Weekly Brief

Why Utilities Must Consider Cloud-Based Water Quality Monitoring

By Utilities Tech Outlook | Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Cloud technology addresses the need for real-time water quality monitoring.

FREMONT, CA: Ensuring the quality of water has become a major challenge due to the increase in pollution and the over-exploitation of water resources. Strategizing monitoring measures is the first step in availing high-quality water in sufficient quantities. A real-time water quality assessment system that can offer instant information on water quality and also help in controlling the quality for different applications is on demand. Among several initiatives taken by the water utilities to focus on bettering the functionalities of a water quality monitoring system, deploying cloud technology seems result-driven and highly reliable.

Of all the data that water utilities need, what stands out in terms of volume and complexity are the parameters related to water quality, which include pH balance, temperature, conductance, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, hardness, suspended sediment, the number of contaminants present, and several others. Compared to conventional methods, cloud-based water quality management proves to be more efficient in handling these data, as this technology ensures that firms draw useful and actionable insights, which facilitate improved outcomes. Also, due to features such as flexibility and remote data access, cloud technology that is capable of making all the data available under one roof proves to perk up water quality monitoring to a vast extent.

Real-time, low-cost, long-term cloud-based water monitoring system can be implemented globally with myriad benefits, including improved understanding of critical aquatic ecosystems. In the years ahead, as clean water sources become scarcer, providing clean water will be a real challenge that water utilities face. Cloud-based solutions represent the best way for water utilities to take ownership of their data, satisfy reporting requirements, and tackle water quality monitoring roadblocks.