Yorkshire deploys smart sensors for water quality monitoring

Yorkshire Water says the innovative approach it is taking to monitoring water resources will cut down the treatment processes required before supplying to customers.

The company has rolled out smart sensors to watercourses in the Yorkshire Dales that will capture data on water quality to inform decisions on water resources.

Data will be transmitted via new 4G networks from the monitors to help scientists and engineers make proactive decisions about which water sources to transfer to treatment works for use.

Weather, temperature and information about the condition of moorland are used to inform decisions.

Environmental factors can influence the quality of water, for example extra peat at the source would require additional processing at the treatment works, which in turn makes it more energy intensive.

Ted Rycroft, product and process manager, said the quality of water customers receive would remain the same.

“The key change here is that the water coming into the treatment works will be of higher quality, and therefore require less treatment,” he said. “That helps us to keep costs down for our customers and our operational emissions to a minimum, while maintaining our high standards of water quality.”

Yorkshire said managing water at its source was a more cost effective and environmentally-friendly approach compared to the energy intensive and more costly end-of-pipe treatment solutions traditionally employed.

Real-time monitoring of moorland water has saved the company millions of pounds on a proposed additional treatment process at its water works, Yorkshire said.

Through a partnership with BT, Yorkshire is using a EE 4G mast and mobile technology. This will also be available to residents, visitors and businesses in the area to improve mobile phone coverage in rural areas.