For the past 15 years, pollutants including oils, nutrients and heavy metals have been dumped or spilt into a stormwater system in Melbourne\u2019s northern suburbs \u2014 making its way into Merlynston Creek, which flows through suburbs including Campbellfield and Broadmeadows. EPA Victoria has closely monitored water quality as part of its response to incidents and investigations, using traditional testing methods; however, this data is often spatially limited, and intermittent, as it requires manual sample collection and analysis at laboratories. Through the manual collection of water samples, EPA officers were able to confirm the presence of pollutants, but without real-time data they could not accurately establish patterns which might pinpoint potential sources.<\/p>\n

Solution<\/h4>\n

In 2020, EPA engaged Bio2Lab with a view to developing a real-time monitoring solution as part of a trial project. To create a system which could perform in such a harsh environment, Bio2Lab contacted IoT connectivity experts M2M Connectivity.<\/p>\n

Working together, Bio2Lab and M2M identified a suite of hardware which would aid the accurate detection of pollutants, survive being submerged in the creek, but also enable data to be captured and wirelessly transmitted back to EPA at regular intervals.<\/p>\n

M2M Connectivity recommended Libelium\u2019s Smart Water Ions | Plug & Sense solution meter, which formed the heart of the system acting as an \u2018electronic nose\u2019. For data transmission, M2M supplied SIMs using 3G and 4G to transmit data back to the online dashboard reporting for EPA in 15-minute intervals. The hardware was then integrated with their online data analytics platform \u2014 creating a consistent and clear picture of the water\u2019s quality and profile.<\/p>\n

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The final solution encompassed a network of Libelium sensors stretching 10 km along the creek.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are some of the harshest conditions that sensors could be put under \u2014 being subjected to everything that comes down the drain \u2014 and the hardware provided by M2M Connectivity has proven accurate, durable and reliable,\u201d said Steve Marshall, Principal Scientist at Bio2Lab.<\/p>\n

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