Advanced Water Management Resisdential Buildings

Advanced Water Management – Precisol’s Gateway for Sump & Overhead Tank Monitoring with Ultrasonic Sensors and Remote Valve Control

The Challenge: Inefficient and Reactive Water Management in a High-Rise residential buildings

Our customer, a system integrator had a requirement from their end customer to automate the water management. Their multi-storey residential building, faced significant operational inefficiencies and risks in its water management system. They relied on a central pump house to draw water from an underground sump and then distribute it to multiple overhead tanks on the building’s upper floors. Their existing system was plagued by:

  • Inaccurate Level Data:Reliance on manual checks or unreliable float switches led to frequent overflows in overhead tanks (wasting water, causing seepage) or pumps running dry in the sump (damaging equipment).
  • Reactive Pumping & Distribution:Pump operations were based on guesswork or delayed information, leading to excessive energy consumption and inconsistent water pressure for residents.
  • Limited Visibility:Operators in the pump house had no real-time, precise data on the levels in the distributed overhead tanks, making efficient water transfer and demand management impossible.
  • Lack of Remote Control:Adjusting water flow or pump states required physical presence at the pump house, delaying responses to critical situations.
  • Harsh Environment Challenges:Sump pits and rooftop tanks are exposed to varying temperatures and humidity, requiring robust sensors.

Customer urgently needed a sophisticated, automated solution for remote water level monitoring and integrated control to optimize water usage, reduce costs, and ensure consistent supply.

The Solution: Precisol’s Gateway with Ultrasonic Sensors and Modbus Relay Control

To overcome these challenges, customer implemented a cutting-edge smart water management system centered around the Precisol’s RS232 serial to cellular gateway, integrated with advanced sensors and control modules. The implementation involved:

  • Precise Level Sensing: IP67 rated ultrasonic water level sensors (DYP-A02YYUW)were installed in both the underground sump and each overhead tank. These robust sensors, with their non-contact measurement principle, provided highly accurate and reliable level readings, even in challenging environments. Each ultrasonic sensor communicated its data via an RS232 serial interface.
  • Centralized Data Aggregation & Cloud Connectivity: A Precisol’s RS232 serial to cellular gatewaywas strategically placed in the pump house. Each sensor’s RS232 output was connected to a dedicated RS232 port on the Precisol’s gateway. The gateway then aggregated this precise level data and, using its integrated LTE cellular modem, securely transmitted it in real-time via MQTT to cloud-based water management platform.
  • Remote Valve Control from Pump House:To enable automated and remote control of water flow, Modbus enabled relay modules were integrated into the pump house’s control panel, connected to the Precisol’s gateway via an RS485 bus (the gateway typically supports both RS232 and RS485). This allowed the gateway to send Modbus commands to the relays, which in turn controlled pumps and critical valves (e.g., diverting flow between tanks, activating/deactivating pumps). Logic for this control (e.g., “if Overhead Tank 1 level < 20% AND Sump level > 30% THEN activate Pump 1 relay”) was configured both at the edge (within the Precisol’s gateway’s intelligence) and from the cloud platform.

    • This comprehensive remote water level and pump control system transformed customer’s water management.

Results: Unprecedented Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Reliability

The deployment of this integrated system delivered immediate and profound benefits for the customer:

  • Real-time, Accurate Level Data: Operators gained instant, precise visibility into water levels in both the sump and all overhead tanks, eliminating guesswork and manual checks.
  • Optimized Pumping & Distribution:Automated pump activation/deactivation based on real-time levels prevented overflows and dry runs, significantly reducing water wastage and extending pump lifespan. Energy consumption for pumping was noticeably reduced.
  • Proactive Anomaly Detection:Instant alerts for abnormal level changes (e.g., sudden drops indicating a leak, or unexpected rises) allowed for rapid intervention, preventing costly incidents and infrastructure damage.
  • Enhanced Operational Control:The ability to remotely control pumps and valves from the central platform or via automated logic at the edge provided unprecedented agility in managing water flow and responding to demand fluctuations.
  • Reduced O&M Costs:Significant savings were realized by eliminating manual inspections, reducing energy bills, and preventing costly repairs due to equipment damage or water spillage.
  • Improved Resident Satisfaction:Consistent water pressure and reliable supply enhanced the living experience for residents.