Can you monitor water quality from space?
One firm is giving it a shot.
German company EOMAP, which specializes in optical remote sensing of marine and freshwater environments, recently announced the launch of their cloud-based eoapp AQUA solution, which they say allows authorities and industry experts to gain comprehensive satellite-based information on coastal and inland waters with a few mouse clicks.
“Users can simply conduct data generation for a specific region on their own, after defining required parameters, observation period, area, and satellite sources according to their needs,” reads a press release issued by EOMAP. “For visualising and analysing these results the web app includes an intuitive data viewer, a long-term analysis tool enabling users to look +40 years back in time, a monitoring feature to identify both the status and recent developments in water bodies, plus an alert function based on individual thresholds.”
These features, EOMAP says, support a physics-based approach to water quality applications, such as bathing waters surveillance, environmental impact monitoring, or climate change studies.
“The new app offers a pro-active approach to water management. Clients can, for example, detect potentially harmful algae blooms, and take early actions or inform the public”, says Karin Schenk, Head of Water Quality at EOMAP.
Fabian von Trentini, EOMAP’s Innovation Manager, explained that harvesting satellite data via eoapp AQUA “also benefits users by significant time or cost savings. Thus, field campaigns can either be avoided or set-up in a far more targeted way than before.”
The Challenges of Monitoring Water Quality
Monitoring water quality is a critical aspect of ensuring the health of aquatic ecosystems and human populations. As water is essential for drinking, agriculture, and industry, maintaining its quality is paramount. However, measuring and managing water quality comes with its unique set of challenges. These challenges are not just scientific and technical but also encompass social, economic, and regulatory dimensions. In this article, we will explore some of the key difficulties faced by those involved in monitoring water quality around the world.
1. Diverse Sources of Pollution
One of the foremost challenges in water quality monitoring is dealing with the multitude of pollution sources. Contaminants can come from agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, sewage treatment plants, and even natural processes like soil erosion. Each of these sources introduces different types of pollutants—nutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, and organic chemicals—that require different methods of detection and analysis.
Agricultural runoff, for example, is a significant source of nutrient pollution, leading to algal blooms and hypoxic conditions in water bodies. Meanwhile, industrial effluents often contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals that are harmful to both aquatic life and human health. Given the complexity and variety of pollutants, monitoring efforts must be tailored to each situation, demanding considerable expertise and resources.
2. Technological Limitations
Even with advancements in technology, water quality monitoring still faces limitations. Traditional methods, such as grab sampling and laboratory testing, are time-consuming and can be costly. While these methods provide accurate results, they are often not suitable for large-scale or real-time monitoring.
Emerging technologies like remote sensing, biosensors, and autonomous underwater vehicles are promising solutions, but they come with their own set of challenges. Remote sensing, for instance, is useful for detecting surface water quality parameters like chlorophyll or turbidity but may struggle with measuring subsurface parameters or detecting specific pollutants. Moreover, biosensors and autonomous vehicles, although effective in real-time monitoring, are still in developmental stages and may not yet be robust or affordable enough for widespread use.
3. Data Gaps and Inconsistencies
Data availability and consistency are significant hurdles in water quality monitoring. Many regions, especially in developing countries, lack the infrastructure and resources to carry out regular water quality assessments. This leads to data gaps that hinder the understanding of long-term water quality trends and the effectiveness of management interventions.
Even when data is available, inconsistencies in monitoring methods, sampling frequencies, and reporting standards can complicate comparisons across regions and time periods. Different agencies or organizations might employ various analytical techniques, leading to disparities in reported water quality metrics. Harmonizing these methodologies is crucial for building a comprehensive global picture of water quality but is a challenging endeavor due to varying local and national capabilities.
4. Regulatory and Policy Challenges
Water quality monitoring is closely tied to regulations and policy frameworks. In many countries, water quality standards are set by governmental bodies and must be adhered to by various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and municipalities. However, enforcing these standards can be difficult, particularly in regions with limited regulatory oversight or corruption.
The complexity of regulatory frameworks can also pose challenges. Water quality is affected by numerous factors, and comprehensive regulations must consider the interactions between surface water, groundwater, and coastal waters. Developing policies that address these interactions without overburdening stakeholders is a delicate balancing act. Furthermore, policies need to be adaptable to changing environmental conditions and emerging contaminants, making regular policy reviews essential but often neglected.
5. Emerging Contaminants
Emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, present new challenges for water quality monitoring. These substances are not typically included in routine water quality assessments, and their long-term impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health are still not well understood.
Detecting emerging contaminants requires specialized equipment and methodologies, which may not be readily available in many laboratories. Additionally, the rapid development of new chemicals and materials means that monitoring programs need to constantly evolve to keep up with these changes, placing a strain on already limited resources.
6. Climate Change and Environmental Variability
Climate change adds another layer of complexity to water quality monitoring. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events can all impact water quality. For instance, higher temperatures can exacerbate algal blooms, while extreme rainfall can lead to increased runoff and sedimentation.
These environmental changes can alter the distribution and concentration of pollutants, making it harder to predict and monitor water quality. Monitoring programs need to be adaptable to these shifts, requiring the integration of climate models and water quality models—a challenging task that demands interdisciplinary expertise and collaboration.
7. Funding and Resource Constraints
Monitoring water quality is resource intensive. It requires skilled personnel, sophisticated equipment, and consistent funding. However, securing financial resources for long-term monitoring programs can be difficult, especially in regions where water quality issues are not immediately visible or perceived as urgent.
Limited funding often means that monitoring programs must prioritize certain parameters or locations, leading to gaps in the data and potentially overlooking critical issues. This lack of comprehensive data can hinder effective water management and policymaking, creating a vicious cycle where inadequate monitoring leads to poor water quality, which then demands more resources to address.
GPRS Leak Detection Services Assist in Water Infrastructure Management
GPRS offers pinpoint-accurate leak detection services designed to help you efficiently maintain your drinking water infrastructure.
Our Project Managers are experts in a full range of leak detection services, covering municipal, industrial, and residential applications. Equipped with advanced tools, they can pinpoint leaks and deliver a thorough assessment of your water distribution system’s integrity. With our Project Managers strategically positioned in key markets and cities throughout the U.S., you can always count on having reliable, professional leak detection services near you.
GPRS utilizes both commercial acoustic leak detectors and leak detection correlators to locate leaks within your water system, without needing to conduct exploratory excavation.
Acoustic leak detection involves using sophisticated ground microphones to listen for leaks coming from subsurface pipes. Leak detection specialists are trained to isolate leaking pipes’ specific sounds and frequencies.
Leak detection, or leak noise correlators are specialized electronic devices that leak detection service companies use to locate leaks in water lines and water pipes quickly and accurately.
Leak detection correlators work similarly to acoustic leak detectors. However, while acoustic leak detectors rely on a human to manually listen to the frequencies emitted through sensitive audio listening equipment, leak noise correlators detect the vibrations with a computer.
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize?
GPRS Sponsors Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week
GPRS sponsors Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week (WSDAW), an annual municipal water safety event held in October. If you would like to schedule a WSDAW educational event for your community or facility, click here to register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does GPRS often conduct leak detection services in the early hours of the morning?
Our acoustic listening equipment is highly sensitive and amplifies leaks and other noises which mask leak signals during the day. If we work in city environments, there is often a significant amount of ambient noise. This noise includes airplanes, traffic, mowers, machinery, and most importantly, people using water. It is up to the Leak Detector to determine if night work should be utilized to minimize all other noise to focus on the leak signal.
Can GPRS Project Managers determine the size of the leak that they’ve located?
After analyzing thousands of previous leaks detected, we asked clients to send us pictures of the remediation. This information has helped us compare our final leak signal detected with the results of the actual leak. We determine the size of the leak by how far the leak signal travels between contact points and the pitch of the tone received. However, we do not produce formal leak estimations.
Why don’t I see any water at the location where my Project Manager indicated there is an underground leak?
Water finds the path of least resistance. Water can run through cracks in subsurface rock or make its way into storm, sanitary, and conduit piping. If the subsurface contains a high volume of sand, it will naturally flow farther down. There is no water visible on the surface in more than 99% of the leaks we locate.
