Water usage monitoring and management through your smartphone
Water scarcity necessitates the wisest handling possible of existing water resources. Every drop counts. At a moment when we urgently need effective yet affordable tools for water management, the EU funded WATERSIGN project has introduced a smart solution for real-time management of water usage. The project team developed a disruptive technology to read online multiple users' data with a single sensor that reads the water fluctuation of all mechanical devices to detect flows, bursts and leakages and alert immediately. “The uniqueness of the WATERSIGN system is that the water itself is used to transmit the information and no transmitting devices are needed. Simple and inexpensive online monitoring is a real need in a world suffering from water shortages,” notes project coordinator Hanan Itzkovitch.
One platform, multiple water management applications
The innovation consists of the marker – a mechanical device installed at each user inlet to create a unique signal operated by the water flow – and a digital pressure sensor connected to the controller. The sensor reads the flow fluctuations of all markers simultaneously, and the controller sends the information to the cloud. A smart algorithm separates the combined signal, analyses the information of every user and sends it to the user’s smartphone. WATERSIGN system monitors the water consumption of all users, detects leakages, bursts, blockages, water theft and unauthorised connections, points to their location and alerts the user immediately. In addition, the system can analyse water consumption patterns and alerts in case of irregular behaviour. The platform is ideal for agricultural, landscape and golf irrigation as it enables efficient management and monitoring and saves water. Being especially applicable for rural and small municipalities that cannot afford sophisticated monitoring systems, it could be an optimal solution for water utilities. Moreover, given that it enables reading for internal billing in addition to leakage detection and bursts, it appears to be the perfect submetering tool for offices and other building residences.
A smart water management solution one step before the market
“During the project, we completed the development and manufacturing of the injection moulds of the 1.5-2 inch markers and injected 500 sets of ready-for-the-market markers. We completed the development of the algorithm, the software, the user interface and the graphical user interface. In short, all system components are ready,” explains Itzkovitch. The complexity of developing the markers has been a challenge, as the team had to use more engineering hours, run more tests and postpone the development of the small-size markers – which is going to be their next step. “We run a few field trials in Israel but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not install demonstration systems with European partners,” adds Itzkovitch. WATERSIGN solutions will be sold through system integrators and companies offering management and control systems to water supply companies and to irrigation companies. These include complete systems – as a part of the management and control system or sold as a standalone monitoring system – and services such as a monitoring service and immediate alert for a monthly fee or shared revenue based on water saving. The team aims to develop more markers in various sizes and improve the algorithm and the software accordingly. After the pilots are installed in Europe, they will begin their cooperation with leading companies to prepare for the sale phase.
Keywords
WATERSIGN, monitoring, water management, leakage detection, water consumption, smart algorithm, water scarcity
