A Robust Sensing Node for Wireless Monitoring of Drinking Water Quality

In this work a low-cost and credit-card-sized electronic platform for continuous monitoring of water quality is presented. It simultaneously measures water pH, temperature, conductivity, flow rate, pressure and the micrometric thickness of surface fouling, of both chemical and biological nature. The system includes a GSM transceiver that creates a wireless sensors network for real-time monitoring of these parameters, enabling increased safety and, in perspective, automation and predictive maintenance of the water network. An external watchdog timer increases the robustness and the complete self-diagnostic ability of the solution. Preliminary results from field validation are reported.