Monitoring the water level of a well using the io-key

Monitoring the water level of a remote well with minimal effort

In all operations that rely on an on-site supply for cooling and service water, continuous monitoring is essential. At Kögelhof, a farm with a biogas plant in Mochenwangen, operations manager Hermann Müller uses water from a natural spring located a few hundred metres from the farm. Maintaining a constant water level is crucial to ensure a reliable supply for agricultural needs, the biogas plant, and everyday life on the farm. In applications involving remote locations, there is often no wired network connection or on-site IT support available to collect and transmit measured values. To address this challenge, ifm has developed the ideal solution: the io-key.

The sensor data recorded at the well tank is transmitted directly to moneo via mobile communications using the io-key, where it is evaluated. This allows fast and easy access to the data without complex installations, costly IT infrastructure or the need for daily on-site inspections. If critical water levels are reached, automatic notifications are triggered, enabling timely, targeted water-saving measures or a switch to the municipal water supply to prevent shortages.

Discover how the io-key can revolutionise your data connectivity!

Benefits of the io-key for water supply management

To ensure a consistent supply from natural groundwater sources, continuous monitoring of the water level in the well is essential. Seasonal and weather-related fluctuations have a significant impact on water levels. Using the io-key offers a number of advantages, including:

• Reliable water supply: The current water level is clearly visible.
• Transparency: Through visualisation and analysis, transparency of the water level is ensured, and it can be viewed at any time.
• Measurability: moneo not only visualises the water level, but also displays the volume in litres or cubic metres.
• Fast response times and planning: Early notifications when thresholds are not reached enable fast response times. Trend analyses make water consumption more predictable.
• Long-term analyses: Long-term analyses make it possible to identify environmentally driven gradual changes, such as a declining groundwater level.

These advantages make the io-key an ideal solution for flexible, cost-efficient and reliable data connectivity.

Value proposition

Ensuring efficient water supply with minimal effort

Especially in the case of remote tanks or, as in this application, a natural water well, level monitoring presents a number of challenges. Water supply may be interrupted for various reasons, for example due to summer drought or fluctuating water demand. In addition, the level in the water tank can only be checked on site, which makes monitoring more difficult.

Targeted monitoring of the water level in the well using the io-key and an IO-Link level sensor ensures a reliable water supply for the farm. At the same time, data analysis in moneo provides a solid basis for timely decisions and measures to reduce water consumption. The water level in the well is continuously recorded and can be viewed and monitored from any location, including the available water volume. Analysed consumption data and trends further support informed long-term decisions, such as evaluating the potential expansion of the well. All of this is achieved with minimal effort – thanks to the io-key.

Simple and fast data connectivity with io-key

Simple set-up is sufficient to monitor the water level and volume in the well. The io-key operates independently of existing IT systems, significantly reducing implementation effort. No wired internet connection is required, as the io-key transmits sensor data via its mobile network connection, even from remote locations without fixed network infrastructure. Installation and set-up of the io-key are quick and straightforward, allowing rapid access to sensor data. The io-key integrates seamlessly with moneo, enabling centralised data management, analysis and visualisation. In addition, alarms can be configured to trigger instant notifications when defined events occur – for example, if water levels drop below a critical threshold.

System structure

System structure

1. Probe for level sensors E43353
2. Launching plate for level sensors E43380
3. Continuous level sensor LR3020
4. io-key wireless IoT gateway (EU) AIK001

Monitoring a remote water well

Monitoring a natural water well and its water level involves a number of challenges. Where no network infrastructure is available, the io-key can be used, eliminating the need for manual checks on site. The io-key transmits the data from the connected sensors to moneo via mobile communications. In addition to the LR3020 level sensor, this application requires a E43380 launching plate and a E43353 probe (length: 2 m).*

The sensor is connected directly to the io-key. The 24-volt power supply is provided by a small photovoltaic module and a battery. In moneo, dashboards are set up to visualise the current water level and to send notifications when the value falls below the set threshold. With calculated values, the calculation cycle is set to “On change” so that the volume is only calculated when the water level changes. This allows easy and effective remote monitoring of the water tank and faster response to changes.

*The components listed are not explicitly approved for drinking water applications and should be checked by a specialist of the relevant public health authority. Depending on how the coupling plate or probe is used, additional regulations may need to be taken into account.