Elevated water levels detected in real-time instead of after several days. By installing level sensors from Aqua Robur, Härryda Municipality has enabled quicker actions, streamlined procedures, and reduced the environmental impact of combined sewer overflow – all while saving working hours 

Previous visual inspections of water levels in Härryda Municipality’s wastewater network involved the monthly task of manually opening manhole covers. Seeking to transition away from this manual approach, the municipality’s wholly-owned water and waste management company, Härryda Vatten och Avfall AB (HVAA), opted to invest in technology for the automatic monitoring of water levels in wells. The results were soon evident, and a clear solution emerged. 

 – Aqua Robur presented the most competitive price along with the optimal solution, making the selection process straightforward, remarks Jonas Forsberg, Automation Operations Technician at Härryda Vatten och Avfall. 

Automatic Monitoring of Strategic Points 

HVAA ordered approximately ten level sensors along with Fenix Hub 150 sensor nodes, ensuring uninterrupted automatic level measurements with a multi-year battery life, remote software updates, and radio signals extending from antennas strategically positioned underground. 

By deploying these sensors, remote monitoring of water levels becomes a straightforward process, allowing for early detection of potential overflow events, such as during periods of heavy rainfall or technical malfunctions. These strategically positioned sensors, installed in 2021, play a crucial role in enhancing the surveillance of the wastewater network. 

We’ve placed them in wells that we want to monitor more closely for various reasons. In some locations, potential overflow could have significant consequences, while others are spots where we’ve experienced issues before,” says Lena Gustafsson, Operations Manager at Härryda Vatten och Avfall. 

Rapid notifications for prompt actions 

Previously, issues causing elevated water levels and overflow, which could lead to potential problems, could go undetected for several days. With the level sensors, HVAA can opt to measure water levels in the wells every other minute when necessary and send data to the user every up to five minutes, depending on the criticality of a measuring point. If no anomalies are detected, the sensor node sends data to Aqua Robur’s user portal, IoT Portal, once a day. However, should the water volume increase and reach a critical threshold, an immediate alert is sent to HVAA through the IoT Portal. 

– By detecting errors at an early stage, we can take quick actions. This allows us to prevent large volumes of sewage water from overflowing into inappropriate areas, stopping environmental impacts such as eutrophication. It helps us improve our management system, says Sara Egeljic, technical administrator at Härryda Vatten och Avfall. 

Saves Working Time and Facilitates Report Writing 

That HVAA no longer needs to perform recurring manual checks of the sensor-equipped wells saves a lot of working time that was previously spent on driving around. Another time-saving aspect is in reporting to authorities, which needs to be done as soon as a blockage occurs 

– In the past, estimating the extent of an overflow was our challenge. Today, with precise data from the IoT Portal, we have detailed information on the volume of water that overflows. We are now equipped to know exactly when incidents occur and their duration. The figures from Aqua Robur’s system can be used when we report to authorities, saving working time, says Jonas Forsberg. 

Aqua Robur’s IoT Portal is appreciated by the employees at Härryda Vatten and Avfall. 

– The portal is great; it displays information in a clear manner, offering a comprehensive overview of levels and flows. By scrolling back, one can easily identify instances of alarms and their corresponding timestamps. This functionality facilitates a straightforward assessment of discharged volumes over specific periods, providing a holistic view of the total volume. 

Tracks Inflow 

Beyond pure monitoring and time savings, Aqua Robur’s system offers additional benefits. HVAA, for instance, has opted to retain some level sensors to trace and pinpoint water infiltration, providing added functionality. 

– If we suspect a leakage, we can place a unit upstream and then work our way to find where the leakage is coming from. When we do that, the level sensors need to be in place for a few weeks to capture values such as precipitation amounts. This way, we can observe how the system behaves and identify where the leakage is occurring, says Sara Egeljic. 

Would You Recommend Aqua Robur to Someone Else? 

– Yes. Aqua Robur has good products and excellent support that quickly provides assistance when needed. They are happy to come out and discuss solutions to make us as satisfied as possible, says Sara Egelijc, and is supported by her colleagues. 

– Aqua Robur excels in continuous improvement initiatives, which is something we appreciate, says Jonas Forsberg. 

– It is an exciting and innovative company with a strong customer focus. Aqua Robur is very attentive to customer feedback and genuinely interested in improvement suggestions. We have great confidence in their expertise, says Lena Gustafsson.