As urbanisation and development accelerates, the need for sustainable management of water resources becomes increasingly critical. Smart city technologies offer a promising avenue to address these challenges by leveraging data-driven approaches to enhance urban living and resource management.
Water is a dynamic resource and aquatic environments are in a constant state of flux. Traditional discrete water quality monitoring provides a limited understanding of spatial and temporal trends. This presentation explores the integration of continuous water quality monitoring systems within traditional monitoring networks, aiming to improve environmental sustainability, social well-being, and the efficiency of water infrastructure. Continuous water quality monitoring allows for real-time data on key water parameters that are directly related to in-stream contaminant loads, infrastructure efficacy and general environmental health.
The use of continuous monitoring systems offers significant environmental, social, and infrastructure benefits. It enables immediate detection and response to pollution incidents, minimising environmental damage, while also tracking long-term trends to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities, thereby informing more effective environmental policies and practices. Continuous monitoring facilitates proactive approaches to managing water related human health standards, reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and promoting urban sustainability. Public access to this data enhances transparency and fosters community trust in municipal services. Moreover, the data optimises the operation and maintenance of water infrastructure, allowing for predictive analytics to identify potential issues before they become critical, reducing maintenance costs, preventing system failures, and ensuring efficient water use and overall system resilience.
This presentation will discuss a series of applications where continuous water quality monitoring can be successfully implemented in conjunction with discrete monitoring. The discussion highlights the potential of continuous water quality monitoring to transform water resource management.