Modern Monitoring Network in the Indian Ocean

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Up-to-Date Hydro-Meteorological Information System

Three public authorities in Sri Lanka are responsible for various tasks in water management, and they all depend on hydro-meteorological data. However, the existing monitoring network was in poor condition, and reliable, up-to-date measurement values were often missing.

The existing system needed to be extended and updated with the latest technology. In combination with a modern state-of-the-art technical system solution, capacity building of personnel was also necessary.

The provided system solution was to operate very reliably under harsh tropical conditions (daily temperatures of more than 30°C and relative humidity up to 100%). 

Background

The existing monitoring network was too loosely knit and many devices were no longer in working order. A renewal of the network was indispensable.

The new system solution was meant to work fully automated and operate reliably under harsh tropical conditions. Real-time data was to be provided to the main data center at the Hydrologic Division headquarter in Colombo.

In October 2012, OTT HydroMet took over as general contractor and was responsible for all stages of the project including:

• Establishment and upgrade of 122 hydro-meteorological stations
• Establishment of a central database system for hydro-meteorological data and information
• Provision of flood forecasting and reservoir management tools, including support and training
• Provision of procedures, tools and training for real-time analysis of flood situations
• Capacity building of local staff

To provide an effective long-term solution, OTT HydroMet worked closely with the following partners:

• Analytical Instruments Ltd. as a local partner for civil engineering, installation, commissioning and maintenance
• Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) as an expert for hydrological forecasting
• Aquatic Informatics for water data management

Monitoring Solutions

The new monitoring network was completed in 2016. More than 100 OTT Pluvio² weighing rain gauges were stationed across the country.

The measuring equipment was completed by water level gauges, Doppler flow measurement systems and weather stations. All stations were equipped with the IP-enabled datalogger OTT netDL 1000, a satellite transmitter, solar power, overvoltage and vandalism protection.

Automatically saved data is sent to the data center both via GPRS through the datalogger’s internal modem and by satellite. This redundancy concept guarantees a high degree of data availability.

Prior to commissioning, the data center in Colombo had to be set up, services included the provision of:

• Hardware such as servers, routers, switches, uninterruptable power supply (UPS), desktops, printers, and a self-triggering diesel generator
• Software for data reception and plausibility checks
• SQL data base for storing and providing data
• Aquarius Time-Series and WebPortal software for data management
• Mike 11 software for hydraulic modeling

Quality assurance played a major role in each phase of the project. Moreover, intensive training and a well-planned maintenance scheme were designed to ensure a lasting benefit.