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Project title

Innovation Water Monitoring Technologies - Topic 3

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Cork Institute of Technology (CIT)

Lead Applicant

Kevin Fitzgibbon

Project Abstract

The main aim of the project is to build on previous research work at Nimbus to develop a novel water and environmental monitoring buoy with integrated real-time monitoring sensors for water and environmental quality assessment. This integrated environmental monitoring (IEM) system will provide spatially accurate and continuous environmental real-time data, thus allowing a more virtual connection with the environment and water resources which we need to protect. This project intends to address the need for accurate real-time data gathering by developing a multi-sensing IEM buoy which can accurately measure the flow and water quality parameters, and gather real-time data records of the condition of receiving waters. The observed data will be transmitted to a cloud-based platform. Other existing data sources will provide input to the platform: historic weather records and water level data for watercourses; weather forecast; and both process parameters and effluent quality monitoring data from the WWTP. Inbuilt intelligent software and algorithms, used in combination with the proposed and existing data sources, will calculate the real-time assimilative capacity of the water, i.e. will result in the definition of effluent quality and quantity acceptable for the receiving waters. The expected project outputs are as follows: � Final Report, � Peer reviewed papers in target Journals, � Two �page summary report � Poster presentations at peer reviewed conferences, � Organise an event In addition to this it is planned to provide a user-friendly free public access website; specifically a website to communicate the objectives, partners, activities, results and reports of the project. . It will facilitate dissemination allowing project-related information to be diffused. The website will provide real-time data captured during the deployment also. In terms of project impacts it is envisaged that developing an intelligent multi-sensing environmental monitoring device with incorporated wireless communications and data management systems will allow real-time data capture and sharing of sensor data. This IEM system will allow for improved monitoring coverage in the catchment and will ultimately protect the environment and public health. The trans-disciplinary collaboration between research and an SME builds synergies and linkages across the EPA �Safe Water� research theme. This synergistic approach is expected to result in proficient result of an intelligent integrated environmental system to monitor water quality in Ireland and indeed globally.

Grant Approved

�502,100.25

Research Hub

Healthy Environment

Research Theme

Safe water

Start Date

30/01/2017

Initial Projected Completion Date

29/01/2019