European Water Gets Smart

The program is part of the European Union's Bathing Water Directive, which calls for the protection of all water sources. Water quality in 'bathing areas', that is beaches, lakes and rivers where people swim, must be constantly monitored and managed. Although bathing areas were previously monitored, teams of scientists would visit the water source, take samples, analyse them and eventually produce water quality reports. Using IBM's technology, the Irish EPA is able to continuously monitor and, more importantly, quickly respond to changes in tides, bacteria counts and weather throughout the country.

"Everything from where rain falls to the chemical make-up of the oceans is in flux, and it continues to change in real time," explains Sharon Nunes, vice president of Big Green Innovations at IBM. "By providing near-real-time access to water conditions, we're enabling environmental agencies and citizens alike to make smarter decisions."

The program is using wireless sensors that constantly monitor water quality and send data back to regional offices, where computer software can analyse the data and even automate responses to certain pieces of information.

In addition to helping local water authorities and environmental protection offices better understand and protect local swimming areas, the program also incorporates a public web portal called Splash, where information about water quality, tides and weather is updated regularly. With support from An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, Splash is currently live in Ireland. According to IBM, however, there are plans for global expansion.

Source: Solve Climate