INNOVATIVE
Water Institute researchers are developing new ideas, products and technologies to address water problems and make an impact on our world for generations to come.
$210+
MILLION
IN RESEARCH FUNDING
since 2009
$7.5
MILLION
in new project funding due to Seed Grant program
290+
COLLABORATIVE WATER PROGRAM STUDENTS
since 2013
New sensor provides better leak protection in buildings
A new, battery-free sensor can detect water leaks in buildings at a fraction of the cost of existing systems. The tiny device, developed by Norman Zhou, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and George Shaker, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, uses nanotechnology to power itself and send an alert to smartphones when exposed to moisture.
By eliminating a battery and related circuitry, researchers estimate their sensor could be commercially produced for $1 each, about a tenth of the cost of current leak detection devices on the market.
“We harvest the energy that is created when the sensor is exposed to water and that energy then powers the electronics to send an alert to the user’s cellphone via the internet.”
Norman Zhou, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Estimating water storage of reservoir rainwater harvesting structures from space
Traditional rainwater harvesting structures are important local sources of water for domestic and agricultural uses, but are rarely monitored. Doctoral candidate and Collaborative Water Program student Vicky Vanthof, and Richard Kelly, professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, showed that the structures can be seasonally and remotely monitored from space using the TanDEM-X digital elevation model to estimate tank water volumes.
In the future, it is hoped this process can be used in combination with hydrological modelling to investigate tank water dynamics and spatial connectivity, thus providing useful local management information.
Fast, affordable water testing in the developing world
Susantra Mitra, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and his colleagues are refining new technology that puts the power to monitor water quality in the palms of people in the developing world.
The system combines artificial intelligence (AI) software on smartphones with low-cost tools the researchers previously developed to test water for potentially deadly E. coli bacteria. Their ultimate aim is an affordable, comprehensive system to routinely monitor water for contamination without the delays and high costs of off-site laboratory tests.
The new addition to their existing testing tools – which use paper strips, gel and plastic filters that change colour when E. coli bacteria are present in water – is AI trained to read and interpret the results. Users simply take a smartphone photograph of the strip, gel or filter and the AI application determines, based on colour change, whether there is contamination or not. It has proven 99.99 per cent accurate, all but eliminating errors made by human interpreters.
Work is ongoing to refine the system through training with more data to also predict E. coli concentration, and therefore the level of contamination, by interpreting the intensity of the colour change.
Sound in water: Can hydroacoustics and artificial intelligence detect leaks in water infrastructure?
Growing populations, climate change, and deteriorating water supply infrastructure are exerting unsustainable demands on urban water resources worldwide. A significant portion of water is lost between treatment and delivery, which can largely be attributed to leakage and bursts in distribution systems.
Detection of large bursts is relatively straightforward, while detection of smaller bursts and leaks is more difficult. A reliable, highly sensitive leak monitoring system must have a high robustness to background noise due to uncontrolled operating, weather, and environmental changes associated with real world water supply systems.
Sriram Narasimhan, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is collaborating with industry partners to incorporate hydrophone technology into a monitoring device that sits inside a standard fire hydrant, listening for noises that indicate potential problems in the water system. Because sound is pressure, noises can reveal the location of leaks.
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