An Inexpensive, Open-Source, Remote Water Level Monitoring Solution for Dam Safety

Water level is an essential parameter in monitoring the performance and condition of dams, and sudden changes in water level can indicate a potentially hazardous situation. Traditional gaging technology poses financial obstacles to organizations attempting to monitor multiple dams that may not have the infrastructure for large systems. Open-source electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT) offer a more-economical and flexible platform to develop monitoring systems tailored to dam safety needs. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Dam Safety Program (“Program”) has developed a remote water level monitoring system prototype using the Arduino open-source electronics platform and Adafruit IO cloud service. Ultrasonic and pressure-based methods are used to measure water level, and data are sent via a cellular network to a graphical user interface to provide real-time monitoring accessible through any internet-connected device. The entire system costs less than $500 USD plus an estimated $30 USD per month for telemetry. All electronics, software, and hardware designs are completely open-source and available in a GitHub repository. When tested against traditional technology, the system proved capable of capturing and displaying accurate readings in real time. The system was also deployed on a dam and effectively displayed water level data for a 14-day deployment.