Enhanced Technology Leads Smart Sewer Network Revolution

Rapidly increasing uptake of remote sensor technology is revolutionising how sewer networks are monitored and managed across the UK - and has prompted a firmware update from technology company Metasphere, writes Ryan Pearson, head of strategy.

Remote sewer network monitoring is already offering significant advantages to the most progressive water companies in the UK, who must meet Ofwat’s ambitious environmental targets for water companies in the 2025-30 asset management plan (AMP8) period. It is remarkable to think that Metasphere was first-to-market with a remote sensor solution for sewer networks in 2021, which is only four years ago.

Reflecting the company’s ongoing innovation and development journey, as a leading provider of telemetry and analytics solutions for water networks, Metasphere has just announced a significant firmware update for its Sense Level sewer level monitors. This update reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting the water sector in meeting Ofwat’s ambitious AMP8 targets, which include a 45% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2030.

Proactive Management
The multiple benefits provided by remote sewer network monitoring include proactive identification of blockages and preventing overflows, reduced manual inspections and associated costs, improved safety for employees and real-time data insights for better network management and regulatory compliance. However, its use presents several key challenges.

The inherent variability of sewer environments, in terms of pipe and chamber sizes, materials and flow conditions, makes standardised sensor deployment difficult. In addition, harsh conditions and seasonal weather variations can have a significant impact on the effectiveness and battery-life of devices.

“Another improvement is optimising the battery life,” explains John Alimi, devices product manager at Metasphere, “meaning the devices can last longer in the field, resulting in fewer maintenance visits. Overall, they achieve significant operational efficiency gains from this combination of features and improvements.”

As anyone with a mobile phone knows, connectivity can also be unreliable enough above-ground, let alone in hard-to-reach underground locations. This means resilient communication solutions are required.

“One of the biggest challenges in precision sewer level monitoring is reliable connectivity,” says Alimi. “You can deploy the most advanced sensing technologies, such as radar and ultrasonic, but without connection the system becomes very ineffective.

“If the system isn’t connected, you can’t monitor conditions in real-time, respond to issues, or make informed decisions. With dynamic network switching, we're able to optimise for better connection during installation. This ensures that the connectivity rate goes up, giving more reliable visibility across the network - essentially avoiding costly fines by identifying blockages and protecting the environment from spills.”

Finally, cost-effectiveness remains a concern, requiring a balance between the benefits of remote monitoring and the investment in equipment, installation and maintenance.

Optimised Operations
Remote network monitoring has myriad advantages when optimised for these challenges. With the right sensors in place, water companies benefit from optimised resource allocation, reduced operational costs associated with reactive repairs, and improved network efficiency.

Their customers experience fewer disruptions due to flooding and sewer backups, leading to increased satisfaction and peace of mind. Importantly, the environment reaps the rewards through a decrease in pollution incidents - safeguarding water quality and protecting ecosystems.

Metasphere pioneered remote sensor solutions for sewer networks in 2021, and the company currently has over 60,000 Sense Level sewer level monitors installed across Wessex Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent and Anglian Water networks.

Since launching in 2021, the company has continually developed and refined its remote telemetry technology, and the firmware update announced for 2025 will help the water sector meet Ofwat’s ambitious targets for water companies during AMP8. Key environmental goals include the 45% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2030 (relative to 2021 levels), achieved through a £12B investment and upgrades to 2,884 storm overflows.

A further £6B is allocated to tackling nutrient pollution across approximately 1,000 sites and catchments. Nature-based solutions and biodiversity enhancement will receive £3.3B.

Beyond these specific initiatives, water companies will be measured against up to 23 performance targets encompassing areas such as reducing water abstraction, further decreasing storm overflows, improving biodiversity and bathing water quality, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating serious pollution incidents, and maintaining and enhancing asset health.

"When developing and refining our firmware, we’re constantly asking - what are our customers are most concerned about? The answer is always reliability, regulatory compliance, environmental protection and value for money,” says Alimi.

"The fact that we're continuously improving on the performance of our firmware to meet these needs speaks volumes about Metasphere’s commitment to innovation, the water sector and the wider environment."

Asset Resilience
Metasphere's latest update directly addresses these challenges. The enhanced sensor performance and reliability means greater proactive identification of issues such as blockages and preventing overflows, reduced manual inspections, and improved safety for employees, as well as operational efficiency gains and improved asset robustness.

Key Improvements Include:

• Enhanced data processing algorithm to improve the radar capabilities of the Sense Level device, delivering better data quality and greater precision in target detection
• Dynamic selection between low-power, wide-network cellular technologies Cat-M1 and NB-IoT, which gives optimal connectivity. File transmission rates that are 20%, faster, enabling rapid remote firmware upgrades and device management, and longer battery-life
• Enhanced telemetry points that provide deeper insights into device behaviour - enabling quicker issue resolution

This release also addresses specific customer requirements, tailoring device configurations and performance to align precisely with diverse operational needs.

The latest firmware update represents another significant step in Metasphere's commitment to helping the UK water sector meet its challenging environmental and efficiency goals over the current AMP and beyond.

For more information, visit https://www.metasphere.co.uk/

About Metasphere
Metasphere is a global industry brand, synonymous with telemetry excellence to help our customers prevent leaks and spills for a cleaner, greener world. As a wastewater application specialist business, Metasphere provide monitoring solutions to the global utility industry with installations in more than 25 major utilities, government agencies and system integrators. The company liaises with all sectors of the industry, from major utility companies to environmental and regulatory bodies. Metasphere is a Grundfos company, with operations in the UK and Australia.