New, mobile-friendly, water level monitor

OTT HydroMet has launched a new all-in-one wireless water level logger that can be used for the remote monitoring of surface or groundwater. Simple to set up and run with a mobile phone, the OTT ecoLog 1000 has been designed for long-term applications, even in remote locations, and is able to issue warnings automatically to help manage or avoid the problematic conditions that can occur when water levels rise.

“Our customers are already walking around with an incredible piece of technology in their pockets,” comments OTT’s UK managing director Nigel Grimsley. “So it makes sense to exploit the value of this by developing an App that can be used to set up, manage and view data, and by designing a water level monitor that communicates wirelessly with a mobile phone or tablet.”

The App runs on mobile devices supporting iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows 10, and with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, the ecoLog 1000 can pair with a mobile device up to 10 metres away, which significantly enhances simplicity and onsite safety. Further enhancements to onsite operations include the ability to quickly change batteries, and even shorten cable lengths if necessary.

An on-board SIM card enables the monitor to feed data to secure servers, and users are provided with password protected access to the readings via the App. However, in addition to viewing and downloading data, the App also enables users to manage the ecoLog’s configuration remotely.

For monitoring network operators, a further App-based solution, HydroMet Cloud, offers web-based data visualisation of live monitoring data in user-defined maps, graphs, tables etc.

With a rugged stainless steel probe (also suitable for brackish and saline water) and a very stable ceramic pressure cell, the ecoLog 1000 is designed for challenging applications. Data are encrypted with automatic retries if transmission fails, so users can expect continuous data streams with alerts when water approaches user-set threshold levels.

Commenting on the applications for the instrument, Nigel says: “A wide range of people would benefit from remote water level data and alerts; these include government agencies, flood managers, local communities, highway managers, rail network operators, water companies and water resource managers, as well as consultants, academics and environmental researchers.

“For all of these groups, easy access to remote data will save a great deal of time and money by preventing unnecessary site visits, and the provision of water level alarms will facilitate the instigation of timely mitigation measures.”