:
Water management operators can aggregate datasets and generate predictive analytics with compact, battery-efficient IoT sensors and devices. These capabilities enable operators to prevent system failure by identifying issues and taking preemptive action.
In addition, water management is considered a critical infrastructure, so security is a key solution component. Data streams must be transmitted on a confidential channel without interruption while preserving their integrity.
In the U.S., over two million cooling towers use millions of gallons of water annually to cool buildings. Moreover, with water scarcity rising, operators must reliably monitor these towers for leaks and issues.
WaterSignal, a water conservation innovator, offers a solution to monitor water and detect leaks in real time. The company enables make-up and blow-down meter monitoring for cooling towers via its customizable dashboard. In addition, it provides operational teams with insights and metrics to optimize water usage and justify evaporation credits to local municipalities.
One of the most beneficial aspects of WaterSignal’s solution is that it allows for remote water monitoring. It eliminates much of the manual meter reading for on-site teams. Likewise, its solution is noninvasive. It can be attached to a water meter without any expensive and disruptive installation.
However, ensuring 24/7 remote access to these towers requires always-on connectivity. As power outages increase in frequency and intensity across the U.S., operators must transfer water data independent of a power source. WaterSignal recognized it needed secure, reliable cellular IoT connectivity and network services for consistent data monitoring and turned to Telit Cinterion.
WaterSignal deployed our cellular LPWA modules and IoT connectivity solutions in all its units. Our solutions enabled WaterSignal to provide its customers with stable connectivity through cellular data instead of Wi-Fi. In addition, WaterSignal’s devices don’t require a power connection. Even if they are in deep vaults, they can still communicate and relay data.
Whether you are a city utility or a facility operator looking to enhance water management, our cellular LPWA modules provide:
Our secure IoT solutions for smart water management ensure efficient data orchestration and scalability to meet future demands.
Speak with our IoT experts to see how we can build your ready-to-launch IoT water management solution.