Water Sustainability and IoT

In April, we have been examining ways the Internet of Things (IoT) is assisting industries to be more sustainable. Water utilities is certainly a sector that benefits greatly from IoT technology that assists in preserving this precious, natural resource, and there a number of current and trending implementations that are helping to achieve this goal.

East Richland County in South Carolina provides a clear example of how IoT connectivity can facilitate water sustainability, as the county determined that its water utility could be more efficient by using a wireless monitoring system to remotely obtain data on wastewater management.

Through connected video systems, a wide range of the utility’s wastewater assets can now be monitored to allow the county to identify resource waste and other potential problems with absolute precision. By using a wireless monitoring system to remotely obtain data, wastewater management municipalities are able to prioritise and disperse crews on an as-needed basis, enabling personnel to visit only the equipment or stations needing attention, while leaving normally-operating sites alone.

This automation and wireless IoT connectivity also gives them the ability to remotely monitor the health and security of their tanks and wells in real-time For example, East Richland receives instant notification of high wet-well alarms from their lift stations, which helps to prevent spills that can lead to costly EPA fines.

But as is the case with many IoT implementations, the short-term benefits are accompanied with long-term solutions. For example, East Richland County is able to implement preventative maintenance projects that might not have otherwise been commissioned. The result: a significant reduction in natural and financial resources.

Municipalities can also garner critical data about water usage through the use of IoT sensors on things like cloud-connected meters, flow monitoring devices, and irrigation systems to better understand when and where consumption is highest and lowest, determine potential inefficiencies that lead to excess water usage, and even monitor the cleanliness of the water supply.

All of this data can be viewed through predictive analytics to better prepare municipalities to make the kinds of decisions that will cut down waste, increase safety, and save considerable financial resources, which benefit both utility providers and consumers.