A decade into IoT-enabled water-quality monitoring, utilities are preparing for the next generation of intelligent devices.
The water industry has undergone quite the digital transformation over the past decade.
From the early rollout of 2G-connected devices to today’s cloud-integrated, artificial intelligence (AI)-supported platforms, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have become a core part of the way utilities manage quality, compliance and efficiency.
With such rapid technological advances, the past ten years have been a steep learning curve for the industry. Utility sat down with Metasphere National Water Quality – Environmental Sales and Product Management Specialist, Adam Simpson, to reflect on the sector’s growth during this time, and to find out where it might be heading next.
“It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come in the last decade of IoT water-quality monitoring,” he said.
According to Mr Simpson, the early years of IoT in the water sector were defined by infrastructure uncertainty. Cellular networks evolved quickly, which meant the industry had to learn how to future-proof products and deployments in a fast-changing landscape.
Technology wasn’t the only early challenge. Mr Simpson said when IoT first started to take off, the biggest barrier to deploying water quality sensors at scale was the high hardware cost.
“This was also true for smart metering,” he said. “And for some utilities, it still is.”
While prices have gradually fallen over the years, Mr Simpson said there has also been a shift in conversation from cost to value.
“The greater value of smart sensors lies in enabling utilities to do more with less,” he said.
Perhaps nowhere is that need more pressing than in regional Australia, where an ageing workforce is generating serious resourcing challenges. “As experienced water industry workers are retiring, backfilling these roles is proving increasingly difficult,” Mr Simpson said.
This creates a critical opportunity.
“Smart sensors can automate routine tasks like meter reads and water-quality checks, reducing the need for long-distance field travel and freeing up skilled staff for higher-priority operational roles,” Mr Simpson said.
At the same time, the technical capabilities of these devices are still evolving. While cloud-based data visualisation was previously perceived as a nice-to-have, it’s now considered a minimum requirement.
Mr Simpson said the sector is also seeing the convergence of cloud and on-premise control systems into hybrid platforms, which offers a unified “single-pane-of-glass” view of critical and non-critical data. “These systems are also increasingly integrating with machine-learning models to support proactive network management and improve compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines,” he said.
So what’s next?
If you asked Mr Simpson, he’d say the sector is close to seeing truly scalable, cost-effective smart water sensors.
“With AI-enhanced data visualisation, Australian utilities will be better equipped than ever to manage their networks efficiently, intelligently and sustainably.”
Indeed, from automated alerts to predictive analytics, smart sensors and IoT technologies are no longer just futuristic tools; they are shaping how utilities deliver critical water services to their communities.
For more information, visit metasphere.co.uk
About the expert
Adam Simpson has more than 30 years of water industry experience, from working at Woronora Dam WTP and Sydney Desalination Plant to a global product mangers role for the Chloroclam and Hydraclam IoT devices. Mr Simpson has a catchment to tap understanding of what is required to drive IoT technologies in the water sector, and has a hands-on approach to product deployment, development and integration.
