An IOT-based smart water meter and water quality monitoring system.

Abstract

The project is an IoT-based Smart Water Meter and Water Quality Monitoring System that measures water consumption and monitors water quality in real time with the aid of low-cost sensors. A flow-rate sensor is used to measure water consumption while a Ph sensor and turbidity sensor are used for water quality monitoring. The sensor data collected is then sent to a remote ThingSpeak server using a GSM device where it can be monitored by both NWSC and its customers. The server also assesses the given data against thresholds and provides notifications to both NWSC and its customers once the thresholds have been exceeded. The thresholds for water quality were determined by the National Standards for Potable water while those for consumption were determined by the average monthly water consumption. With regards to the choice of water quality parameters, NWSC sample data collected from Kampala was assessed using Feature selection Machine Leaning and the most dominant parameters were determined as Ph, turbidity, conductivity, color and Hardness, out of which, Ph, and turbidity were chosen on the basis of cost and availability of the sensors. The project has also been divided into two separate systems, wirelessly interconnected using nrfL2401 radio transceiver modules. The two systems include the water quality and the water consumption system. This is because the water quality sensors need to be in contact with the water, while this is not a requirement for the flow rate sensor. Therefore, for more convenience during setup and maintenance, these two systems can be placed at two different suitable locations within one’s home. The project therefore provides IoT-based method of actively monitoring both water consumption and water quality by NWSC and its customers. It is recommended that the number of water quality sensors are increased to improve the accuracy of the water quality assessment.