Brunei deploying rugged smart water management

The Sultanate of Brunei is deploying a smart water device network, with a focus on monitoring river water levels, wastewater pumping stations, and water quality.

In search of IoT solutions

The nation’s Ministry of Development, with a roadmap to digitize various services, commissioned an IoT solutions company named Anian to develop several use cases for smart water — which included sensors, connectivity, and data management dashboards.

The initial need was to monitor water levels in Brunei’s rivers, as flooding is very frequent and often unpredictable. Other recurring water infrastructure problems in the country included the management of wastewater and pumping stations, which often broke down; tides and water on parking lots and highways; and the general quality of water.

The main challenge Anian faced was the difficulty of finding a consolidated solution that included rugged hardware. A partnership with IoThink Solutions and Actility provided the solution’s basic elements and all necessary technical support through a networking architecture known as LoRaWAN.

A nearby canal has a water level that can go from zero to overflowing in 20 minutes. An IoT solution is able to provide immediate alerts of flash flooding.

Flash flood detection

Flooding is the number one natural hazard in Brunei. With a hot and rainy climate, the country experiences frequent and intense flooding episodes that can be triggered within hours. The Department of Drainage and Sewerage under the Ministry of Development undertakes monitoring of the sewerage distribution network and river levels at various locations in Brunei Muara to help predict flooding and detect abnormalities in the sewerage system.

River level monitoring has until now been primarily based on telemetry technology or, in cases where this technology is not deployed or is inoperable, manual monitoring with significant mobilized manpower.

In order to create an effective system of preventive alerts on these hydrological events, Anian deployed ultrasonic sensors connected through a patented technique for Long Range, Wide Area Networking (LoRaWAN) to monitor the water level in flood-prone rivers. The solution combined rainfall volume monitoring with rain gauges/tipping buckets to measure the velocity of water currents.

Protection of sewage pumping stations

A significant portion of Brunei’s population lives in close proximity to rivers or in villages on stilts. Wastewater from the homes is treated and released into the rivers. When there are overflows in the pumping stations, the discharged water pollutes the rivers, creating a significant odor nuisance for the inhabitants.

This system is inefficient and has very negative financial risks. Pumps can shut down due to trash and debris, creating excessive vibration that leads to overheating and explosion. The financial impact of a pump break is exorbitant, as a pump costs between €50,000 and €100,000 ($56,000 and $113,000 USD).

Monitoring of facilities and equipment relied primarily on telemetry and SCADA technology at only a few locations, or no monitoring at all with only reactive maintenance.

The solution implemented by Anian allows the monitoring of wastewater pumping stations, via continuous measurement of pump vibrations, the use of floats and LoRaWAN ultrasonic sensors in wells to alert if the water surface rises within 50cm of the cover, smoke, or dangerous gasses including CO, H₂S, or CO₂.

The IoT solutions are able to measure pump vibrations, workers’ presence, or dangerous gasses.

Leakage reduction and water quality

The Water department under the Ministry of Development was also looking to monitor water quality and the various related infrastructure to avoid many recurring problems. Anian offered to deploy LoRaWAN sensors to detect leaks, pressure, and water quality in pipes.

A LoRaWAN network is of strategic interest to the Government of Brunei, as it allows for the development of broad application areas. The Ministries of Development hopes to make many more improvements in the coming years:

Monitoring of water networks (pressure, flow, leaks, water quality, reservoir levels, pumps).
Monitoring of tides by the departments concerned
Use cases for intelligent buildings and energy savings (air quality, security, water and electricity consumption measurement, data center environment, parking).
Bridge and road infrastructure monitoring (bridge pier vibration, crack monitoring, worker safety, wind and rain monitoring).
River water quality, air quality, weather information.