Emerging Role of Internet of Things (IoT) for Wastewater Management

Abstract

Freshwater is a limited and valuable natural resource that is constantly being exploited to meet the global demand of a rapidly expanding population. Anthropogenic activities and the rapid expansion of municipal and industrial establishments are the primary cause of wastewater. Wastewater remediation is essentially required to ensure the public health and well-being of the aquatic ecosystem. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are slow, need high human resources, lack automation, and have inadequate process optimization scope for dynamic wastewater treatment. IoT in wastewater management refers to a credible networking technology used to transfer data from physical sensors to a device with analytical software through a wireless channel. IoT can play a crucial role in every indispensable step of wastewater remediation like sampling, monitoring, sensing, data logging, and pollution degradation. IoT framework interconnected with sensors and data servers helps stakeholders to analyze the dynamic nature of wastewater. Connected systems can accurately control remediation extent and the feedback control mechanism in water treatment plants. IoT-based wastewater remediation produces more data, gives real-time insight into pollution heterogeneity, requires fewer human intervention, and generates fewer errors. IoT-based water remediation allows stakeholders to remediate wastewater accurately. The vast data set developed over time also provides essential information about the aquatic ecosystem and how external influences affect water parameters. With the emerging potential of IoT, there has been a rapid progression in smart water management technologies. This chapter aims to portray the role of integrated IoTs for sustainable wastewater management processes.