Water monitoring

Water level, temperature and water quality around the clock – without cables and without a mobile network

Water monitoring means observing a body of water over a long period and thereby keeping track of its development and quality. With the HC-50 this works where there is neither WiFi nor mains power: at a stream, a pond, a retention basin. The measuring station radios its values over several kilometres to your EcoSensors.cloud, you see the history in the dashboard and are notified as soon as something is wrong.

Body of water

Why continuous measurement pays off

Spot floods early
If the water level rises quickly you know immediately, not only when the water has arrived.
Track water quality
Temperature, conductivity and turbidity reveal changes, for example from discharges or heavy rain.
Trends instead of samples
Instead of occasional sampling you get a gapless record over days, months and years.
Warned in time
You are notified when a threshold is exceeded or when a station stops reporting.

The measuring station at the water

High-water mark Mean water level LoRa Gateway 123
  1. Antenna: radios the readings via LoRa to the gateway, typically over several kilometres.
  2. Sensor arm above the water: ultrasonic distance measurement for the water level, plus air temperature, humidity and pressure.
  3. Underwater carrier in the protective tube: water temperature, conductivity (EC), turbidity and pH. The tube keeps floating debris away and still lets the water flow through.

The station runs on a rechargeable battery and sleeps between measurements. You need neither a power connection nor a mobile contract at the water. The full setup is described on the HC-50 Node page.

What is measured

Measurand What it tells you Status
Water temperature Living conditions for fish and micro-organisms, oxygen solubility available
Air temperature, humidity, pressure Weather influence on the water readings available
Water level Measuring range 2 – 450 cm: high and low water, fill level of ponds and basins in testing
Conductivity (EC) Salt and nutrient input, hint at discharges in testing
pH value Acid-base balance, hint at pollution in testing
Flow velocity Current and discharge, hint at floods and erosion in development
Turbidity Suspended matter after heavy rain, erosion or discharges in development
Oxygen content (O₂) Basis of life for aquatic organisms, estimate of eutrophication planned

You choose the sensors to suit the water: in still water, for instance, a flow-speed measurement makes little sense. The cloud shows which sensors your station currently evaluates. Further measurands are possible depending on the sensor, get in touch.

From reading to alert

  1. The node measures at your chosen interval, sends the values via LoRa and goes straight back to sleep.
  2. The gateway collects the radio packets of all nodes in range and forwards them over your WiFi to the internet.
  3. EcoSensors.cloud stores and evaluates the values, see Measuring concept.
  4. In the dashboard you see curves and current values. Monitoring and Notifications speak up when values leave the normal range or a station fails.

Typical sites

Streams and rivers
Gauge level and water quality over time, including during floods.
Ponds and lakes
Temperature, turbidity and conductivity across the seasons.
Retention basins
Keep an eye on the fill level so you can act in time during heavy rain.
Wells
Water level and temperature where there is no power connection.

Important when installing

In water, particular care is needed:

  • The sensor arm must always sit above the highest possible water level, otherwise the station can be irreparably damaged.
  • The measuring probe hangs in mean water and must not run dry even at the lowest water level.
  • The length of probe and protective tube must suit the body of water.
  • The gateway must be reachable directly by radio, see LoRa radio technology.

Water damage is not covered by the warranty and guarantee terms.

In detail: HC-50 Node and HC-50 Gateway.

Background: what water monitoring involves

Water monitoring means recording the chemical, physical and biological properties of a body of water over a longer period and thus monitoring its development and quality. As part of environmental monitoring it can also supply data for an environmental information system.

The EU Water Framework Directive also calls for recording the complex interplay within a water body's catchment area, that is the pedological, structural-geological and climatological conditions as well as historical and current land use.

Measurands for water monitoring can include: oxygen content to estimate eutrophication, temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential as an indicator of the water's biological self-purification capacity, turbidity, spectral absorption coefficient (SAC), TOC, ammonium, ortho- and total phosphate, chlorophyll, nitrate and heavy metal content.

Further reading

Monitoring a body of water? We are happy to advise you on sensors, location and gateway placement. Get in touch.