Environmental & Catchment Water Quality Monitoring
To truly understand and protect our aquatic ecosystems, we must move beyond static, manual grab-sampling. Natural water systems are highly dynamic, and critical pollution events—such as agricultural run-off or storm overflow discharges—are often missed by traditional laboratory testing schedules.
SouthWestSensor provides autonomous, real-time, in-situ monitoring solutions designed specifically for rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal areas. Our DropletSens™ technology delivers high-frequency, lab-quality chemical data continuously, empowering environmental agencies, river trusts, and land managers to take swift, data-driven remedial action.
The Challenge: Protecting Surface Waters from Eutrophication & Run-off
Excessive nutrient loading from agricultural fertilizers, livestock manure, and untreated sewage discharge is a leading cause of eutrophication in UK and global waterways. High levels of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and orthophosphate trigger aggressive algal blooms that deplete dissolved oxygen, leading to catastrophic fish kills and damaged aquatic habitats.
Protecting these fragile environments requires continuous upstream and downstream tracking to pinpoint the exact origin of pollution spikes, evaluate the effectiveness of nature-based solutions, and meet strict environmental compliance standards.
The Solution: Autonomous, High-Frequency Catchment Profiling
Our DropletSens™ platform overcomes the traditional barriers of wet-chemical sensors by leveraging advanced nanodroplet microfluidics. This enables:
- Continuous, Drift-Free Data: High-frequency measurements (up to every 10 seconds) with automated, on-device standard checks to ensure lab-grade accuracy over long-term deployments.
- Ultra-Low Reagent Consumption: Run autonomously for up to 3 months on a single reagent cartridge, drastically reducing total cost of ownership and site maintenance visits.
- Versatile Deployment: Integrate easily into standalone battery-powered banks, floating buoys, or mobile surface-mapping platforms.
Key Environmental Monitoring Applications
- Nature-Based Solutions: Quantify the nutrient-removal efficiency of constructed wetlands, reed beds, and riparian buffer zones.
- Nutrient Trading Schemes: Provide the rigorous, verifiable baseline water quality data required to unlock housing developments and support local nutrient neutrality markets.
- Surface Mapping: Mount sensors on autonomous vessels or floating platforms to map continuous nutrient profiles across lakes and river networks.