Real-Time Implementation of Wastewater Monitoring System on the Communal Wastewater Treatment Plant using the IoT Technology

Abstract

A Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a plant used to reduce the pollutants contained in the wastewater. The optimal operation of the WWTP can be achieved when the performance of WWTP is monitored regularly. This paper presents an actual implementation of the wastewater monitoring system on the communal WWTP using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The proposed method employs the sensors and electronic modules available in the market and the popular ThingSpeak IoT platform. Four sensors, namely pH, temperature, turbidity, and Dissolved Oxygen (DO), monitor the wastewater’s parameters. The IoT hardware on the field communicates with the ThingSpeak cloud server using a GSM modem. The proposed monitoring system has been implemented on the Tirtarona WWTP, a communal WWTP located in Malang, Indonesia. The preliminary evaluation results show that the proposed method works properly and achieves the goal of the real-time wastewater monitoring system. Further, the solar panel is installed at the top of the sensor module for providing a self-powered and green energy monitoring system.