A digital environment for water resources

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Mathematics & Statistics

Abstract

Our proposal will develop and utilise smart sensors, test new infrastructure and approaches for data cleaning, as well as developing predictive analytics and a visualisation platform, to improve the next generation of environmental regulations for water resources. Our tools will allow businesses (eg the whisky and agricultural sectors) to individually assess and control their environmental interactions and ultimately enable regulators to remove the need for traditional environmental inspection and monitoring. Partners in the multi-disciplinary proposal are the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems (CENSIS). Our project will scope out existing and new technology for sensing water resources in remote environments, and then in a demonstrator project, explore the practical implementation of a network of sensors across a catchment integrating data from the national river flow archive, the SEPA managed network of gauging stations, and rainfall information. The results will allow us to assess the potential of this technology to disrupt traditional approaches to environmental regulation by providing a framework for enhanced and superior information gathering while removing the extensive cost and regulatory burden associated with field officers conducting inspections and sampling.
A key aspect of this proposal is the promotion and deployment of sensors and communication and analytical methods to extend a previous small scale sensor pilot into a prototype digital predictive and visualisation framework testing the communications infrastructure and integration of data streams to enhance the ability of the UK to better manage water resources (quality and availability) in the context of remote, rural environments. This links into existing networks including the national river flow archive and the SEPA supported network of river gauging stations. In this larger demonstrator project, further sensors will be deployed providing additional spatial coverage of water level sensors, while adding additional types of sensor (rainfall and soil moisture), as well as scoping using a satellite based communications solution. This study will evaluate the potential of reliable and easily deployable sensor communication infrastructure based on the low power wide area network LoRaWAN standard monitoring rural environmental areas. As well as data transmission and communication challenges we will also be attempting to address off-grid powering challenges by making use of low power devices and active duty cycle management as well as renewable energy sources (e.g. solar/wind) in a low cost sustainable format. We will use new infrastructure extending the range of environmental variables to be measured, and test different data communication technologies including satellite (IoT), daisy chaining LoRaWAN and using battery operated LoRaWAN and LoRaWAN hybrid repeater nodes. These are very leading edge and we will be working with the industry leader Semtech in not only new lower power silicon (Q319) but a roll-out of a new meshing standard (TBC). The Hybrid repeater nodes will be custom and bespoke to this project.
Our proposal could lead ultimately to many new remote networks that are independent of any infrastructure requirements.

Planned Impact

Our proposal makes the case for the "upgrading" of an existing distributed and instrumented small network in a rural catchment with the integration of new sensors, communications and data analytics and visualisation processes to deliver a prototype system to support water management and decision making.
Expected benefits are:
development and testing of a ruggedized sensor kit for water level, temperature, and soil moisture that could be extended to other environmental variables.
development, testing and demonstration of a communications solution for remote and rural areas
development, testing and demonstration of approaches to handle data quality assurance for high frequency environmental data streams
development of prototype visualisation tools for spatial and temporal data streams
scoping of formulation of new regulatory models using a digital solution to monitoring

Environmental Decision Makers and regulators. Both policy and industry sectors make critical decisions based on environmental information. Currently in the context of water abstraction, companies and farms gain a licence which stipulates the maximum volume that can be abstracted within a year, the regulators may formally physically inspect, but the use of a network of sensors, coupled with a support system will allow more effective decisions making by integrating streams of data to improve our understanding of interactions, as well as well as providing robust quantification of uncertainty.

Academic communities. Our proposed data assurance, modelling and visualisation system will provide a demonstration of our enhanced understanding of potentially complex environmental and commercial interactions. This will enable the environmental science communities to benefit from: an increased understanding of the interactions in environmental systems; better pattern detection and forecasting ability. The data science, and statistical communities will also benefit from the development of new algorithms to detect anomalies and gap fill, to develop models for data fusion across different data streams within this environment and, by understanding the methodological limitations, identify gaps and critical development required.

Environmental sensor network operators. Our feasibility study into establishing an infrastructure independent environmental network will elaborate recommendations for improvements to existing sensor networks including: what changes can be made by the individual networks to enable integration; what the benefits of co-location of sensors are; and what power savings can be made as well as communication solutions for remote environments.
As well as data transmission and communication challenges we will also address off-grid powering challenges by making use of low power devices and active duty cycle management as well as renewable energy sources (e.g. solar/wind) in a low cost sustainable format.

Businesses and farmers. Part of our demonstrator project will investigate network infrastructure requirements and technical specification for integrating individual sensor within a digital environment. Data will be made available to farmers, allowing operators to individually assess and control their environmental interactions and, in time, remove the burden of inspection and reporting. Additionally, it is anticipated that real-time data will enable the move from practically unenforceable annual maximum volumetric abstraction license limits to more sustainable instantaneous flow condition based abstraction limits. This will allow business to interact with the environment in a way that is sustainable for the given environmental conditions. In simple terms, this will protect businesses, by ensuring water resources are shared evenly during times of scarcity and allow increased use when resources are plentiful.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The project has shown the feasibility of using autonomous SENSORS in rural and remote areas to monitor the environment. It has demonstrated the challenges in maintaining SENSOR operation and in communicating the data. the design of sensor networks have become a critical aspect which is important to a number of end users
Exploitation Route The demonstrator project has shown that it is possible to monitor rural environments and that the technology can be scaled to much larger areas. We have also recruited a new PhD student to further develop this programme of work, now working with UK national data, and collaborating closely with the University of Stirling and the Alan Turing Institute. we are now also working with Censis (an innovation centre) to develop a proposal around design of sensor networks.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Environment

 
Description With the SEPA data dashboard we have targeted local farmers giving them access to the data from the SENSORS so that they can make decisions about when to irrigate crops. we have now also begun developing further tools to map the Hutton Criteria as well as linking new findings on soil moisture to flood risk. we are now developing a guidebook on how to design sensor networks.
First Year Of Impact 2021
Sector Agriculture, Food and Drink,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Environment
Impact Types Societal

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description Environmental SENSOR design
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
Impact Through the project new SENSORS have been designed and tested to allow the regulatory environment concerning water resource management to be improved. In addition, farmers now have access to much improved real time information concerning river levels and SEPA have improved data streams related to flooding and drought.
 
Description Delivering a Climate Resilient City through City-University Partnership: Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation (GALLANT)
Amount £10,370,235 (GBP)
Funding ID NE/W005042/1 
Organisation Natural Environment Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 01/2027
 
Description Developing statistical downscaling to improve water quality understanding and management in the Ramganga sub-basin
Amount £461,314 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/T003669/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2019 
End 06/2022
 
Description EPSRC IAA funding
Amount £22,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2023 
End 06/2023
 
Description University PhD scholarship
Amount £90,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2027
 
Description University of Glasgow Covid Support Fund
Amount £40,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2021 
End 06/2021
 
Description a digital twin for a river catchment
Amount £75,000 (GBP)
Organisation Chinese Scholarship Council 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country China
Start 08/2021 
End 08/2024
 
Title Digital resource management 
Description The project has delivered a data dashboard which streams the data from the environmental SENSORS flagging up any anomalies and also related to soil moisture the Hutton Criteria. This has all been implemented in an R-Shiny platform which has been translated to the SEPA dashboard. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Improved local knowledge concerning use of water resources for irrigation. 
 
Description SEPA CENSIS Digital Environment 
Organisation Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems CENSIS
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The University of Glasgow research team have worked with CENSIS in the design and installation of the environmental sensors.
Collaborator Contribution CENSIS have designed, built and tested SENSORS which were then supplied to SEPA for installation.
Impact N/A
Start Year 2019
 
Description SEPA CENSIS Digital Environment 
Organisation Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The University of Glasgow team have worked closely with SEPA delivering the design of the Sensor network in the catchment. We have also co-developed with SEPA a data dashboard.
Collaborator Contribution SEPA have built, installed and maintained SENSORS in the local catchment. They have also extended the communication network allowing the data to be streamed. They have worked with the PostDoc to deliver the data dashboard and data visualisation.
Impact N/A
Start Year 2019
 
Description SEPA/SRUC monitoring designs for a digital environment 
Organisation Scotland's Rural College
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution we worked together to scope out some use cases of monitoring designs
Collaborator Contribution SRUC provided expertise around their use of sensors in their test case farms
Impact we have developed a theoretical handbook describing various statistical approaches to monitoring networks
Start Year 2023
 
Description Lecture to the confederation of Mexican universities, sponsored by the Mexican embassy and the dean for international engagement in South America 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I was invited to give a lecture based around the digital environment theme and associated with COP26 to a confederation of Mexican universities. there were more than 50 in the audience, and it was followed by a lively discussion around the role of data and analytics in climate change discussions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Participation in Royal Society of Edinburgh Parliamentary working group session organised by Edinburgh Mathematical Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The Royal Society of Edinburgh parliamentary working group organise events on specific topics at which MPs and senior civil servants hear about research being conducted. this event was co-sponsored by the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, and I presented on our work on a digital environment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description The International Environmetrics Society conference, Peterborough Canada 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact for this annual conference, I organised a session with colleagues on environmental digital twins, I gave the opening lecture
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description invited lecture at University of madrid joint with the Royal spanish mathematical society 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A digital earth - contributing to delivering net zero, nature plus and a sustainable world was the title of my lecture to this audience, as part of an industry engagement event
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description invited presentation at world water day 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I gave an invited talk that presented the challenges facing digital water "digital environment for water resources"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description the international association of hydrogeologists Ineson event, London 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Digital earth systems: drawing intelligence from disparate data streams and models was my talk, intended to challenge the audience concerning preparedness for the increasing volumes of data.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023