Novel Sensor Chip for IoT/M2M- and LTE/3G-Network-Based Water Quality Monitoring for Off-grid Water Systems

Off-grid water supply systems are considered as an integral part of water management for their economic advantages over centralized ones. However, water quality control in these decentralized systems is a challenge due to the lack of professionals and proper technology. To overcome this problem, an IoT/M2M using LTE/3G-network-based monitoring system was proposed allowing distant monitoring. However, conventional sensing elements are costly and require maintenance by qualified staff. This paper reported on an Internet-based water quality monitoring supported by newly developed, low-cost, maintenance-free sensors. A single-sensor chip for EC, pH and the bacterial count was developed for multi parameters’ monitoring based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The measured parameters were transferred by a low-cost IoT/M2M using LTE/3G network to the cloud server and accessed via a distant PC for monitoring and control.