Smart water campus - a testbed for smart water applications

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Information Technology
• Urban Planning

Background:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) offers potential for large-scale urban water infrastructure (UWI) monitoring using low-cost sensors and wireless technology.
• Decision-makers face challenges justifying investments due to unclear potentials of smart UWI solutions.
• A lack of integrated, data-driven approaches hinders optimization of UWI systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an innovative testbed, the Smart Campus, for smart and data-driven applications in network-based UWI.
• To evaluate the feasibility and impact of high-resolution sensor deployment for UWI monitoring.
• To explore integrative approaches for UWI management, including citizen engagement and nature-based solutions.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive deployment of low-cost sensors across the University of Innsbruck campus for high-resolution (1-15 min) UWI monitoring.
• Integration of water distribution, urban drainage networks, and nature-based solutions into a unified monitored system.
• Development of strategies for involving the urban population in UWI management.

Main Results:

• Sensor deployment and communication technology choices significantly influence the quality of service for UWI applications.
• High-resolution monitoring provides valuable data for understanding and controlling UWI.
• An integrative approach enables synergistic implementation and cross-system improvements, such as smart rainwater harvesting.

Conclusions:

• The Smart Campus testbed demonstrates the viability of data-driven UWI applications.
• Effective UWI management requires careful consideration of sensor technology, communication, and installation.
• Integrating diverse systems and participants, including social science expertise, is crucial for advancing smart UWI solutions.