Water
Storages and dams, rivers and creeks, groundwater, treatment and discharge. Instrumenta reviews these networks, and delivers new or changed ones through monitoring system delivery.
Sources of monitoring requirements
| Source | Requirement | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Dam safety regulation | What it asks forDeclared dams need a surveillance program, an emergency plan and practical emergency exercises. In New South Wales the exercises are required at least every five years for high and extreme consequence dams. | ServiceResponse exercises |
| Dam surveillance reviews | What it asks forANCOLD guidelines call for periodic review of the dam, its instrumentation and its monitoring program. | ServiceMonitoring system review |
| Flood warning arrangements | What it asks forThe national total flood warning system arrangements cover monitoring, prediction, interpretation, warning and response, and councils are funded to review their systems against them. | ServiceMonitoring system review |
| Discharge and extraction licences | What it asks forEnvironmental licences set what is measured, how, and the limits, and the regulator checks the record. | ServiceMonitoring system review |
Storage and dam monitoring
| Monitors | Storage level, seepage, piezometric pressure, embankment movement and rainfall. |
| Decisions | When to release, when to hold, and when a dam needs a safety response. |
SAFER stages
| SenseSecure | Each instrument is verified against an independent measurement and every change is recorded. |
| AssessAccessible | The operator, the dam engineer and the reviewer see the same readings against the design limits and the triggers. |
| ForecastFunctional | Inflow forecasts and the storage curve say when a level will be reached. |
| ExplainEfficient | Each reading is stated as what it means for the dam and the downstream community. |
| RespondReliable | The dam safety emergency plan names who acts and when, and every response is recorded and reviewed. |
River, creek and flood monitoring
| Monitors | Water level and flow at gauges, and rainfall across the catchment. |
| Decisions | When to warn, when to close a road or a crossing, and when to operate a gate. |
SAFER stages
| SenseSecure | Gauges are rated, verified by gauging, and designed to keep working through the flood they exist to measure. |
| AssessAccessible | Levels are shown against the flood classes, to the people who issue the warning. |
| ForecastFunctional | Rainfall and the catchment model say when a level will reach each class. |
| ExplainEfficient | Each level is stated as what it means on the ground: which road, which crossing, which property. |
| RespondReliable | A named role issues the warning or closes the crossing, within the time the plan allows. |
Groundwater monitoring
| Monitors | Levels and quality in monitoring bores. |
| Decisions | Whether an aquifer is within its allocation, and whether a licence condition is met. |
SAFER stages
| SenseSecure | Each bore is screened in the stated aquifer and read against a dip meter. |
| AssessAccessible | Levels are shown against the allocation limits and the trend, to the hydrogeologist and the regulator. |
| ForecastFunctional | Pumping and recharge data forecast the groundwater level at the end of the season. |
| ExplainEfficient | Each result is stated as what it means for the aquifer and the licence. |
| RespondReliable | A trigger leads to a named action: reduce extraction, report, investigate. |
Treatment and discharge monitoring
| Monitors | Flow, turbidity, pH, chlorine and the parameters in the discharge licence. |
| Decisions | Whether treated water is fit to supply or to release, and when to stop. |
SAFER stages
| SenseSecure | Analysers are calibrated at a stated interval, and a failed analyser is reported, not read. |
| AssessAccessible | Results are shown against the licence limits, to the operator and the compliance officer. |
| ForecastFunctional | The trend says when a parameter will reach its limit. |
| ExplainEfficient | Each result is stated as what it means for supply or for the receiving water. |
| RespondReliable | A named role stops the discharge or diverts the flow, and the action is recorded for the regulator. |
InstraData
One InstraData installation supports these monitoring systems. It takes readings from any field device, new or in place, and runs on the organisation's servers or in the cloud. About InstraData