Implementation of an IoT Based Radar Sensor Network for Wastewater Management

Critical wastewater events such as sewer main blockages or overflows are often not detected until after the fact. These events can be costly, from both an environmental impact and monetary standpoint. A standalone, portable radar device allowing non-invasive benchmarking of sewer pumping station (SPS) pumps is presented. Further, by configuring and deploying a complete Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), Shoalhaven Water (SW) now has the opportunity to create Internet of Things (IoT)-capable devices that offer freedom from the reliance on mobile network providers, whilst avoiding congestion on the existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) telemetry backbone. This network infrastructure allows for devices capable of real-time monitoring to alert of any system failures, providing an effective tool to proactively capture the current state of the sewer network between the much larger SPSs. This paper presents novel solutions to improve the current wastewater network management procedures employed by SW. This paper also offers a complete review of wastewater monitoring networks and is one of the first to offer robust testing of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) network capabilities in Australia. The paper also provides a comprehensive summary of the LoRa protocol and all its functions. It was found that a LPWAN, utilising the LoRaWAN protocol and deployed appropriately within a geographic area, can attain maximum transmission distances of 20 km within an urban environment and up to 35 km line of sight

Risk-based management of the cost to society from infiltration and inflow to wastewater systems

The wastewater system is an important part of our infrastructure as it protects public health and the environment. Well-functioning maintenance is essential to sustain the functionality of the system. Insufficient maintenance in combination with the complexity of the system often results in problems related to water from infiltration and inflow (I/I-water). I/I-water is all water in the wastewater sewer system that is not sanitary sewage and can originate from, e.g. groundwater, stormwater, and surface water. Common effects of I/I-water are the need of additional treatment at the wastewater treatment plants and pumping of water. After large rains, basement flooding events and discharge of untreated wastewater into streams and rivers are also common. To enable a more efficient management of I/I-water, the problem is comprehensively mapped in this thesis. Furthermore, a risk-based framework for decision support is presented that emphasises the need of considering economic, social, and environmental effects of I/I-water, as well as uncertainty throughout the decision-making process. Based on the framework a model is set up to calculate the cost to society from I/I-water. Important effects of I/I-water are monetised and the present value for a longer time horizon is calculated. Further, a case study in central Gothenburg, Sweden, is used to illustrate the applicability of the model. It is concluded that a comprehensive model for decision support is needed to handle I/I-water in a more sustainable way and that the result of this thesis can work as a basis for this

Aceitação da IoT na gestão de recolha de resíduos em Almada e Seixal

Nos dias que correm, da era da revolução tecnológica, e devido à tendência crescente dos aglomerados populacionais emergem muitos desafios que devem ser respondidos para que haja uma adaptação a esta nova realidade. Assim sendo, a gestão das grandes cidades tornou-se uma missão complexa e exigente para os gestores públicos dessas cidades, onde garantir a qualidade de vida das pessoas é cada vez mais desafiante. Para colmatar este grande desafio na gestão das cidades surgem as smart cities, ou seja, cidades com o recurso a tecnologia, nomeadamente IoT, que auxiliam na gestão das cidades para que estas sejam mais eficientes e eficazes. Antes da implementação desta tecnologia numa cidade é fundamental perceber como será a aceitação das pessoas para garantir que o projeto de mudança terá uma maior eficácia. Este trabalho, surge nesse sentido, de conhecer o nível de aceitação da IoT na gestão de recolha de resíduos de Almada e do Seixal. No seguimento deste estudo, foram realizadas entrevistas a alguns gestores de cidades de Portugal para perceber quais os seus principais desafios na recolha de resíduos; também foram feitos questionários à população dos dois municípios para aferir o seu nível de aceitação da IoT na gestão de recolha de resíduos.Nowadays, in the era of technological revolution, and due to the growing trend of population agglomerations, many challenges emerge that must be answered in order to adapt to this new reality. Therefore, the management of large cities has become a complex and demanding mission for public managers of these cities, where ensuring the quality of life of people is increasingly challenging. To meet this major challenge in the management of cities, smart cities have emerged, i.e. cities with the use of technology, namely IoT, which assist in the management of cities to make them more efficient and effective. Before the implementation of this technology in a city, it is essential to understand how people will accept it to ensure that the change project will be more effective. This work, arises in this sense, to know the level of acceptance of IoT in the waste collection management of Almada and Seixal. Following this study, interviews were conducted with some managers of cities in Portugal to understand their main challenges in waste collection; questionnaires were also made to the population of the two municipalities to gauge their level of acceptance of IoT in waste collection management

Infiltration and inflow to wastewater sewer systems - A literature review on risk management and decision support

Wastewater sewer systems are one of our largest infrastructural assets. By transporting the sewage from our homes and other facilities to the wastewater treatment plants, the sewer systems protect public health, properties, and the environment. However, in addition to the sanitary sewage, there is an infiltration and inflow (I/I) of other water to the sewer system. This additional load can result in adverse effects such as basement flooding, combined sewer overflows, and larger pumping and treatment costs. I/I can originate from rainfall but also from sources such as groundwater, surface water or leaking drinking water pipes. Expected climate change effects include more intense rain events and periods of higher water levels which will increase the problem of I/I. Hence, it is important to manage I/I in a proper way by implementing efficient measures that provide the largest societal gain from a sustainability point of view.This literature review was performed to form a basis for research on developing risk-based decision support models to evaluate I/I in wastewater sewer systems from a system perspective and with focus on sustainability. It reviews publications on I/I focusing on sources, impacts, quantification and mitigation measures, addresses risk definitions, and the risk management process. Further, common decision support methods are described and literature on decision support models to evaluate I/I are reviewed. Important conclusions are that a vast amount of literature exists on finding and reducing I/I from a technical point of view and in several publications different decision support models are used to evaluate measures aiming at reducing I/I. However, existing models are focused on project internal and financial aspects and a need for future studies is identified, evaluating I/I from a broader societal and sustainability perspective, including project external, environmental, and social criteria

Implementation of an IoT Based Radar Sensor Network for Wastewater Management

Critical wastewater events such as sewer main blockages or overflows are often not detected until after the fact. These events can be costly, from both an environmental impact and monetary standpoint. A standalone, portable radar device allowing non-invasive benchmarking of sewer pumping station (SPS) pumps is presented. Further, by configuring and deploying a complete Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), Shoalhaven Water (SW) now has the opportunity to create Internet of Things (IoT)-capable devices that offer freedom from the reliance on mobile network providers, whilst avoiding congestion on the existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) telemetry backbone. This network infrastructure allows for devices capable of real-time monitoring to alert of any system failures, providing an effective tool to proactively capture the current state of the sewer network between the much larger SPSs. This paper presents novel solutions to improve the current wastewater network management procedures employed by SW. This paper also offers a complete review of wastewater monitoring networks and is one of the first to offer robust testing of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) network capabilities in Australia. The paper also provides a comprehensive summary of the LoRa protocol and all its functions. It was found that a LPWAN, utilising the LoRaWAN protocol and deployed appropriately within a geographic area, can attain maximum transmission distances of 20 km within an urban environment and up to 35 km line of sight