The consequences of heavy rainfall events in recent years have clearly demonstrated how important comprehensive monitoring of water bodies is. Smaller streams and tributaries, in particular, can swell rapidly within a short period of time and cause significant damage. Experts therefore recommend continuous technical monitoring, even beyond traditional water level gauging stations.
Against this backdrop, RCT has developed the new HYDROview water level measurement device. The system was specifically designed for fast, flexible, and self-sufficient deployment. “With this new development, we are targeting, in particular, municipalities, water authorities, infrastructure operators, and organizations in the fields of environmental protection and disaster management. The solution combines ease of use with modern wireless communication and lays the foundation for efficient and cost-effective water level monitoring,” says Martin Meyer, Managing Director of RCT.
At the heart of this new development is a capacitive sensor that cyclically records water levels and reliably detects changes. The measurement data is transmitted via the LTE network
using GSM/NB-IoT technology. In the event of critical changes in water levels, the system automatically increases the reporting frequency so that relevant information can be provided more quickly.
A key advantage of HYDROview is its ease of installation. The compact unit can be positioned in or near a body of water without the need for complex infrastructure and requires no external power supply. This battery-powered solution is therefore particularly well-suited for locations that are difficult to access or lack an existing power supply.
In addition to water levels – for both flood and low-water hazards – the system collects other information such as temperature and geodata. The transmission of GPS and location data provides additional transparency and simplifies the management of distributed measurement points. Furthermore, the unit can be configured via radio, thereby minimizing the need for on-site visits.