Managing water systems via remote monitoring

Digital water monitoring (DWM) refers to the use of connected sensors and software platforms to track various conditions within a water system in real time. These systems measure variables like temperature, flow, biofilm, and stagnation, flagging potential risks long before they develop into costly problems and unsafe situations. They do this in a variety of ways, but all start with the installation of a local device (usually a small black or grey box) with sensors plugged into it. Some of these sensors have to be plumbed into the existing water system, and others can be simply wrapped around the pipework. Most basic devices are capable of measuring hot and cold water temperatures from a single device, with some also able to identify if there has been flow.

The best and most up-to-date systems can now monitor up to four temperatures and flow events at once — including hot and cold water, mixed water (after a remote thermostat), and return hot water. In addition to monitoring temperatures and flow, there is one system on the market — the Angel Guard C-1 — that combines all of these, together with ground-breaking biofilm monitoring technology that can detect the early stages of biofilm growth from pathogens. In all cases the data collected by the sensors is then sent up to a 'cloud' system operated by the technology company supplying the devices. This is usually done using in-built wireless technology such as LoRaWAN (low frequency radio), that is excellent at penetrating through the built environment, and transferring the data from the local devices through to a router-type device that sits somewhere central in the building and has a SIM card installed, much like a mobile phone.

The results are then displayed on a piece of 
software often referred to as a portal. These portals display the results in a variety of different ways, with the most basic ones showing a simple line graph, which requires the person trying to understand the results needing to have a great deal of training and understanding of what they are looking at — as well as considerable time and patience. Other more advanced systems handle a lot of the analysis using clever software that includes unique algorithms, AI technology, and machine learning techniques, to analyse the data collected, and present to the user a more proactive, easier-to-understand risk level for each device installed. This saves users a lot of time, but also provides clear and instant results on the health of every water system you are monitoring. In addition, these more up-to-date systems are usually the only ones to comply with the latest HSE/Water Management Society guidelines — providing clear alerts while instructing users on what to do and what to look for if and when issues arise.