http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/ en-gb Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:39:02 GMT http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/knowledge-hub/industry-intelligence/a-guide-to-remote-sensing-in-surface-waters.aspx 969c18dc-abc4-4375-b0c7-54632dde5d2f Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:48:00 GMT What is Remote Sensing in a Water Context?While many associate "remote sensing" with satellites orbiting the Earth, in the water industry, it primarily refers to two distinct but complementary methods: Satellite & Aerial Imagery: Useful for broad-stroke data, such as detecting massive algal blooms or mapping floodplains. However, it lacks the chemical granularity required for regulatory compliance or precise nutrient tracking. In-Situ Remote Sensing: This involves deploying smart probes and analysers directly into the water source. These devices "remotely" beam data back to a central hub, providing a 24/7 heartbeat of the water’s chemical health without a human ever needing to touch a sample bottle. The Nutrient Challenge: Why Real-Time Data MattersThe primary "pollutants of interest" for surface water health are often nutrients—specifically Nitrates and Phosphates. High levels of these nutrients lead to eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and "dead zones" that kill aquatic life.The challenge with nutrients is that they are highly "spiky." A heavy rainfall event can cause a massive runoff of fertilizers into a river in just a few hours. If you take your manual sample on Tuesday, but the runoff happened on Sunday, you’ve missed the event entirely.In-situ remote sensing captures the peaks and troughs that manual sampling misses.The Breakthrough: Bringing the Lab to the WaterThe gold standard for water analysis has always been the laboratory. The reason is simple: labs use reagents and precise chemical reactions to measure concentrations with high accuracy.Until recently, miniaturizing this process was the "holy grail" of water tech. This is where microfluidics comes in. By using "lab-on-a-chip" technology, we can now perform laboratory-grade chemical analysis inside a probe small enough to be deployed in a remote riverbank or a treatment plant intake.Key Benefits of Remote In-Situ Sensing: Reduced Operational Cost: Eliminate the logistical nigh... http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/knowledge-hub/case-studies/effluent-monitoring-in-large-wastewater-treatment-plant.aspx 876c832a-074e-4625-9c95-814515de9bf0 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:15:00 GMT BackgroundPhosphorus is a leading contributor to freshwater eutrophication. For water utilities, it is a growing environmental challenge. Monitoring phosphate (PO4-P) in treated effluent is critical to compliance, but remains technically complex, requiring wet chemistry rather than simpler spectral or ion-selective electrochemical technologies.Anglian Water's Whitlingham STW, serving 300,000+ people, is a Bio-P removal plant using Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR), which relies on effective Acetic Acid dosing. Discharge consent is 1 mg/L Total-P, tightening to 0.25 mg/L in AMP8 from April 2025. Whitlingham was selected as a pilot test site to explore if phosphate monitoring can provide insights for improving operational efficiency.The ChallengePhosphate is a critical pollutant to control and one of the hardest to monitor. It requires wet chemistry, making real-time measurement complex, costly, and until now, largely unavailable.At Whitlingham STW, Anglian Water faced three key challenges:Tightening Limits: Discharge permits were set to tighten from 1.0 mg/L to 0.25 mg/L under AMP8, demanding more efficient process control.Data Gaps: Infrequent, delayed lab testing created blind spots, offering no early warning for process issues or compliance risks.High Chemical Costs: With over £600,000 spent annually on acetic acid dosing, the lack of real-time data made optimisation difficult.Without continuous monitoring, phosphate posed a regulatory risk, adding operational uncertainty and cost presssure.The SolutionSouthWestSensor's DropletSensTM PO4 sensor is a compact, real-time phosphate monitoring solution that produces high-frequency, lab-quality data autonomously in the field.Dissolved ortho-P levels in conjuction with turbidity may be used to estimate Total-P. Location: Fixed securely in the Final Effluent channel at Whitlingham STW. Power: Connected to mains electricity. Filtering: Fitted with a 0.45-micron inlet filter to prevent clogging. Data handl... http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/knowledge-hub/case-studies/final-effluent-monitoring-in-a-municipal-wastewater-treatment-plant.aspx b549840d-9495-4555-8d02-4b91158e5f4a Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:15:00 GMT BackgroundPhosphorus is a leading contributor to freshwater eutrophication. For water utilities, it is a growing environmental challenge. Monitoring phosphate (PO4-P) in treated effluent is critical to compliance, but remains technically complex, requiring wet chemistry rather than simpler spectral or ion-selective electrochemical technologies.Anglian Water's Whitlingham STW, serving 300,000+ people, is a Bio-P removal plant using Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR), which relies on effective Acetic Acid dosing. Discharge consent is 1 mg/L Total-P, tightening to 0.25 mg/L in AMP8 from April 2025. Whitlingham was selected as a pilot test site to explore if phosphate monitoring can provide insights for improving operational efficiency.The ChallengePhosphate is a critical pollutant to control and one of the hardest to monitor. It requires wet chemistry, making real-time measurement complex, costly, and until now, largely unavailable.At Whitlingham STW, Anglian Water faced three key challenges:Tightening Limits: Discharge permits were set to tighten from 1.0 mg/L to 0.25 mg/L under AMP8, demanding more efficient process control.Data Gaps: Infrequent, delayed lab testing created blind spots, offering no early warning for process issues or compliance risks.High Chemical Costs: With over £600,000 spent annually on acetic acid dosing, the lack of real-time data made optimisation difficult.Without continuous monitoring, phosphate posed a regulatory risk, adding operational uncertainty and cost presssure.The SolutionSouthWestSensor's DropletSensTM PO4 sensor is a compact, real-time phosphate monitoring solution that produces high-frequency, lab-quality data autonomously in the field.Dissolved ortho-P levels in conjuction with turbidity may be used to estimate Total-P. Location: Fixed securely in the Final Effluent channel at Whitlingham STW. Power: Connected to mains electricity. Filtering: Fitted with a 0.45-micron inlet filter to prevent clogging. Data handl... http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/knowledge-hub/case-studies/monitoring-agricultural-nutrient-run-off-to-protect-ebro-river-estuary.aspx 10f6ae3f-2d4d-45ff-8895-7b1135ced7fb Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:15:00 GMT BackgroundThe Ebro is the longest river in Spain culminating in the protected Ebro River Delta wetlands. Agricultural run-offs along the way, particularly nitrates during irrigation season, are threatening river health and can lead to eutrophication. Ebro River Authority is monitoring the problem to drive remedial action. As a pilot site, a pumped measurement kiosk near Ballobar was selected.The challengeEbro River Authority knows that extensive irrigation used by farmers during autumn irrigation has the adverse effect of fertiliser run-off into the Ebro, and that online sensor systems can help to understand and monitor the problem.ADASA, a leading water sensor solutions provider, was commissioned by Ebro River Authority to manage the water quality monitoring network proposed to independently assess the suitability, usability and readiness of the SWS sensors.As a pilot, SWS nitrate measuring device was deployed to a pumped measurement kiosk in Ballobar. The performance targets for the monitoring solution were as follows: Accuracy & precision: >90%  Unattended use valid measurements: >90% Service interval: 1 monthThe solutionA SWS DropletSens™ NO3 sensor probe with 20 μm mesh size inlet filter, alongside other physical sensors, was deployed in a measurement kiosk overflow reservoir, to which Ebro River water was pumped. The SWS sensor was installed & calibrated at Day 1 and reagent cartridge & inlet filter changes performed at Day 30 and Day 60. Throughout the 3-month deployment, the sensor was set to autonomously measure nitrate levels in the river water every 10 sec, with at least weekly switches to an onboard nitrate standard for quality control. Spot samples were also measured in the lab for performance bench- marking.  http://www.southwestsensor.co.uk/knowledge-hub/case-studies/environmental-monitoring-of-tidal-river-itchen.aspx 5d5ff45c-d748-434f-b51e-5bdefcbb4816 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:41:00 GMT BackgroundThe River Itchen in Hampshire, England covers 26 miles and flows into Southampton Water and the Solent. It is a chalk river designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with high-quality habitats for protected species. It was used as a local test site to deploy SWS nitrate/nitrite sensors to demonstrate capability for environmental monitoring in brackish water. The challengeThis deployment addressed two challenges. Firstly, to demonstrate key operational capabilities of SWS nitrate/nitrite sensor probes, with the following targets:  Accuracy & precision: >90%  Compatibility with total nitrogen levels (nitrate + nitrite), TON: up to 50 mg/L  Compatibility with brackish water salinity: up to 10 dS/m On the environmental monitoring side, to pick up key events for river health:  Effect and regularity of daily tidal events  Pick-up of any external effects on nutrient levels. The solutionA SWS DropletSens™ NO3/NO2 sensor probe with 20 µM inlet filter was deployed directly into the river. The device was tethered to a pontoon which moved up and down with the tide.The sensor was set to autonomously measure nitrate and nitrite levels in the river water every 10 seconds. 30 spot samples were taken over 4 weeks covering all tidal phases, and analysed in the lab to provide accuracy reference measurements. Power was provided via a battery and remote telemetry via mobile broadband, both housed in a small bankside support box.  Daily tidal TON level changes from up to 40 mg/L during low tide to down to 25 mg/L during high tide, largely due to nitrate  Strong rainfall events further lowered TON levels to <18 mg/L on selected days  Suspected sewage discharge from WWTP Portswood, located 400m upstream of deployment site, resulting in temporary nitrite level increases of +2 mg/L The resultsThe deployment was successfully completed with key sensor capabilities demonstrated...