SouthWestSensor provides scalable, utility-grade monitoring networks built for the demands of the modern water sector. Powered by our proprietary DropletSens™ microfluidic technology, our online analysers and in-situ probes deliver real-time, lab-quality nutrient data (ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate) directly to your telemetry network with an industry-leading 90-day maintenance interval.

Enterprise-Scale Water Quality Networks for AMP8 & Beyond


 

The current AMP8 investment cycle (2025–2030) demands a massive expansion of continuous monitoring sites across the water network. For utilities tasked with managing tens of thousands of kilometers of rivers and outfalls, deploying high-maintenance instrumentation is an operational and financial impossibility.

SWS enables regional utilities to transition from manual, high-cost grab-sampling to fully automated, continuous monitoring networks. Our systems act as an early-warning grid, allowing you to track treatment asset performance, detect pollution incidents instantly, and demonstrate regulatory compliance with complete confidence.

Solving the Scale Dilemma: Autonomous 90-Day Field Endurance


 

Traditional wet-chemical water quality analysers are historically associated with high Opex, requiring bi-weekly reagent refills and manual recalibrations. SWS has re-engineered wet chemistry from the ground up to solve these pain points:

  • 90-Day Unattended Operation: By scaling down reaction volumes to nanodroplets, a single reagent cartridge lasts for up to 3 months under continuous 15-minute sampling intervals, aligning perfectly with your standard quarterly maintenance schedules.
  • Zero-Drift Calibration: An on-device standard solution automatically executes routine performance checks, guaranteeing quantitative, audit-ready data without manual intervention.
  • Fouling Mitigation: Keeping the chemical reactions isolated inside microchannels shields the delicate optics from direct exposure to raw sample water, preventing the biofouling that plagues traditional optical probes.

End-to-End Utility Applications: Potable Water to Raw Effluent


 

The DropletSens™ platform is versatile enough to support compliance and process optimization across your entire asset lifecycle:

  • Wastewater Process Control (BNR): Monitor ammonium and nitrate in real-time to optimize biological nutrient removal (BNR) and automate aeration basin blowers—reducing energy consumption and chemical dosing costs.
  • Emergency Overflow Tracking: Deploy low-power outfall monitors to meet the strict 1-hour reporting mandates of the Water (Special Measures) Act at Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).
  • Potable Water Network Protection: Continuous monitoring of phosphate levels used as corrosion inhibitors to prevent heavy metal leaching in drinking water networks.
  • Catchment Investigation: Run regional baseline surveys to verify the ecological uplift of nature-based solutions and support nutrient-trading initiatives.

Seamless Telemetry & Industrial SCADA Integration


 

We design our systems to integrate seamlessly into existing utility telemetry architectures:

  • Industrial Comms: Native support for RS232, RS485, Modbus, and Bluetooth, allowing easy hookup to standard PLCs and SCADA networks.
  • Low Power Footprint: Drawing only 1.5 Watts of power during standard sampling cycles, SWS systems are ideal for solar-assisted or battery-powered installations in off-grid riverbank kiosks.
  • Active Pre-Filtration: Integrated pumped options feature self-cleaning Rotorflush modules or back-washable ceramic Cembrane Silicon Carbide (SiC) systems to ensure a reliable sample stream in highly turbid environments.