A flood monitoring system that alerts a Herefordshire Community of increased flood risk has been given a boost by the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR).
The University of Chester is already working with residents of Aston Ingham to use advanced wireless technologies to monitor water levels in surrounding brooks and to raise alerts to r the risk of flooding.
The RSPAWIR has funded that installation and connection of an additional sensor, using LoRaWan technology, to be linked into the system which allows local people access to a data dashboard where they can asses the flooding risk and take appropriate action to protect their community.
Dr Namrata Bhattacharya-mis, senior lecturer and programme leader in natural hazard management at the University of Chester, said: “The system provides 24/7 local water level monitoring and enables email, WhatsApp and SMS notifications to subscribed users to alert them to emerging flood risk.
“It was important to scale up the project since the existing sensors were not sufficient to provide greater understanding of the wider catchment and we are pleased to have won the support of the RSPAWIR for this. I must also insist the importance of active community engagement here, which took the effectiveness and impact of the project to a greater height.”
Maggie Pettit, from the Aston Ingham Flood Forum, said: “The offer of localised flood alerts to the local community is a significant improvement and one which subscribers will value - forewarned is forearmed!”
Matt Smith, project manager for the RSPAWIR, which is managed by Shropshire Council, added: “This is an excellent example of wireless technology being installed in a natural environment and bringing the maximum benefit to local communities.
“It is hard living with flood risk and this system helps people make informed decisions in good time and will hopefully help people stay protected.”
The RSPAWIR has been awarded £4m of funding from the Department of Science, Industry and Technology, to support the growth of wireless innovation and technology in some of its key economic sectors.
The Partnership comprises the eight English and Welsh councils that cover the River Severn catchment area including Shropshire Council, and is one of 10 UK Innovation Regions to gain funding.
The RSPAWIR will focus on accelerating the adoption of advanced wireless enabled technologies across three sectors which have particularly strong roots in the River Severn catchment area: Water management, agri-tech and the public sector.