National water level sensors contract awarded

Following a competitive tendering process, the UK’s Environment Agency has awarded OTT Hydrometry with a national contract to supply submersible pressure sensors to be used in water level measurement applications associated with surface water, groundwater and tidal water monitoring.

The contract is part of a joint procurement exercise with SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and NRW (Natural Resources Wales).

The contract applies to Lot 6 of a telemetry and control equipment tender, which covers digital output ceramic diaphragm sensors with SDI:12 and Modbus output, for use where sensors require regular cleaning or where surrounding water is susceptible to freezing during the winter.

Under the contract, OTT will supply the OTT PLS sensors until November 2022, with options to extend for a further two periods of 12 months thereafter. The PLS is a robust ceramic pressure cell, providing long-term measurement stability. Resistant to physical force (5 x burst pressure) and with an enclosure made of high-quality saltwater resistant steel, the PLS is suited to a wide variety of freshwater and marine applications.

As a vented probe, the PLS maintains measurement accuracy by automatically compensating for changes in barometric pressure, and a built-in microcontroller compensates for temperature effects. The sensor also applies correction values for gravitational acceleration and water density. The sensor’s robust cable has a Kevlar core, and with flexible output formats, it can be connected to a wide variety of dataloggers and outstations.